By Arash Markazi, SI.com

	Fight on: Showing some love to USC will pay off when it's time to tailgate. John W. McDonough/SI

Best way to land tickets: Tickets for football games used to be easy to get; most home games were half-empty and tarps were placed over entire sections of the Coliseum. Two national championships and more than 30 straight home victories later, students must enter lotteries for the privilege of buying tickets to big games such as UCLA, Notre Dame and Cal. If you're down to spend well over face value, you can find tickets on sites such as stubhub.com and eBay, or you can try your luck with the dozens of scalpers lining the streets of Exposition and Martin Luther King Boulevard before the game.

Best thing you'll only find at USC: Heritage Hall. Step through the oversized glass doors of this historic brick-laced building and pay homage to the school's rich football tradition. There is a good chance you'll run into a fair share of football players and coaches if you stop by during the afternoon, especially on Tuesdays when Pete Carroll conducts his weekly press conference.

Best pregame ritual: Get your early-bird drink on at the 9-0 or at one of the houses on The Row before you start your own Trojan Walk. Start by walking past the Shrine Auditorium, home of award shows like the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys for past 50 years. Walk across the street to campus and pay respect to Tommy Trojan, who stands gallantly next to the Student Union. Join in the ceremonial kicking of the flag poles on campus, then cross the street to Exposition Park and pass through the beautiful Rose Garden and Science Center before finally arriving at the famed peristyles in front of the Coliseum, where tailgates abound. Simply showing a "Fight On!" victory sign is usually good for a few beers.

Best week of the year to visit: Prior to the big UCLA game on Dec. 2 at the Rose Bowl. There is a constant buzz around school, with students hanging decapitated stuffed bears from their backpacks and wearing FUCLA shirts. Security guards stand vigil through the night defending Tommy Trojan, which is completely covered in duct tape during the week to prevent pesky Bruins from throwing powder-blue and yellow paint on the statue as they did years ago.

Best thing to pack before going to the game: Um, beverage-holding binoculars. USC was the only Pac-10 school to serve alcohol at its home games for years, now the Coliseum is a dry this season. Most students have compensated by going at the beer pong extra hard before game time, but the ol' alky binocs have also been a favorite in the student section.

Best rite of passage for students: Any student with a discretionary card, which is basically money on your student ID, must go down to the on-campus bar in the basement of the student union called Traditions, or "Tradys," and use up their "discresh" on pitchers of beer, tequila shots and car bombs. While you get hammered, say a toast to your parents, who think the money they put on the card is going to nutritious meals or books for your classes.