LSU Football: A Rivalry Renewed as USC Meets LSU

Rivalry Resurgence: USC vs. LSU Football

The two teams stared at each other from across the East Room of the White House, each waiting for its photo op, each convinced it belonged there more than the other. But both USC and Louisiana State technically had been named college football's national champions after the 2003 season — LSU by the Bowl Championship Series computers and USC by the Associated Press voters — so both had been invited to meet with President George W. Bush at the White House in March 2004. Later, as he congratulated both teams, President Bush joked the two should decide a champion right then and there. “The South Lawn is pretty good sized,” Bush quipped. No football was played that afternoon on the White House lawn. Nor would the two college football powers play at any point in the ensuing 20 years. But two decades after their shared title, that finally changes Sunday, as USC will face LSU in Las Vegas in one of the marquee matchups of college football’s opening weekend and one of the biggest games on the Trojans’ schedule.

High Stakes and New Beginnings

Both teams enter the opener under strikingly similar circumstances, with both coaches entering a critical Year 3 at their schools, and sky-high expectations to deliver. This game may not decide the true champion of 2003 — many of the players in this year’s matchup weren’t even born yet — but the stakes are still high for USC and LSU, given the gauntlet awaiting them in the coming weeks.

• Coaching Challenges: Both coaches, USC’s Lincoln Riley and LSU’s Brian Kelly, are under pressure to perform in this critical matchup.
• Quarterback Changes: Both teams are replacing Heisman winners with backup quarterbacks, creating uncertainty.
• Defensive Improvements Needed: With both teams ranked poorly in defense last season, new coaching strategies are being tested.

As the excitement builds for this renewed rivalry, fans can expect an intense showdown filled with surprises.