5 Reasons USC vs Colorado Is The Biggest Game of the 2016 Season

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Nov 13, 2015; Boulder, CO, USA; USC Trojans running back Justin Davis (22) runs the ball against Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Chidobe Awuzie (4) during the first half at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

USC vs Colorado isn’t just the next game for the Trojans. It’s the biggest game of the 2016 season for Clay Helton and his team.

A great performance and win over ASU can’t erase the memories of USC’s ineptitude in September, but it could be the launching point for another Trojan turnaround in 2016.

All of that depends on defeating the Colorado Buffaloes, who head to Los Angeles in the drivers’ seat and with plenty of confidence fueling them.

It may not have been pegged as a pivotal match up before the season, but here’s five reasons USC’s game against Colorado is the biggest of the season…

A Loss Ends USC’s Hopes of the Division Title

It could be said that every game from here on out is the most important of the year for USC because any loss in the South would knock the Trojans out of contention.

That’s doubly true against Colorado, who are the only team undefeated in conference left in the division.

A loss to Colorado would give the Trojans three losses in conference, with tie-breakers favoring both Utah and the Buffaloes in the South. Winning the division in those circumstances would require a minor miracle of perfectly timed loss combinations.

A win over Colorado, meanwhile, would put USC in surprisingly strong position despite the bleakness of their start.

Handing Colorado their first division loss and owning the tiebreaker would put the ball back in USC’s court, needing just one more loss each from the Buffaloes and the Sun Devils, though two from the Utes.

Oct 1, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) avoids a tackle by Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Gump Hayes (right) for a touchdown during the second half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

A Win Proves the ASU Win Wasn’t a Fluke

As great as it was to see the Trojans wallop ASU 41-20 — a scoreline which flattered the Sun Devils — there was an underlying question spoiling the fun just slightly.

What if ASU is just not very good?

After all, the Sun Devils’ supposedly potent offense had put up a lot of points against perennially suspect defenses like Texas Tech and Cal. On the other side of the equation, Arizona State’s defense had been decimated by those offenses.

ASU’s two best wins on the year came against Texas Tech, a team voted to finish sixth in the Big 12, and Cal, who was picked tenth in the Pac-12.

It’s not unreasonable to wonder if Sam Darnold’s great performance was a reflection of the Sun Devils’ poor pass defense. Or if the improvement of the Trojan defense was rooted in ASU’s own deficiencies.

Colorado, on the other hand, has performed at a level all season that would suggest they have legitimate quality on both sides of the ball.

Sure, Colorado State, Idaho State and Oregon State aren’t the epitome of top opposition, but the Buffaloes didn’t struggle with any of those, blowing them out as a half decent team should.

The Buffaloes also kept pace with Michigan, putting up 325 yards and 28 points on a stout Wolverine defense. Then they beat Oregon at Autzen Stadium, no easy task.

Beating Arizona State was a step in the right direction, but beating Colorado would confirm that the Trojans aren’t just capable of winning when they play sub-par competition.

Nov 13, 2015; Boulder, CO, USA;USC Trojans head coach Clay Helton (right) greets Colorado Buffaloes head coach Mike MacIntyre (left) after the game at Folsom Field. The Trojans won 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Helton’s Job Depends On Beating Quality Opponents

It’s not just that a win over Colorado would reassure Trojan fans that USC can beat teams with a pulse — not just the Utah State’s and ASU’s of the world. It’s that Clay Helton won’t change the hearts and minds of the people who have doubted his ability as a head coach without winning the big games on the schedule.

Helton’s 2-3 record in 2016 features wins over unranked opposition and losses to the three ranked teams USC has faced.

In fact, going back to his tenure as an interim in 2015, Helton has only beaten one ranked team — the highly-rated Utah squad USC upset at the Coliseum, a team the Trojans were favored over and which finished at No. 17 in the final polls.

That’s a 1-6 record against Top 25 teams as a head coach.

At No. 21, Colorado is a ranked squad to get a result against. Importantly, they’re also one of the last ranked teams USC will presumably face this season.

The final month of USC’s schedule looked daunting coming into the season, but Oregon and Notre Dame are both 2-3 and likely won’t be ranked highly, or at all, when the Trojans face them.

UCLA could work their way into the Top 25, but their hit and miss performances cast some doubt on that.

That leaves Washington, one of the nation’s elite thus far, and Colorado, one of the hottest teams in the Pac-12, as the top-draw competition remaining on USC’s schedule.

If Helton wants to make a compelling argument for Lynn Swann to give him a second season at USC, he must coax a strong performance out of his Trojans against the likes of the Buffaloes.

Oct 18, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; A general view of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the game against the Colorado Buffaloes against the Southern California Trojans. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Helton’s Perfect Home Record Is At Stake

The one great statistic Clay Helton can claim as USC head coach is a perfect record at the LA Coliseum.

Helton is 2-0 this season at home and 5-0 in Los Angeles since he took over for Steve Sarkisian in October of last year.

That means Trojan fans haven’t had many reasons to voice their displeasure at the head coach in person, from the stands.

Helton’s Trojans upset Utah before a raucous crowd in his home debut. They comfortably downed Arizona despite a late comeback attempt. Then they set the Coliseum roaring with a big win over UCLA last year.

In 2016, attendance numbers haven’t been stellar, but they haven’t dipped to dangerous levels and against Utah State and ASU blowout wins kept the mood positive.

With Colorado coming to town, however, the first sign of trouble could turn things ugly with a largely dissatisfied fan base ripe to turn at any moment.

Pat Haden had to have heard the “Fire Kiffin!” chants when USC lost to Washington State in 2013, a couple of games before the AD pulled the plug on the Lane Kiffin era.

Lynn Swann will certainly be able to hear the boos if things don’t go right for the Trojans against Colorado.

Oct 1, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) celebrates after a touchdown in front of Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Kareem Orr (25) during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Avoiding the Letdown is the Next Step

USC felt good after beating ASU on Saturday. Actually, it started even before the final whistle. The fans at the Coliseum let out a roar at half time, giving the Trojans a standing ovation as they ran for the tunnel. The players responded by waving their arms, asking for more, egging the crowd on.

The weather was great. Everything was going right for the Trojans. The mood was light.

Later, Clay Helton called the win a relief and a turning point.

If it truly was, then the Trojans have to prove it against Colorado by playing as complete a game as they played against the Sun Devils.

It’s about consistency.