Stakes For Rivalry Game Between USC Trojans-Notre Dame Fighting Irish Have Never Been Higher

Irish desperately need signature win for playoff hopes while Trojans seek to cement contender status

This Saturday is yet another gigantic weekend of college football. The Georgia Bulldogs host the Ole Miss Rebels in a matchup of top-10 teams. Alabama plays the Tennessee Volunteers. LSU visits Vanderbilt, favorites in an SEC game for the first time since the 1970’s. 

But flying under the radar a bit might be the biggest game of the weekend: the USC Trojans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

And it might be the biggest for several different reasons. 

First and foremost, despite the USC-Notre Dame game becoming an annual tradition, there’s currently no agreement between the two programs to play past this season. 

RELATED: USC Makes Another Offer To Save Rivalry Game With Notre Dame: ‘Hopeful’ Deal Can Be Reached

While the Trojans have a deal on the table to continue the series, the Irish have yet to accept it. And with the need to confirm 2026 schedules looming, there’s a very real chance the game isn’t played next year. USC has made the case that it should move to earlier in the season, away from the Big Ten Conference schedule. Notre Dame wants it to remain where it is, content for an opportunity at a big midseason, or late season, win. The Irish need the game more than SC does. As fans though, we all need it.

That makes the states high enough as it is. There’s plenty of on-field storylines to watch for too.

USC-Notre Dame Must See TV On Saturday

Notre Dame enters the game desperately needing a signature win. After reaching the National Championship game last season, the Irish have started the 2025 season just 4-2. A close loss to the Miami Hurricanes in the season opener. Then an even closer 41-40 loss to the Texas A&M Aggies in South Bend. 

In the expanded playoff era, two losses isn’t a death sentence. And since Notre Dame, as an Independent, avoids a conference championship game, there’s a strong likelihood that winning out would get the Irish back into the 12-team field. But that starts with a win over USC, particularly because the remaining games on Notre Dame’s schedule won’t provide much in the way of marquee opponents.

After SC, the Irish play Boston College, Navy, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Stanford. Not exactly a murderer’s row of top teams. That makes it a must-win if Notre Dame and head coach Marcus Freeman want to return to the playoff and maybe take revenge on the Ohio State Buckeyes. 

You could make the case that it’s a must-win for USC too. 

Despite having Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams in 2022, this year’s Trojans team might be the best of Lincoln Riley’s four-year tenure. Depending on which data-driven ranking system you prefer, SC is a top 10 to 14 team. Most have the Trojans as the best offense in the country. SC enters the game ranked just 20th, victims of having the wrong conference logo on its uniform. If, for example, the Trojans wore jerseys with a patch that rhymed with SEC, they’d be ranked higher. But regardless of what the AP Poll’s disinterested voters might say, this is a playoff-caliber team. 

USC showed it with a dominant win over Michigan last weekend. And a win over Notre Dame, on the road, would cement SC as legitimate playoff contenders. Especially as the remaining schedule doesn’t get much easier. The Trojans still have a road game at Nebraska looming, play the Oregon Ducks in Eugene in November, and host Iowa and a suddenly resurgent UCLA. Not to mention the outside chance at playing in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Beat the Irish, move to 6-1, and there’s margin for error against, say, Oregon. Lose on the road? It’s win out or hope for the best and beat out 9-3 SEC teams for a playoff spot. Good luck with that. 

This is a huge, huge game. For both teams. For the future of the rivalry.