USC tried to get in on the viral buzz surrounding The Odyssey, which officially opened in theaters across the United States on Friday morning. The Trojans lost the plot. Literally
Their historically inaccurate graphic does not bode well for the college football team and other athletic programs in 2026.
Even if it is not that serious, one has to wonder who thought it was a good idea— unless it was an intentional engagement play. The college football team will hope it is not an omen for what is to come.
USC promoted The Odyssey.
Much like Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s latest epic is all of the rage. You cannot scroll more than a few swipes without seeing content related to the movie. All of your friends are talking about it. It’s everywhere!
‘The Odyssey’ officially debuted in theaters at midnight on July 17, 2026. Most IMAX theaters are sold out for weeks, if not months for the 70mm version. Even the local AMCs and Cinemarks are booked solid at pretty much all hours of the day for the next 5-10 days. You are lucky if you can grab a spot during the 1:00 p.m. showing on a Tuesday.
Box office projections provide a kill shot to the critics who thought it would flop. And the reviews are in — it’s amazing.
In an effort to capitalize on the moment, the athletic department at the University of Southern California posted the following graphic on social media:
Assuming it is not AI-generated (I don’t think USC moves like that), it is an awesome visual. However, the actual meaning behind the graphic does not fit the narrative.
The Trojans lost the Trojan War before Odysseus returned home to Greece.
Before we continue down this path, lets be very clear. Most of ‘The Odyssey’ is based on myth. Did it happen exactly as Homer says? No.
Although the original literature is inspired by the historical conflicts of ancient Greece and grounded in real geographical locations, the monsters and magic are the product of oral storytelling and legend. Probably. We technically don’t know for sure…
With that being said, the Trojans are not featured in ‘The Odyssey’ as significant characters like USC’s athletic department implied. In fact, they were completely wiped out before the book begins. The sequence goes like this:
- The Greeks use the Trojan Horse to get inside the city of Troy
- Troy is sacked and burned during the night
- The surviving Greek armies divide the spoils and prepare to sail home
- Odysseus departs with his fleet
The Odyssey officially begins when Odysseus leaves the fallen city of Troy behind. Priam is dead. Most of the royal family is dead. Surviving women and children are taken captive by the Greeks. The city is left in ruins.
The Trojans already lost by the time the story of Odysseus really begins. Homer mentions the war in the Iliad but that is pretty much it. We get a few mentions of the fall of Troy from other characters later in the book but the stories are told in past tense.
Therefore, USC’s graphic actually presents a grim future for the athletic department. If the Trojans are going to begin “their Odyssey” on August 29th, that means they have already fallen. They are already defeated and Troy is burned to the ground.
Oops! What started as a fun way to get in on a viral trend completely backfired. If this graphic is any indication, USC football and its athletic counterparts are in for a world of hurt in 2026. Lincoln Riley better hope his city doesn’t burn to the ground!