LOS ANGELES -- With the release of the Trojans' 2012 schedule, the early excitement is already is building for the coming season, and each game appears to have an angle all its own. Here is an early opponent perspective:

Sept. 1 -- Hawaii: Does the specter of Norm Chow ever escape the Coliseum? He's baaaack! The good news for the Trojans' former offensive coordinator and new Hawaii head coach is that if he beats the Trojans on national television, his contract calls for a $40,000 bonus. The bad news is that Chow won't have first-team All-WAC quarterback Bryant Moniz, and the Trojans will challenge his new defense with the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy.
Before the Trojans: No game
After the Trojans: Lamar

Sept. 8 -- at Syracuse: OK, it's not being played at the Carrier Dome in upstate New York, but who is complaining about a trip to New York City and nearby MetLife Stadium across the Hudson River? This could be the first of two NYC trips for Matt Barkley in 2012, and it figures that Lane Kiffin will unleash his quarterback's talents to the Heisman voting East Coast media.
Before the Trojans: Northwestern
After the Trojans: TBD

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Greg Katz | email

Columnist, WeAreSC.com

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• USC Trojans columnist
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• Joined ESPN.com in 2011