DALLAS – The No. 10 Southern California Trojans (11-2, 8-1 Pac-12) spent the first day of 2023 finalizing preparations for its matchup with the No. 16 Tulane Green Wave (11-2, 7-1 AAC) on Sunday at the 87th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

USC is making its third Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic appearance and its first since 2017. The Trojans are 1-1 in their two previous appearances, including a 55-14 victory over Texas Tech in the 59th edition of the Classic on January 2, 1995, and a 24-7 loss to Ohio State in the 82nd Classic on December 29, 2017.

Coaches of both competing teams participated in a final press conference early on Sunday morning. The first question from the media in the session was a familiar one for the Trojans head coach. Southern California Coach Lincoln Riley has been addressing the health and availability of Heisman Trophy winning QB Caleb Williams for the Classic since he was injured in the Pac-12 Football Championship Game on December 2.

"He is ready to go," Coach Riley said. "He has progressed maybe a little faster than what we anticipated. Certainly, very fortunate on our part that we had the opportunity to have a month, really, before this game. I mean, had it been even two weeks, I doubt he would have been available. And so that extra time has helped. 

"And he's done a good job, along with our medical staff, from the second that the Pac-12 [Football Championship] game was over, really working hard to get back to it. And he's practiced well really with no limitations, and we expect that he'll play very well."

This matchup marks the fourth meeting between Tulane and USC and the first since 1946. The Trojans hold a 2-1 advantage with wins in the 1932 (21-12) and 1946 (20-13). The Green Wave scored a 27-13 victory in the 1942 meeting. The first meeting in 1932 capped off the 1931 season as two squads squared off in the 18th Rose Bowl Game on New Year's Day.

Often times in college football, people turn to past precedent to identify emerging trends for upcoming games. When asked about USC's past performances and how it might impact Monday's game, Coach Riley said the work his squad as put in the past month will have more of an impact on the outcome than what the Trojans have done on the gridiron previously.

"Yeah, we haven't gotten too caught up in the recent history," Coach Riley. "This is different. And certainly, our expectations have been, first, to prepare very well. And I think part of our job as coaches and as leaders on the team is to be able to articulate to our team that this is very important. Why it's important. And there's a lot of reasons. And, honestly, the preparation and the way the guys have approached the last 27 days would suggest to me that they are very excited to play this game. And they understand the significance, both for this team and future teams. 

"Because games like this certainly – I mean, of course they matter. This is the Cotton Bowl [Classic]. It's a New Year's Six bowl. It's one of the biggest games in the country. And it will be for players on both teams. This will be one of the games that you – that they'll remember more than any other. Thirty, 40 years down the line, you'll remember playing in the Cotton Bowl. For USC, you'll remember playing a championship Tulane squad. You'll remember kind of the last moments that those teams will ever have together."

The 87th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is Monday, Jan. 2 at noon CT on ESPN and ESPN Radio. Kickoff is slated for 12:10 p.m.

This year's Classic is a part of the ESPN bowl lineup for the ninth straight year. Mark Jones and Robert Griffin III are set to the call the action from the booth with Quint Kessenich reporting from the sidelines. ESPN Radio returns as the Classic's national radio partner for the ninth consecutive year with Brad Sham and Dusty Dvoracek in the booth and Taylor McGregor on the sidelines to describe all the action from AT&T Stadium.

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