Notre Dame vs USC Preview, and Prediction: Win One, CFP Done for the Irish

College football is always changing, and things are always happening very quickly. But USC and Notre Dame keep going strong.

This great rivalry began in 1926 and is now being played for the 95th time. It has produced dynasties, national champions, Heisman winners, and legends.

You could make a small piece of college football history if you do something big in this game.

And that is definitely the case here.

USC is having a tough time in its first year in the Big Ten. But it won three of its last four games, beat UCLA, which pretty much ended the Bruins’ season, and became eligible for the bowl game.

It is crazy how close all five losses were to being wins—by one score and most of the time on just one play.

While many people think the team is farther away from being, say, 9-2 right now, it does not matter. If they lose this, Lincoln Riley, the head coach, will be in a very bad position. If you win, the program will run until 2025.

If Notre Dame wins, it will almost certainly be a 6 or 7 seed in the College Football Playoff. If you lose, it will be very disappointing if it means you are out of the CFP altogether.

USC is playing Notre Dame. Once more.

Notre Dame vs USC: How to Watch and Game Preview

Date: Saturday, November 30, 2024
Game Time: 3:30 pm ET
How To Watch: CBS
Venue: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
Teams: USC (6-5), Notre Dame (10-1)

Why Notre Dame Will Win

Just how many more teams does Notre Dame have to beat before people start to think that they might be the best college football team?

Do not think about that Northern Illinois thing anymore. It was the craziest loss; the coaches should be blamed for only running the ball 28 times. Other than that, it is crushing everyone.

Oh, you want to talk about plans? It did not play any SEC games? It went to Texas A&M’s house in 100-degree heat and humidity that would not go away and won by ten points. It dominated Georgia Tech and the other ACC teams on the schedule. Now try this one…

There is no chance that this all works out, but there is a very small chance that the Irish beat three conference champions: Texas A&M, Miami University, and Army. At least those three are still in the running for their titles right now.

The Irish have the best pass defense in the country. They also average 222 yards on the ground per game, and turnovers will be important. I will be shocked if the Irish do not get +2 in this.

Why USC Will Win

Things are going well for USC’s run defense.

But first, let us do this. It is very important for Riley to get this win, but beating UCLA was the most important thing. He really could not lose that game if everything is okay and he is still there.

The team will make it through this strange season and play in a bowl game. They also beat the team from across the street.

The USC defense has held up a little better than it gets credit for, even with all of its problems. Without a defense, it is not great, but it has only given up more than 121 yards twice so far.

The offense should change things up a bit. With Jayden Maiava at quarterback, the game feels different, but the attack is pretty steady.

The offensive line for USC is holding up, both sides of the ball are doing great on third downs, and..

Notre Dame vs USC: Who Will Win?

That is how good Notre Dame is.

There is a formula that works. It is important to keep running and count on the defense to stop you on third downs. Also, keep the pressure on by hitting hard on the lines.

USC is not as fast as Lincoln Riley’s teams in the past, and its defense is not strong enough to bother the Irish backfield.

At least until the fourth quarter, Notre Dame will have to fight. But soon after, it will get ready for its seventh home game of the season, which is a College Football Playoff game.