For the first time since the end of the 2019 season, the USC football team will stream out of the tunnel in the Coliseum on Saturday afternoon to a roaring crowd of fans.

College football, as we used to know it, is back as the No. 15-ranked Trojans host San Jose State in their season-opener at 2 p.m. PT (on Pac-12 Network).

The Spartans (1-0) have already had a tune-up game, posting a 45-14 win over FCS-level Southern Utah last weekend, but this will be the first true gauge of this USC team, which enters 2021 with plenty of optimism but also plenty of questions still to answer.

As is tradition here at TrojanSports.com, the staff came together to debate and discuss those key topics and make predictions for the game.

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Tajwar Khandaker: "The USC pass rush provides the most optimism for the defense’s prospects this season, coming off a surprisingly impressive 2020 campaign where the Trojans came up with 15 sacks in six games. They’ll return star edge rusher Drake Jackson and two breakout standouts from last year in Nick Figueroa and Tuli Tuipulotu, while also throwing a five-star top national recruit into the mix in defensive end Korey Foreman. If Jackson and Tuipulotu take the next steps in their development as many expect, this front could be a monstrous force against the pass. As a whole, I have much more confidence in this defense than I’ve had coming into previous seasons because of the kinds of shifts we saw under defensive coordinator Todd Orlando in 2020. The improvement of team tackling especially is a development that should carry over to this season and go a long way towards improving things on the defensive side of the ball. The area which still remains a point of concern to me is in run defense, where the Trojans struggled mightily last year. The defense is even more vulnerable up the middle with the loss of Marlon Tuipulotu and the absence of Brandon Pili. The linebacking corps was unsteady in establishing its run fits last year, and with mostly the same players returning, it’s worth wondering if we’ll see improvement in that regard. The Trojans could get gashed nightly on the ground if something big hasn’t changed."

Ryan Young: "Tajwar answered it well -- one major, major source of optimism is that pass rush. Drake Jackson looked nearly unstoppable during the preseason and gave every indication he is primed for his best season yet. Korey Foreman will be brought along at a comfortable pace as he continues to digest the full breadth of the defense, but the one thing he is ready to do now is get to the quarterback, so look for him to be unleashed on third downs. Nick Figueroa might be the most underrated player on the team -- he did lead the Trojans in sacks and tackles for loss last year and has the utmost trust of the coaching staff. And Tuli Tuipulotu is talked about like he's a veteran even though he's only played a handful of games, but with good reason. He got better every week last fall, tacked on 25 pounds since the spring and will be a key for the Trojans from an interior defensive tackle spot. I'll add another reason for optimism, though -- Todd Orlando in general. I'm basically resetting the expectations I had for him coming into last year. We probably underestimated then how much the loss of spring practice, the defensive installs over Zoom and a hurried preseason had on a new coordinator. The point has been made that the defensive staff didn't truly have the opportunity to install a mentality along with the schemes -- that's something that comes from being around the players day in and day out for months and months. They've had that chance now and this is one intangible I'm willing to buy into, that the defense will truly take on Orlando's hard-edged personality and transfer it to the field this fall.

"As for concerns, there are plenty. Tajwar touched on the run defense. The abject lack of experience or depth at nose tackle is the obvious concern. The linebackers do also need to elevate their game, but that's Orlando's specialty so I have some hope there. I'll add another concern, though. His defenses have typically sacrificed some in pass coverage in the name of prioritizing pressuring the quarterback and containing the run, and I have particular questions about the secondary this year. Redshirt junior cornerback Isaac Taylor-Stuart has everything to prove as he steps into a starting role and he will be targeted until he answers those questions. Factor in the loss of Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Talanoa Hufanga to the NFL and the Trojans needing redshirt junior safety Chase Williams to fill his void at safety and there are some uncertainties here. But overall, I'm giving Orlando the benefit of the doubt entering this season."

Khandaker: "As always, the seemingly infinite pool of skill position talent makes it hard to bet against the Trojans on offense. They are stacked with playmakers at tight end, running back and receiver, with a variety of differing and complementary skill sets that will be a nightmare for defenses to plan for. If QB Kedon Slovis is 100 percent again, there’s no doubt that this group will light up the scoreboard. However, as in perpetuity, the greatest cause for concern lies with the offensive line. The unit showed very poorly last season in both phases of offense, allowing Slovis to be sacked 15 times through six games and making way for a rushing offense that produced less than 100 yards a game on less than 4.2 yards per carry by its backs. After losing its best player in Alijah Vera-Tucker to the NFL, the prospects for the offensive line this season looked quite grim. The emergence of redshirt freshmen Jonah Monheim and Courtland Ford at the tackle positions provides the potential for some significant change, but until we see the duo hold up well in live action, the line is going to remain a cause for worry."

Young: "Reasons for optimism? Plenty! First, I'm more bullish than anyone, it seems, on Kedon Slovis' prospects for a big season. He throwing the ball without issue again, says his confidence and velocity are back and he made a number of big plays this preseason. I actually don't understand all the doubt that still exists for Slovis, who despite being a little off last year nonetheless ranked sixth in the country in passing yards per game and was clutch when it mattered in three wild comeback wins. He also has one of the best receivers in the country to throw to in Drake London, who should approach Michael Pittman 2019 levels if he stays healthy. The rest of the receiving corps still needs to establish itself, but there are very intriguing playmakers throughout like Tahj Washington, flex tight ends Malcolm Epps and Michael Trigg, freshmen Joseph Manjack and Michael Jackson III, former top-100 prospect Kyle Ford, etc. And the running back room is as strong as its been in a handful of years. Look for Texas transfer Keaontay Ingram to make his presence felt this season.

"But yes, the offensive line is a concern. I actually believe the unit will be better in the run game, with the impact of Air Raid disciple Clay McGuire as offensive line coach. It's really the pass protection that gives me major doubts. Courtland Ford and Jonah Monheim are going to be very good offensive tackles for USC into the future, but they'll have some growing pains along the way this fall."