After kicking off the fall football season with a valiant season opener, USC students, faculty and fans alike are hyped for the ramping-up 2024 campaign. Without fail, the preseason atmosphere is filled with speculation on how well this season will go and who will carry the Trojans to victory. To better understand the public sentiment, the Daily Trojan surveyed the public about their projections on how this season will shake up for the new-look Trojans.

This Daily Trojan Hope-O-Meter Survey was administered between Aug. 27 and Sept. 4 during the Trojans’ preseason and the aftermath of their season-opening win. Forty participants filled out the survey, with 35 responses compiled before the first game. Of these participants, 30% are juniors, 15% are alumni and another 15% are seniors, 12.5% are freshmen and 10% are sophomores. The remainder is made up of graduate students, faculty members and Trojan fans not affiliated with USC.

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This contributes to the public’s expectations of redemption after the disappointing 2023 football season. At first, the team started strong, winning every one of its first six games. However, in the second half, the Trojans suffered severe losses, losing to rivals Notre Dame, Utah and UCLA.

Despite the Trojans’ tank at the end of last season, the current atmosphere surrounding the fall is looking optimistic. Most respondents believe USC will win a majority of its games this season, and a whopping 37 out of 40 respondents believe the Trojans will beat UCLA this year — an unsurprising result considering the nearly century-long history between the crosstown rivals.

Despite this enthusiasm, 60% of respondents predicted USC would not make it to the College Football Playoff. Respondents’ conclusions may have been influenced by a lack of clarity on the playoff format. Diverging from the previous four-team setup, the playoffs have been restructured to include twelve teams in a single-elimination competition. The first rounds contain the 5th-12th highest-ranked conference champions, and victors decide who will face the top four conference champions in the quarterfinals.

“I think people overestimate the step back USC will take offensively and underestimate the step forward USC will take defensively,” wrote Reagan Wang, a junior majoring in computer science games at USC. “People don’t expect USC to make the playoffs, but I’m optimistically thinking that they can. Every game on the schedule is winnable, and I think the Trojans will surprise people after the disappointing 2023 season.”

Who do fans of the game trust to carry the Trojans to victory all season? Two names dominated the MVP predictions: sophomore wide receiver Zachariah Branch and redshirt junior quarterback Miller Moss. When asked who they thought the Trojans’ MVP would be this season, 53% wrote Branch, 33% jotted down Miller. Other nominees were junior defensive tackle Bear Alexander, redshirt senior runningback Woody Marks and redshirt senior linebacker Mason Cobb.

Last season, then-freshman Branch became the Trojans’ first true freshman to be named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-American Second Team and the Football Writers Association of America All-American Second Team as a kick returner. Additionally, he emerged from 2023 as the national statistical leader for punt returns.

Moss made big waves during his first debut as a regular season quarterback Sunday to take down No. 18 LSU (0-1), posting an impressive 75% pass completion rate and being instrumental to many of the game’s crucial touchdowns. On Monday, Moss earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.

“I hope they bring back USC Football’s former glory,” wrote Ray Meng, a junior majoring in computer science and business administration. “It’s been too long.”

Although the 2023 season tempered expectations and enthusiasm for the Trojans’ performance this year, with a renewed defense and rising stars taking to the field, there is reason to hope for a promising season.