USC’s Empty Seats, NFL Week 1, Will Broncos Regress? Brutal Big Ten Schedules

Everybody spent the weekend dunking on the empty seats at the Coliseum. Colin isn't buying the outrage — and his defense of USC isn't really a defense, it's a theory of American sports geography. Big cities belong to pro teams. Mid-sized cities belong to college. Small towns belong to Friday nights. LA has been paying that tax since the Rams and Chargers moved in, and USC already conceded the point when it shrank the building and added suites. It's not an excuse, it's a reason. Then the part the attendance story buried: true freshman Trent Mosley looked like a first-team All-American in his first college game, and Lincoln Riley emptied the bench on purpose, because September is for getting a very young roster ready for Oregon, Washington, Penn State, Ohio State and Indiana. Colin also explains why he thinks USC, Ohio State and Texas all have schedules too brutal to survive, why Notre Dame and Miami is his national title call — twice — and why he'd take the Longhorns at home against the Buckeyes. Plus NFL Week 1: the Colts as a live home dog, why Jacksonville could bury Cleveland, whether Denver's 14-win magic regresses, and why Goodell's London talk is a stadium-leverage bat signal, not a real plan. (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates!  #Volume See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.