USC Trojans, Notre Dame Fighting Irish Prediction: College Football Playoff Stakes

The USC Trojans will take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday afternoon. Can USC finish the regular season on a three-game winning streak, ruining Notre Dame's College Football Playoff chances?

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) runs the ball as Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts (0) defends in the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m PT on CBS.

USC clinched a bowl game berth last week in their win over rival UCLA to improve to 6-5. Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava is now 2-0 as the Trojans starting quarterback. Notre Dame has been dominant since their Week 2 loss and is 10-1, and closing in on a College Football Playoff spot. 

USC vs. Notre Dame Odds

Nov 23, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The Trojans enter Saturday’s matchup as a 7.5-point home underdog vs. the visiting Fighting Irish. The over/under is set at 52.5 points.

USC has been a very good home team this season and are 4-1 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Their lone home loss was an overtime defeat to No. 4 ranked Penn State, 33-30.

On the flip side, Notre Dame has been perfect on the road. The Fighting Irish are 5-0 in games played away from Notre Dame Stadium. Their one loss in 2024 was a stunning 16-14 defeat at the hands of the Northern Illinois Huskies.

USC vs. Notre Dame Preview 

Nov 23, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Pat Coogan (78) celebrates after a win against the Army Black Knights at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the Trojans a 29.2 percent chance of pulling the home upset on Saturday.

There have not been many occasions in 2024 where the Trojans come into a game as the underdog. In 9 of their 11 games, USC has been favored by the FPI and Vegas betting lines. The only two games not being a favorite resulted in a neutral site victory over LSU and a home loss to Penn State. 

Notre Dame has one of the most interesting resumes in there country. The Fighting Irish have four wins over teams that were ranked in the top-25 at the time of the game in Texas A&M, Louisville, Navy, and Army. Not only did they win all four of those contests, they completely dominated and beat them all by double digits. However, Notre Dame also owns the worst loss out of any College Football Playoff contender, with a a home loss to Northern Illinois. 

USC and Notre Dame have one of the most historic rivalries in all of college football. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 51-37-5. Notre Dame won in 2023 in South Bend 48-20. 

Score Prediction

The USC Trojans have gotten a boost of energy from new starting quarterback Jayden Maiava. Maiava is 2-0 since taking over with wins over Nebraska and UCLA. The Trojans defense has also stepped up, surrendering an average of 16.5 points per game. Will they be able to limit the Notre Dame rushing attack led by running back Jeremiah Love?

7.5 points is way too many for a rivalry game like this with the amount of talent the Trojans have. Notre Dame squeaks one out, but it comes down to the final drive.

Notre Dame 24, USC 23

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