Notre Dame-USC: Staff picks for Saturday night showdown
What a couple of weeks it’s been for Notre Dame.
A near win over Ohio State in what would have been the biggest victory for the Fighting Irish program in years.
A narrow escape at Duke to right the ship and move to 5-1.
A drubbing at the hands of Louisville to make even the most loyal of fans questions just about everything about the state of the Notre Dame program.
Oh, and now undefeated USC and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams are headed to town.
What Notre Dame team shows up Saturday night? One that will play spoiler to the rival Trojans or one that will fall to 5-3 and only set up more questions entering the off week?
The morale is not great with Notre Dame fans right now and what they could use more than anything to help build it back up would be a win over their biggest rival. Will they get it?
Here is what the Fighting Irish Wire staff sees happening on Saturday night:
Geoffrey Clark (6-1):
Wet conditions are being forecast for South Bend on Saturday, but that’s probably not going to matter much. Caleb Williams is in a class of his own, and he’s the main reason USC has the top scoring offense in the country. And as much of an excuse as it might be, Notre Dame does seem to be fatigued from playing three straight intense games and this fourth one coming up. The first bye week can’t come soon enough for the Irish, and unfortunately for them, this game predates that.
USC 36, Notre Dame 17
Michael Chen (6-1):
The gauntlet is finally ending, with one of the toughest test still remaining in the Trojans. The Irish last weekend seemed beat up from playing their third consecutive ranked opponent and it showed. Fortunately, their opponents this weekend don’t play a physical brand of football, USC plays more of a finesse game. This will come down to if the Irish can score with the Trojans and having seen what Alex Grinch does, Notre Dame certainly has a chance. I don’t think the sky is falling, and I’ve got the Irish pulling this one out.
Notre Dame 35, USC 28
John Kennedy (5-2):
Notre Dame is entering their 8th game in a row with no break. I believe its starting to show. The Irish looked groggy facing Duke and a full step and a half slower than Louisville last Saturday. This is not a great sign with USC coming to town. Will the Irish rise up and surprise like they did against Clemson late last year right when they are counted out? Notre Dame certainly can beat the Trojans, I just can’t trust them to. Their play is much to unpredictable. In that case, I default to the best player on the field and the best QB in the country to find a way to win the game. Caleb Williams. As much as it pains me, even if USC’s defense plays as poorly as expected, I have doubts that Notre Dame’s offense will take advantage enough to keep pace with Williams.
USC 35, Notre Dame 28
Jeff Feyerer (5-2):
Though the 5-2 record thus far tells the story of the Irish season, the state of the program and the influence Marcus Freeman has on the team will be evident by how they react in this game. Their National Title dreams may be done, but the chance to defeat a rival on their home turf, ruin quarterback Caleb Williams’ Heisman bid and spark a late season charge is at their fingertips. This situation is very comparable to when Clemson came to town last year, though no one on Clemson’s roster compared to Williams. The Irish defense has played really well all year allowing only 4.4 yards per play and while I don’t think they’ll completely silence Williams, they’ll at least be able to slow him enough to allow Sam Hartman and company to attack a Trojan defense allowing 27 points per game and 421 yards per game. The health of the wide receivers and the inability of any of the young pass-catchers to step up has severely hindered the Irish attack, but what better time for those players to step in than on a national stage against a weak pass defense. The Irish are still a really good team who outplayed Ohio State and a had a very bad night against a ranked-Louisville team. Saturday night should set them on the right path for the rest of the way.
Notre Dame 38, USC 27
Nick Shepkowski (5-2):
The feeling in the air isn’t a good one for Notre Dame fans right now. That’s bad news because it means the team hasn’t been performing. It also doesn’t really matter what the fans are thinking or feeling headed into a rivalry matchup. How is the team?
I wrote earlier this week that this is perhaps the biggest moment for Marcus Freeman to date at Notre Dame. Win and things can turn around, perhaps in a hurry. Lose and just how low can things get?
Notre Dame has piled on the points and had no problems scoring against bad defenses, and that’s something USC certainly has. I also like Notre Dame’s secondary to control USC enough through the air, although stopping the run is the key to slowing a Lincoln Riley offense.
Somehow, some way, the Irish do just enough to get it done and change the tune of 2023 entering the off week.
Notre Dame 31, USC 30
