One of the big things we all missed last year with the wild college football season was the big rivalries that we’ve been accustomed to. One of those big rivalries we missed was Notre Dame and USC, due to the fact that it was only conference play last season. So after a year off, Notre Dame is set to take on USC Saturday night in South Bend.

When my Notre Dame fandom started in the 90s and into the early 2000s, this rivalry was all USC, and I would have called you a liar if you ever said it was going to be different. But now, things have changed – and drastically. Since 2010, Notre Dame is 7-3; compare that to the ten years before, when Notre Dame was 2-8 (USC won 8 in a row). Notre Dame is now the constant team, and it’s almost every two years where Brian Kelly is coaching vs a different USC head coach. I’m enjoying the ride because at some point we all know the tides will change.

Even with Notre Dame being the better team for the last ten years, there is zero reason to overlook USC. They always have NFL talent on both sides of the ball and this year is no different. The guy who could give the Irish defense a headache all night is #15 wideout Drake London. It will be a lot of fun watching two future guys playing on Sunday going head to head, with USC’s London and Notre Dame’s stud Kyle Hamilton. The USC offense is putting up close to 450 yards per game, so Hamilton and company will have a tough test Saturday night. I fully expect the Notre Dame defense to hold their own, as we have seen that they are a “bend but don’t break” unit all year long.

The last time we saw Notre Dame play we saw the run game finally get going – something we’ve been waiting for all season long. I am very excited to see if Notre Dame can build off that last game and the bye week and keep the run game going vs the USC defense, who is giving up on average 150 yards per game. The backfield could be without speedster Chris Tyree, who will be a game-time decision Saturday night with turf toe. If Tyree cannot go, look for freshman Logan Diggs to spell Kyren Williams. Diggs saw his first action of the season vs Va Tech and stepped up to the challenge rushing for 29 yards. As far as the passing game, it looks like it will be what has become normal for the Irish offense – Jack Coan to start, then Tyler Buchner and/or Drew Pyne to come in to spark the offense when needed. I’m not a giant fan of the revolving door at the QB position, but so far it has worked.

This is one of my favorite games of the year on Notre Dame’s schedule every year, and yes, now more than ever because Notre Dame is the better team. I expect Notre Dame to get the win on Saturday night, but like I said earlier, never take USC lightly. They are a much better road team, and it could be because it helps to get away from LA and all the noise around the program. I was at the last Notre Dame USC game, and I fully expect this one to be the same – a game that will go down to the wire, with the Fighting Irish holding on for the WIN and making it 4 wins in a row vs USC.