USC/Miami: A Match up that needs to happen

College football always provide the games that fans really want to see through the years. Fans and media want to see the big time match ups that will have many talking for a long time. In recent years USC has faced the likes of Alabama, Texas, and even Ohio State during the regular season. Lately the USC fan base have been urging for a big time home and home series after Texas series. Fans has thrown out many teams that they want to see the Trojans play, however there’s a specific match up that needs to happen soon and that’s a meeting with the Miami Hurricanes.

USC and Miami are known as one of the top NFL factories out there as both schools send a good amount of players to the league. Both are in the top 5 in programs with the most NFL 1st round draft picks (USC No. 1 with 80 and Miami at No. 4 with 65), top 15 in players drafted into the NFL (USC ranked No. 1 with 502 and Miami ranked No. 15 at 335), and as of publish date both schools have a combined 112 players that are actively playing in the NFL today. USC has 53 active players in the NFL while Miami has 59 active players currently playing, enough to make up a whole NFL roster.

When it comes to the college ranks USC and Miami are some of the most prestigious college football programs right now, however the two programs have only crossed paths twice. Once was in Miami in 1966 where the Hurricanes defeated John McKay’s Trojans 10-7. Two years later in Los Angeles USC defeated Miami 28-3 in their last match up. We never got the USC/Miami National Championship or Bowl game that we all wanted as the two trended in different directions at the height of their times. During the Hurricanes run from 2000 to 2003 USC was beginning the legendary Pete Carroll and has not reached national prominence yet. From 2002-2009 USC was already on the upward trend of dominance while Miami was trending the opposite direction.

Why must this happen? We are way past the 2000’s and some may feel it won’t have the same feel as it could have had during the early to mid 2000’s.

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Right now USC and Miami appear to be trending towards the same direction. Miami under head coach Mark Richt have a promising future after having their first double digit win season and playing in their first major bowl game since 2004. The Trojans currently coming off two back to back double digit win seasons under Clay Helton which includes a Rose Bowl victory and a Pac-12 Championship. Both teams are also doing very well in recruiting as well. A match up between the two programs couldn’t come at a better time.

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The magnitude of the game would be off the charts. The trash talk between NFL players who has came through the two programs would be must read material. NFL scouts will likely flock to scout the game between the two NFL factories. If there’s any time the two programs should meet in a home and home series, now would be the best time.

If you’re looking for the game to happen soon then you’ll have to wait until 2023 at the earliest. Currently USC only has Notre Dame and BYU on the out of conference slate and Miami has Texas A&M and Temple. Realistically if the two were to schedule a home and home against each other then look for possibly 2026 after Miami finishes up with their Notre Dame home and home series.

Until then all we can do is hope that the two programs cross paths in a bowl game in the near future. Maybe a major New Year 6 bowl game.