The USC Trojans (3-0) are currently ranked No. 12, and Lincoln Riley’s squad hopes to return to the ranks of the nation’s elite college football programs.
It wasn’t that long ago that there was no program more elite than USC, and a new series is looking back at that bygone era, how it happened, and how it all went away.
On Tuesday, LA Times Studios, a Los Angeles Times Media Group company, announced House of Troy, a podcast based on reporting from Los Angeles Times USC beat writer Ryan Kartje.
“Launching 25 years after legendary head coach Pete Carroll first took over the Trojans, the narrative series will take listeners behind the scenes of one of the nation’s premier college football programs with never-before-heard stories about its dramatic collapse and the rebuilding of Trojan athletics,” read the release.
A trailer for the podcast series went live on Tuesday, with weekly episodes coming later this month.
After the glory days of the 1960s and 1970s under John McKay and John Robinson, the program had its ups and downs for decades until Carroll arrived in 2001. Within two years, he’d returned USC to the top five, and by his third year they’d won their first national championship in 25 years. USC claimed another title the following season and finished in the Top 4 for seven consecutive years. Along the way, the program collected numerous Heisman Trophies and All-American accolades while churning out NFL Draft picks. However, a series of allegations, from the Reggie Bush saga to the Varsity Blues scandal, helped end one of the most dominant runs in college football all too suddenly.
“During the past decade, Kartje has displayed remarkable reporting skills and built a reputation for delivering elite collegiate athletics coverage,” said Iliana Limón Romero, Times assistant managing editor for Sports. “He’s been covering USC for The Times since 2019, breaking major stories including the 2023 misconduct allegations against athletic director Mike Bohn, and continues to lead coverage on the Trojans today. We’re incredibly excited to bring his wealth of knowledge and exceptional storytelling into the audio space.”
House of Troy will feature interviews with some of the most important figures from USC’s 2000s glory days, including Pete Carroll, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Ed Orgeron, and Lane Kiffin.
You can listen to the House of Troy trailer and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.