Willie Fritz guided Tulane to its best season since 1998, winning the AAC and earning a spot in a New Year's Six bowl. The Green Wave just have one more challenge to get through: Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and USC in the Cotton Bowl.
Williams beat every team on the schedule this season other than Utah, but two losses to the Utes were enough to keep the Trojans out of the playoff. A 12-win season with a Cotton Bowl victory would still mark a successful start to Lincoln Riley's tenure in Los Angeles.
Williams said he would be ready to go after suffering a hamstring injury in the loss to Utah exactly a month ago, though Riley wouldn't confirm his status when USC arrived in Dallas. Assuming Williams plays, he'll be without star receiver Jordan Addison, who is sidelined with an ankle injury.
Tulane averaged more than 35 points per game this season and will be looking to take advantage of a USC defense that struggled to tackle in the Pac-12 Championship against Utah.
A win for the Green Wave would be a win for the AAC, which is losing stalwarts Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF ahead of an offseason of transition. Group of Five programs are 3-5 in New Year's Six bowls since the playoff era began in 2014, with wins by Boise State, Houston, and UCF.
MORE: Watch USC vs. Tulane live with fuboTV (free trial)
The Sporting News has all you need to know to watch the Cotton Bowl between USC and Tulane.
What channel is USC vs. Tulane on today?
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stream: ESPN+, fuboTV
The 2023 Cotton Bowl will be broadcast on ESPN on Monday. Mark Jones (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (color analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline reporter) will be on the call from AT&T Stadium.
Viewers can stream the game with ESPN+ or on ESPN's website. A stream of ESPN's broadcast can also be found on fuboTV, which offers a free trial.
MORE: Sporting News Player of the Year: Heisman winner Caleb Williams takes off at USC
USC vs. Tulane start time
- Date: Monday, Jan. 2
- Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET (12 p.m. local time)
The 2023 Cotton Bowl will kick off at 1 p.m. ET (12 p.m. CT) from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
MORE: Caleb Williams' fingernails, explained: Why USC QB paints NSFW messages for opponents
USC football schedule 2022
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 3 | vs. Rice | W, 66–14 |
| Sept. 10 | at Stanford | W, 41–28 |
| Sept. 17 | vs. Fresno State | W, 45–17 |
| Sept. 24 | at Oregon State | W, 17–14 |
| Oct. 1 | vs. Arizona State | W, 42–25 |
| Oct. 8 | vs. Washington State | W, 30–14 |
| Oct. 15 | at Utah | L, 43-42 |
| Oct. 29 | at Arizona | W, 45–37 |
| Nov. 5 | vs. California | W, 41–35 |
| Nov. 11 (Fri.) | vs. Colorado | W, 55–17 |
| Nov. 19 | at UCLA | W, 48–45 |
| Nov. 26 | vs. Notre Dame | W, 38–27 |
| Dec. 2 (Fri.) | vs. Utah | L, 47-24 |
| Jan. 2 (Cotton Bowl) | vs. Tulane | TBD |
Tulane football schedule 2022
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 3 | vs. UMass | W, 42-10 |
| Sept. 10 | vs. Alcorn State | W, 52-0 |
| Sept. 17 | at Kansas State | W, 17-10 |
| Sept. 24 | vs. Southern Miss | L, 27-24 |
| Sept. 30 (Fri.) | at Houston | W, 27-24 |
| Oct. 8 | vs. East Carolina | W, 24-9 |
| Oct. 15 | at South Florida | W, 45-31 |
| Oct. 22 | vs. Memphis | W, 38-28 |
| Nov. 5 | at Tulsa | W, 27-13 |
| Nov. 12 | vs. UCF | L, 38-31 |
| Nov. 19 | vs. SMU | W, 59-24 |
| Nov. 25 (Fri.) | at Cincinnati | W, 27-24 |
| Dec. 3 | vs. UCF | W, 45-28 |
| Jan. 2 (Cotton Bowl) | vs. USC | TBD |
