Few college football programs in the country have had a longer offseason than USC, or so it feels.

From 5-7 to the turnstile at offensive coordinator to all the transfers coming and going and finally with a long buildup through this preseason, it's actually time to officially turn the page.

USC kicks off a new season on Saturday night in the Coliseum, hosting Fresno State.

So, for the final time leading up to kickoff, the TrojanSports.com staff weighs in on what we've learned and what we expect regarding the major storylines this fall.

RELATED: 5 things to know about USC's first opponent Fresno State | 5 reasons for optimism with the 2019 Trojans, 5 reasons for doubt

So much of this season hinges on JT Daniels becoming the QB many expected when he arrived at USC. What’s your statistical forecast for Daniels this season and what would you need to see him do Saturday to inspire confidence?

Ryan Young: There would not be a better development for the collective psyche of this USC football team and its fan base than for Daniels to light it up Saturday and show that this new Air Raid offense is indeed well suited to his skills. That's been my belief through the spring and the preseason, that new OC Graham Harrell's system plays right into Daniels' strengths of being able to spread the ball around the field decisively and accurately with more open receivers at his disposal. I've also grown more convinced that there is going to be a heavy pass-run split for this team -- more so than maybe I initially expected -- so factoring that in, I'll say 3,719 passing yards 25 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Harrell's last QB, North Texas' Mason Fine, averaged 291.8 passing yards per game last fall. If Daniels plays all 12 regular season games plus a bowl game, I've got him approaching that average.

After all, while he was up and down last fall, he did still average 242.9 passing yards per game. I would not be surprised by an even bigger season from the sophomore, but he does still have plenty to prove so I won't get carried away. As for the opener, I think he builds some early momentum and plants the seeds for a big season.

Tajwar Khandaker: My confidence in JT Daniels still isn’t as high as many others' -- until he proves me otherwise, it’ll be hard for me to raise my expectations for him. Barring a big step forward, which is entirely possible of course, I expect him to put up around 3,200 yards to go with 22 TDs and 13 INTs.

As for the opener, this game seems oddly similar to last year’s UNLV game to me. On paper, I don’t think Daniels should have a tough time. Despite a couple of playmakers in their secondary, Fresno State is a team without any significant pass rush, and Daniels should have tons of time to find his talented pass catchers as he figures out how to work Harrell’s offense. I would expect him to have one of his best statistical games here -- if not, I’ll be a little underwhelmed. His decision making in tough spots has always been a concern. I’d like to see him avoid any turnovers -- 275+ yards, a few touchdowns, and most importantly, no picks would be enough to keep me confident going forward.

What’s your expectation for the young cornerbacks?

Ryan: I think we're going to see a mix of big plays by the corners and some bad beats. Olaijah Griffin, in particular, is a very opportunistic player who will take some chances if he thinks there's an interception to be had. Over time, I think that is really going to endear him to fans because he's good enough to deliver some game-changing moments. But collectively, we can't expect any more than the coaches, and DBs coach Greg Burns has been consistent in acknowledging the group still plays young and only time can change that. While Griffin seems locked in, I'm highly interested in the seeing how playing time is split on the other side between Isaac Taylor-Stuart and Chris Steele. Eventually, I'd presume one pulls ahead.

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