The Trojans would like to point out that it’s called a bye week and not an off week.

“This is not a week to sit around and relax,” Coach Carroll said during Monday afternoon’s team meeting. “We’ve got to get real good right now.”

So during this week, the Trojans will begin diving into the Notre Dame game plan and also be giving younger players increased reps so they can be more ready to play in the second half of the season. Starters will get diminished snaps this week to refresh them for the upcoming stretch of five games in five weekends, three of which are on the road.

USC will practice in half pads today, Wednesday and Thursday at 4 p.m. and then in full pads early morning on Friday, giving players the remainder of that day, Saturday and Sunday — nearly three full days off — time to rest and relax. Coaches, meanwhile, will hit the recruiting trail this weekend, with many flying around the country to catch games on Friday and Saturday.

Bye weekends certainly aren’t vacations for the coaches, but instead very important recruiting periods — just like bye weeks aren’t vacations for the players either, but instead very vital times to hone their game and prepare for the homestretch of the season.