USC Will Cover Over Notre Dame

Published|Updated

Notre Dame vs. USC, 7:30 ET

Notre Dame is almost always one of those schools that is a powerhouse or at least regarded as one. This season started rocky for the Fighting Irish, but they have rebounded. USC had struggled a bit for a while, but this first season under Lincoln Riley has gone very well for them. Now they face off in a game that means more to USC.

Notre Dame started the year with two straight losses. The one to Ohio State could be excused, but the game against Marshall is not excusable. Stanford also was able to beat Notre Dame at home. Since then, the Fighting Irish have been able to beat all three of the ranked opponents they've had. They also were able to beat Clemson, then ranked 4th in the nation. The strength of this team is clearly the defense though. On the season, the defensive unit has been able to hold teams to 317 yards per game on average. Their secondary and passing defense will be a challenge for USC quarterback Caleb Williams. If they stop him, Notre Dame wins, there isn't much of a secret, but can they?

This is arguably the best defense that USC has to face all year. On the season, they are racking up points with almost 43 points per game. The Trojans have 513 yards of offense on average. The problem is their defense also allows 405 yards per game. Part of that is due to teams playing behind and having to move the ball at a fast pace to try and stay in games. Basically, I'm saying they aren't as bad as that amount makes it seem. If their rushing defense can stop the ground game of Notre Dame, I think we can see USC winning this game in a reasonable fashion.

I'm taking USC to cover the game. I'll be the first to admit, I'm a Notre Dame hater, so perhaps I am being blinded and missing something in this one. I almost always will back the best player on the field and he belongs to USC. I think that, plus home field advantage will make a difference in this one. Take USC -5.5 in this one.

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