LOS ANGELES — USC has said all the right things this week ahead of playing down-and-out Colorado. That the Trojans are focused on the task at hand, not the two rivalry games that will close the season. That the short week with the Friday kickoff has helped USC not take a win for granted.

And there’s no reason not to believe USC when it says this. The eighth-ranked Trojans (8-1, 6-1 in Pac-12) have yet to suffer one of the unexpected losses that became so commonplace over the past several years.

But we’re on the outside, aren’t we? So we can look at this week’s game in a different way: as the last chance for USC to iron everything out ahead of pivotal games against No. 12 UCLA and No. 20 Notre Dame.

There’s no question USC has exceeded expectations this season following a 4-8 campaign, as head coach Lincoln Riley wanted to remind people during his Thursday morning Zoom call.

“We’ve put ourselves in a great position, and I’ve got to be honest, I think that’s getting lost around here a little bit,” Riley said. “Like, we’re 8-1, with everything in front of us. Like, let’s make sure we have some perspective around here.”

But Riley admits USC hasn’t been perfect the past few weeks, though his word has been “inconsistent.”

And against 1-8 Colorado, this is the last chance for USC to play a consistent, 60-minute game on all sides of the ball. Whether it’s pass protection, tackling or coverage, areas that have fluctuated in recent weeks, USC needs to show improvement to get some extra confidence before facing a team that can punish USC.

And USC knows it is capable of doing this, or it wouldn’t have been so gloomy after a one-possession win over Cal last weekend.

“I definitely wasn’t satisfied with that win because I knew there was so much more out there for us, all sides of the ball,” Trojans guard Justin Dedich said. “We had a talk. Winning’s tough, regardless of who it is, week in and week out. So we got to appreciate the little things, the little wins and don’t let it carry over.”

When Colorado has the ball

Riley said Thursday that USC expects linebacker Ralen Goforth back after a two-week absence, a welcome addition after the Trojans installed a dime package to make up for the missing bodies at linebacker.

Colorado has scored more than 20 points just once this season, and has had two different quarterbacks and five different leading rushers. So there are no specific playmakers USC needs to key in on.

The expectation is that sophomore J.T. Shrout will be back in at quarterback for Colorado for the fourth consecutive week. He’s completed just 44.5% of his passes for six touchdowns and six interceptions.

When USC has the ball

The big news for the Trojans is that wide receiver Jordan Addison will be back after missing the past two games with a leg injury. Despite the two-game absence, Addison remains USC’s leading receiver with 39 receptions for 585 yards and seven touchdowns.

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What will be interesting to watch is if Addison’s presence changes how quarterback Caleb Williams approaches the game. Riley praised Williams for spreading the ball around without Addison and Mario Williams on the field. The coach hoped that it would be a lesson for his quarterback that the offense works best when the ball goes where it’s supposed to instead of trying to force it to one receiver.

So does Williams continue to look for Tahj Washington, Kyle Ford and Michael Jackson III when it makes sense?