This Week's Game Of The Century: USC Vs. Notre Dame

This Saturday is a day that college football fans and pundits have been awaiting all season.There are unofficial division championship games (No. 4 Virginia Tech at No. 19 Georgia Tech).

As well as league championship contender elimination games (No. 12  Iowa at Wisconsin), intriguing inter conference fiascoes (Texas Tech at Nebraska,No. 22 South Carolina at No. 2 Alabama, Missouri at No. 16 Oklahoma St. and of course the famous “Red River Shootout” at the Cotton Bowl (No. 20 Oklahoma at No. 3 Texas).

But only one game deserves the attention of the title, “Game of the Century ”, and that is USC at Notre Dame.

Why does this game between the Trojans and Irish have a chance to be remembered in the annals of college football’s history?  

This game screams for attention to be an all time great.  Between the history , current national implications , coaches, offensive players , match-ups, bitterness ,  records , rankings , BCS, and the rivalry itself, I do not think you could ask for a game with more to offer this season.

Both teams come in with identical 4-1 records and are nationally ranked by the Associated Press. This game will be one for the ages and here is why:

The History

This game pits two of college’s premier programs against each other, while renewing their rivalry for the 81^st time (ND leads series 42-33-5) at Notre Dame Stadium for the coveted Jeweled Shillelagh.  Notre Dame and USC have combined together to post 22 national championships and 14 Heisman Trophy winners in their illustrious histories.

Their rivalry dates back to 1926 where the Irish were able to escape Los Angeles with a 13-12 victory in their inaugural battle. The Notre Dame and USC rivalry has had such rich history that it has accounted for five of the ten most watched collegiate games in history.

The Immediate National Implications

While the history of this rivalry is obviously superfluous with lore from the past, the recent encounters have been another story—and completely one sided.

USC has won the past seven transgressions between the two national powers and it's not even been close. USC has had an average margin of victory of 27 points over their past seven victories, including the fact that the Trojans have only allowed three points in the last two meetings.

The Irish have gone through some growing pains through the past couple of seasons, but this year they look to turn the tables on their bitter rivals. The season has presented its ups and downs for both teams through the first five games.

Furthermore, the Irish and Trojans have already suffered losses at the hands of lesser opponents. A loss in this rivalry game would most likely eliminate either team from a chance at a lucrative spot in the national championship.

A convincing victory over the Irish would catapult USC up the national rankings and back into the discussion of whether they deserve to be considered one of the best teams in the land. A win for the Irish would thrust them into the upper echelons of the the rankings and into the discussion of getting that lucrative BCS Bowl bid.

The Coaches

Charlie Weis has seen world praise him at his height of winning. He has also seen the wrath of the Irish nation when the team does not live up to its billings. His coaching tenure opened with two BCS bowl appearances, followed by two of the worst seasons in Notre Dame’s illustrious history.

Weis’s job security was constantly questioned throughout the past offseason, but it seems that a four and one record has calmed those discussions up until this point. A win against the hated Trojans, would squash most of those who question Weis’s coaching ability, and it would end a personal four game losing streak against the Trojans.

Pete Carroll has seen almost unparalleled success in his tenure at Southern Cal and has little to nothing to worry about, when it comes to discussing job security. 

With two national championships, four top four nationally ranked finishes, and an 86-10 record since 2002, the Trojans are quite satisfied with the laid back approach by their head ball coach.

Carroll has been able to use his charm and charisma to lure some of the nation’s finest talent to Southern California. His assistants have been able to put together solid offensive and defensive packages that have utilized that tremendous talent and created the closest thing to a dynasty in college football over the last decade.

The Offensive Players

USC has Barkley, Mcknight, Williams, and McCoy on the offensive side of the ball. Notre Dame has Clausen, Tate, Rudolph, Allen, and Hughes to power their high octane offense. Both sides have the firepower to put up points and the stars will certainly be shining in South Bend for this one.

Matt Barkley, a true freshman, is the next one that is looking to take his place amongst the great USC quarterbacks under Coach Carroll.

Following in the steps of Carson Palmer, Matt Leinert, John David Booty, and Mark Sanchez is no easy task for the seasoned upperclassmen—let alone a kid whose main concern at this point last year was, “Whose parents are going out of town this weekend?”

Barkley has played admirably in his limited action (injured vs. Washington) in the designated position of game manager. Coach Carroll has not asked Barkley to do much more than manage what is in front of him and limit his mistakes.

This has worked for the early portion of the schedule. Although, Barkley showed he could play well with pressure on him. During the second week of the season against Ohio State, where he drove the Trojans down the field for a victory in the waning moments.

Barkley will be depended on to keep his undefeated record intact for a trip to South Bend, Indiana to be called successful for the Trojans.

Joe McKnight has been the spark-plug, ignition, and driver of the Trojans' rushing attack early on with 7.1 yds/carry average and six touchdowns during the season’s first five games, McKnight has been the horse to the golden chariot that is the Trojans offense.

His numbers do not jump off the page at you, as USC has a contingent of backs that could beat you, and they all share in the carries.

