I am once again begging the folks in USC's athletic department to study some Greek literature

Or pull up Google.Watch a YouTube explainer.

Ask an English professor walking across campus.Anything.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE FROM OUTKICKBecause for the second time in less than two years, the USC Trojans have attempted to build football hype around a famous piece of Greek literature without stopping to consider one very important detail:The Trojans lose spectacularly.A detailed view of a USC Trojans football helmet before the game between the USC Trojans and the Missouri State Bears at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug.

30, 2025.(Luke Hales/Reuters)With Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey" taking over theaters and social media, USC football decided to capitalize on the moment.

The program posted its own version of the movie poster featuring its famous Trojan helmet and the words, "Our Odyssey begins August 29."Very cool, dramatic and topical.There is just one tiny problem."The Odyssey" is the story of the Greek hero Odysseus’ 10-year journey home after the Trojan War.

And the reason Odysseus is traveling home is because he and the rest of the Greeks have just finished destroying Troy.The Trojans are not the heroes of "The Odyssey." By the time the story begins, their city has been sacked, their greatest warriors are dead, and the surviving Greeks are packing up to head home after an extremely long and violent road win.This seems like suboptimal branding for USC.A copy of The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson is shown in Manhattan, N.Y., on July 12, 2026.The friends connected through being roommates and their Survivor Watch group and decided to make a book club just to read The Odyssey.

(Jackie Molloy/The Washington Post via Getty Images)Now, listen, I know not everyone is a nerd.If you do not personally know the intricate details of Homer’s epics, I will not fault you.

Most normal people do not spend their free time carefully reviewing ancient Greek poetry.But if you represent an academic instit...