The Only Thing I Hate About the Notre Dame and USC Rivalry

Okay, I hate the fact that USC has won the last seven games against Notre Dame.

However, it is a little relief to know that they have to win the next 10 to catch Notre Dame in the all-time rivalry between the two.

So that isn't what I really dislike.

The set up is what I dislike the most. As it is now, there is a rotation with USC and Stanford.

Notre Dame ends their season every year on the road in California. If they have Stanford at home, they play them about the fifth or sixth game of the year. Then, they end the year at USC.

The next year, when they have USC at home, they play them in the fifth or sixth game of the year. Then the Irish end the year at Stanford.

I hate that set up.

Notre Dame should end the year every year with USC. That is the big rivalry and it should be the game to end the year.

I am not down playing the importance of the game with Stanford. That is also an important rivalry, but I like that game in the middle of the year.

Look at some of the other big rivalries in college football (Michigan/Ohio State, Florida/Florida State, Alabama/Auburn, Georgia/Georgia Tech). All of these big rivalry games are played at the end of the regular season. It is like all the other games are a build up to that game.

For Notre Dame and USC, it is only like that every other year. That is only when the game is at USC.

As an Irish fan, that sucks. Why should the location of the game matter when it is played?

The other part that I hate is that it gives the Trojans an advantage.

And no, that is not an excuse as to why they have won the last seven. They won because they were the better team period. Nonetheless, there is an advantage that USC has with the current set up.

That is weather conditions.

It is common knowledge that the weather in sunny Los Angeles is much better in November than it is at snowy South Bend.

That would be a huge advantage for Notre Dame and they take it away by playing them earlier in the year. That game should be two days after Thanksgiving, no matter where it is.

Let's make those boys get away from the beach for a few days and travel to South Bend and play that game in cold snowy conditions.

In the meantime, I will enjoy watching it from my beach condo in Maui.