But do not be mistaken as the rushing attack is the heart of the Trojan offense.

USC will miss the output of Stafon Johnson, who has five rushing touchdowns up until this point. Johnson was injured two weeks ago in a weight lifting accident and will not be in action against the Irish.

The Trojans attack will need to utilize the speed of Marc Tyler to keep the Irish front seven on their toes, and not keying in directly on the running game and the young QB.

The speedy Damian Williams has opponents and coaches thinking they may be looking at current NFL leading receiver and former USC standout, Steve Smith. Standing at 6’1 and only a 190 pounds, Williams has attracted most of the attention of the Trojans passing game to the tune of 71.8 yds/game.

He has the ability to catch, run, and create in open space which keeps defenses honest and leaves the underneath open for other receivers. The sure-handed Anthony McCoy gives Barkley another viable option on the opposite side of Williams.

On the other side of the spectrum, Notre Dame has studs all over the offensive front. Jimmy Clausen has put together a season that has seen him climb atop most pundit’s Heisman ballots.

Clausen has three 300 yard passing games and one 400 passing yard game with 12 TD’s. He leads the country in passing efficiency going into this week's game. The legend of his heroics in 2009 grows by the game.

Clausen also led game winning drives in the fourth quarter against Purdue and Michigan State,and also found a way to coordinate the winning points against Washington in overtime.

No doubt he has been stellar this season, but his resume' lacks that kind of performance against a quality defense, which will all change this weekend.

If Clausen is able to replicate his numbers on Saturday against the sixth ranked defense in the country, the Heisman committee can just hand over the award to No. 7 in South Bend.

Clausen is joined by standout running back Armando Allen in the backfield, who has amassed 91.3 yds/game and three trips to pay dirt.  Allen uses his slashing style to find holes and pick up the dirty yards for the Irish offense.

Up to this point, Allen has had three 100 yard rushing performances to balance out the potency of the Irish aerial attack and also keeps defenses honest in their approach to stopping the Irish. 

Robert Hughes is the “thunder” to the Irish rushing attack as he is often used in goal line situations and in areas where his extra bulk can be utilized. The rushing tandem has produced 147 yards/game for the Irish.

The Irish aerial attack is centered around two players, Kyle Rudolph and Golden Tate. Kyle Rudolph looks like another great receiving tight end, that Notre Dame has been famous for producing over the last decade.

John Carlson (Seahawks), Anthony Fasano (Dolphins), Marcus Freeman (Panthers), and John Owens (Saints) have all seen their share of success in the professional ranks, after they were molded in South Bend.

The sophomore has utilized his 6’6” frame to wreak havoc on opposing defenses with his stellar run blocking and his ability to find opening in the defense, evidenced by his 12.7 yd/catch and three TDs.

Rudolph's ability to settle down in open space has not only acted as a safety valve for Clausen, but it has also kept drives alive and opponents on their toes.

Rudolph is able to muscle up in the middle of the field or split out wide and use his frame to out jump a smaller corner covering him in single coverage.

Golden Tate has to be in the discussion when mentioning the best receivers in the country.  The junior is averaging 18.2 yds/catch and 120.4 yds/game.  Tate has been the total package for the Irish this season after their leading receiver Michael Floyd went down with an injury in week three.

The junior has used his breakaway speed not only in the passing game, but also in the "wildcat" formation exhibited against Purdue to the tune of 9 carries for 55 yards and a score. Tate has been Clausen’s go-to receiver and defenses have had a hard time trying to slow down his blazing speed and sure hands.

The Matchups

 Notre Dame has the tenth ranked offense in the country. USC has the sixth ranked defense in the country. Notre Dame has averaged 470 yds./game on offense, while USC has only allowed 238.6 yds./game. Something has to give in this one here.  Notre Dame’s balanced high octane offense has carried it throughout the first five weeks of the season averaging 32.6 points per game.

USC has not allowed more than 16 points all season, even in its lone defeat.

There are so many questions to be asked entering this game, and only a game of this magnitude can answer those propositions. Is Notre Dame’s offense really that good? Is USC’s defense really that impenetrable? Can Clausen and Co. put those kinds of numbers up on a defense that ranks above 49^th in the country?

It will be a battle of wits, size and speed in South Bend, as both squads will be depending on their respective squads to pull out a victory.

Notre Dame’s defense has been borderline nonexistent, ranking 100^th in the country, while USC has not exactly been a powerhouse on offense.

Notre Dame’s defense cost the Irish a game this season against Michigan and caused many of the Irish Faithfull’s hearts to skip a beat in the waning seconds against Purdue, Michigan St., and Washington.

Their shut down performance against Nevada in the season opener had Golden Domers dreaming of a great defense to go with a high powered offense. Instead, the Irish D has been as sturdy as the levies in New Orleans, throughout the last four games.

USC has not exactly lit up the scoreboards throughout its early season 4-1 campaign. Having a frosh at QB has limited the things the Trojans can do through the air. USC was not able to muster much offense in its national showcase game against Ohio State and its offense enabled it to lose to Washington by only putting up thirteen points.

