Is it going to mean anything to you if you do that freshman fall semester at Emory and then transfer? You won’t have anyone to say “Remember when we did XYZ in October?” with and so will it really matter?
I think you should pick which school you like and go there, intending to stay. If you like USC, go there even if you have to miss the fall. If you really want to start in the fall, go to Emory and be determined to stay and like it.