by No. 6 USC has its sights set on one of four coveted spots in this season’s College Football Playoff, and the next step in that journey comes Saturday when the Trojans host No. 15 Notre Dame as these two traditional powers renew their historic rivalry. With a lot riding on this year’s matchup, this has become one of the most highly anticipated encounters in the rivalry’s recent history.
Scheduled for its 93rd edition Saturday night at The Coliseum, the USC-Notre Dame series dates back to 1926 and has only been paused twice: the first time was a three-year World War II hiatus and a year off during the COVID -19 2020 season affected by the pandemic. Notre Dame has a 50-37-5 lead in the all-time series, including a 7-3 lead in the last 10 games.
But while history serves as a fitting backdrop for this series, there’s also a theme of renewal, as it will be the first time Lincoln Riley and Marcus Freeman have participated in this rivalry as head coaches of their respective programs. There’s also the question of USC’s quest for a first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, Caleb Williams closing in on a possible Heisman Trophy and whether Notre Dame can win a sixth straight game to close out the season strong and realize the chance to crash the New Year Six.
How to watch Notre Dame vs USC live
Date: Saturday, November 26 | Weather: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — Los Angeles
TV: ABC | Live broadcast: fuboTV (Try it free)
Notre Dame vs USC: I need to know
Caleb Williams building his Heisman Trophy campaign: After leading the Trojans to a win against UCLA and clinching USC’s spot in the Pac-12 title game, Williams saw his Heisman odds improve to the point where the prize looks more like a two-way race. horses. Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud remains the betting favorite, according to Caesars Sportsbook, but the chances of Williams overtaking him will be known at kickoff given that Saturday’s game between Ohio State and Michigan will be definitive. Williams has 33 touchdowns against just three interceptions, tallying for 316 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the season. That’s more total touchdowns (40) than Stroud, and a slightly better touchdown-to-interception ratio. Now, many voters want to see a “Heisman moment” at the end of the season, and while Stroud will have a great opportunity to fulfill it early in the day, there will also be a large audience for this rivalry game just kicking off. a large window of prime time on the east coast.
Notre Dame thrives in November: This program has been elite when it comes to closing the regular season schedule, winning 19 straight games in the month of November. The last time Notre Dame lost in November was at the end of the 2017 season, and the coaching change hasn’t bucked that trend with Marcus Freeman leading the Fighting Irish to wins against Clemson, Navy and Boston College so far this month. Additionally, this year’s team has found some offensive rhythm in the latter parts of the season, scoring 35+ points in five straight games for the second time in program history.
One of the best rivalry trophies in college football: The championship success gives these two programs a good claim to having one of the biggest rivalries in sports with USC and Notre Dame claiming 11 national championships in their history. However, their annual showdown is also notable for its fantastic rivalry trophy. The winner of the game between USC and Notre Dame earns one year of the Shillelagh Jewel, a beautiful jeweled ornament to which a new piece is added for each series result: a ruby Trojan head for USC victories, a emerald clover for Notre Dame wins. One way or another, a first-year coach will be in possession of this prized rivalry trophy on the field on Saturday night.
Notre Dame vs USC prediction, picks
featured game | USC Trojans vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Trojans will find Notre Dame to be one of the toughest tests of the season as the Fighting Irish will try to steer clear of Williams with a solid ground game and then complement it with a bend but don’t break defense. But if I am forced to choose between Williams and Drew Pyne in a game that I hope will be close, I will side with the Heisman Trophy contender. Prediction: USC -5.5
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