ESPN’s “College GameDay” crew kicked off the 2023 college football season with the Week 0 broadcast. The crew touched on a number of wide-ranging topics, including picks for the College Football Playoff and who will win the Pac-12.

Of the 3 hosts to predict the Pac-12 champion, none of the GameDay crew picked Lincoln Riley and USC to win the league. However, there is plenty of excitement surrounding the Trojans and their return to the field on Saturday.

Desmond Howard explained he’s excited to see Caleb Williams, but he’s also excited to see how the team responds after 2 straight losses to end the 2022 season.

“Excited to see Caleb Williams and USC. Don’t forget: The last time we saw him he walked away with the Heisman but the last time we saw SC they lost their last 2 games,” said Howard. “They lost to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game and they lost to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl. I want to see how they bounce back with this big target on their QB’s back because he’s the Heisman winner.”

Pat McAfee chimed in to add that he’s gearing up to watch Williams after hearing all of the comparisons to Patrick Mahomes.

“We’re all excited to watch the magic man do his thing. They compare him to Patrick Mahomes, any time you’re getting that type of comparison you’re saying ‘Wow this dude is A DUDE,’ and he’s just that,” McAfee said. “What I like most about this USC team? 17 returning starters.”

USC begins the 2023 trek Saturday at 5 pm PT against San Jose State.