USC has flashed moments of brilliance, as when it put up 30 points against the Golden Bears of Cal, but the production on the offensive side of the ball has been scarce and inconsistent.

In their lone loss against Washington, backup quarterback Aaron Corp was rushed into duty and limited to 110 yards passing and one interception (In comparison, Clausen was able to put up 422 yards passing against the Huskies with 2 TDs and 1 int.).

The USC needs to run the ball early and they need stellar play from their young QB to take down the Irish.

The Bitterness

This probably weighs more on the Irish side of this rivalry. Notre Dame is upset. The faithful have posted billboards outside the campus wishing the head coach luck on his “internship”, and the Irish Faithful are growing restless.

A large contingency of the Irish Nation still hold bitterness towards the 2005 game that ended with the “Reggie Bush Push.”

That game was the closest that Notre Dame has come in even competing with USC in the last seven years.

The Fighting Irish fans are tired of losing marquee games, bowl games, and especially rivalry games. The bye week has given the Irish and Trojans time to rest and rekindle the fire that has made this rivalry great throughout the course of history. Look for not a lot of love to be shown or lost when these two teams meet on Saturday afternoon.

The Rankings and The BCS

Notre Dame already has a pretty sweet deal going on with the BCS and that it can get an automatic bid if it ends up in the top 12 of the computer’s year end rankings.

Every major bowl would love the opportunity to bring in the Fighting Irish, as Notre Dame has one of the largest fan bases in the country and sponsors are willing to throw money towards anything that has the Notre Dame brand on it.

The key thing is that Irish need to be in the top 12.

A win on Saturday brings the Irish up from their 25^th spot and into the top 15. Should the Irish win out, with quality wins over Boston College, Pittsburgh, and Stanford, they would be looking at a bowl bid and possibly an invite to Pasadena for the national championship.

USC has a strong ranking at sixth in the country even though it has a loss on its record against a team that Notre Dame has already beaten (Washington). With a win, USC would surpass Boise State in most pundits polls and would position the Trojans for a solid opportunity at one of the games hosted in January at the Rose Bowl.

The Breakdown and Keys to the Game

This will be a legendary game that every college football fan should have his or her eyes glued too. The stakes are too high for both teams not to take this game as a make or break game for the season.

Both squads had bye weeks to prepare for each other and I would imagine both coaching staffs have not slept in the two weeks leading up to this one. The rivalry between the two schools is real and these teams are looking to put on a show this Saturday afternoon in South Bend.

Notre Dame has so much to live up to in this home game as Clausen is looking to solidify himself as a true Heisman candidate, while Coach Weis is looking to get off the hot seat. Notre Dame is looking to end a seven game losing streak against USC and look to reestablish themselves as a competent national powerhouse. 

USC has to uphold its top ten ranking, reestablish itself as a national championship contender, extend its dominance over Notre Dame (which leads to an advantage in recruiting), and continue to show that the Washington debacle was an aberration.

The Key for the Irish defense is to get to the quarterback throughout the duration of the game. Opponents have been able to get momentum going and shove it down Notre Dame’s throat for a score because the passer has been allowed to sit back and write a book with all the time he has been given.

The Irish have been extremely effective when they have pressured the quarterback, as exhibited in Michigan State’s game ending interception thrown under pressure and Washington’s overtime drive being stopped by sacks to quarterback Jake Locker.

Their defense needs to slow down drives, create turnovers, and get to the quarterback to be effective in this one.

Notre Dame’s offense will take care of business, as long as they can establish a strong running game. Armando Allen and Robert Hughes have to get the ball early and often to set up the play action and keep the defensive ends of the Trojans from pinning their ears back and coming straight up field. 

Clausen will be able to find his open receivers if given enough time, which he has been able to as he has received superb protection up to this point. If the Irish are able to establish a substantial rushing attack early, look for Clausen to have a big day.

The Key for the Trojans defense is to not let Clausen beat them. The Trojans need to pressure the junior and force him into check downs and dump offs, as opposed to finding Golden Tate and Kyle Rudolph in open space.

Should they be able to fluster the junior quarterback, the Irish will be forced to rely on Allen who has been hampered by injuries throughout the season, spelling trouble for Notre Dame’s attack. USC should double up on Tate when given the opportunity and keep a quick linebacker on Rudolph in most situations to best limit the Irish’s attack.

The Trojan’s offense is to get the ball to McKnight and pound it down the Irish’s throat. Quarterback Matt Barkley is a true freshman stepping onto Notre Dame Stadium for the first time in his first real taste of a rivalry game.

Barkley will need to step up for the Trojans to come out successful and accept a larger role than he has had all season.

Coach Carroll will be smart to take the pressure off of him by allowing McKnight to pound the ball inside the tackle box. This will also allow for the Irish defense to creep up and then Barkley will be able to find more available space in the passing game.

Prediction

This will be the Game of the Century as the Irish come from behind to upset the highly touted men of Troy 30-27.

This game has all the makings of an all time great between the history, the rankings, the teams, and the rivalry, so I know for sure that I will be tuning into watch this one.

Game of the Century: USC @ Notre Dame

10/17/09 3:30pm