USC and Oklahoma, both 6-6, will not meet in the 2024 bowl season

We all wondered if it would happen. Some of us feared it would happen. Still, USC football and Oklahoma football won’t cross paths in a bowl game – at least not this year. The bowl matchups and destinations were announced Sunday afternoon following the release of the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket. USC receives a ticket to the Las Vegas Bowl for a game against Texas A&M. The Trojans play the Aggies on Friday, December 27th in Las Vegas. Kickoff time is just after 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

USC and Oklahoma both tied at 6-6, so there was definitely a chance that the Trojans and Sooners would meet to set up a reunion between Lincoln Riley and his former team, coached by Brent Venables. USC and Oklahoma fans have been at each other’s heels for the past three years since Riley left Norman for Los Angeles. We can all debate which team would have won – or probably would have won – if the Trojans and Sooners had met on the field, but we’re not going to find out now. Maybe both teams can improve significantly in 2025 and meet in a really good bowl game.

Let’s make some important notes about USC football avoiding Oklahoma and playing Texas A&M in the 2024 bowl game:

NOT THE RIGHT YEAR TO PLAY OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA PRINT

USC AS AN UNDERDOG

JAYDEN MAIAVA TEST

Texas A&M has a very strong defense. USC needs this. Jayden Maiava needs this. He needs to see a top defense and learn from the experience of playing against a well-coached defensive unit. This could be a big stepping stone for Maiava and Lincoln Riley heading into 2025.

MILLER MOSS COMPARISON

USC fans loved seeing Miller Moss thrive against Louisville in the 2023 Holiday Bowl, but it’s worth noting that this didn’t translate into a great 2024 season for either Moss or USC. We’d all love to see Maiava play great against Texas A&M in the 2024 Las Vegas Bowl, but let’s not think that a great performance means Maiava will excel in 2025, or that a poor performance means Maiava will excel in the next year is successful. For Maiava, it’s all about learning a lot and developing a real understanding of how to run Lincoln Riley’s offense in preparation for next season. That’s the most important thing.

MIKE ELKO

Mike Elko was great at Duke and did a good job at A&M this year. If Lincoln Riley actually stumbles and fumbles in 2025, USC could do a lot worse than hiring Elko for 2026.

Other than that, USC faces a good head coach in the Las Vegas Bowl. This game should test and challenge USC. The Trojans need this test to be better next year.

MORE ABOUT TEXAS A&M

Follow Aggies Wire to learn more about Texas A&M’s take on the Las Vegas Bowl against USC.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC and Oklahoma, both 6-6, will not meet in the 2024 bowl season