Notre Dame vs. USC: 7 Best Moments from Storied Rivalry

College Football's preeminent rivalry, Notre Dame vs. USC, has given fans plenty of moments to cheer about and cry about during its competitive history.

Hailing from completely opposite regions of the country, the Irish and Trojans have produced more national championships, Heisman Trophy winners and All-Americans than any other annual battle, with the winner often competing for the national championship.

While Notre Dame owns the series with an overall record of 43-33-5 dating back to Knute Rockne and Howard Jones, USC owned the last decade under the direction of Pete Carroll while Notre Dame transitioned between five different coaches. 

The legend behind the rivalry's inception starts with the "conversation between wives," in which the wife of USC athletic director Gwynn Wilson convinced Rockne's wife at a snowy Thanksgiving Notre Dame vs. Nebraska game that a trip to sunny Southern California would be good for her, and the Irish, once every two years.

Murray Sperber, author of Shake Down the Thunder, contradicts this tale however, stating that the true origin of the rivalry is the result of the ban imposed by the Western Conference (now the Big Ten) against members playing the Irish.

Whatever the origins of the rivalry, it's the most storied and traditional rivalry in the nation.  As such, here are the seven greatest moments of the Notre Dame-USC battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh.

A Rivalry Is Born: Dec. 4, 1926

In the very first game of the series, Knute Rockne took his Fighting Irish team to shores of the Pacific to take on Southern California's Trojans.  A hard-fought game ending in a one-point victory for the Irish—Notre Dame 13, USC 12.

The game was especially bitter since the USC athletic administration had recently courted Rockne to leave the Irish and take the helm at Southern Cal.

Rockne, it is rumored, said his first game against the Trojans was the greatest game he ever saw.  That is, until the following year when the Irish and Trojans battled in a rematch at Soldier field before a crowd in excess of 120,000 fans.  The Irish pulled out the sequel narrowly once more—ND 7, USC 6.

Though the first days of the rivalry have since been stored away in dusty cabinets at both universities, the rivalry wouldn't have blossomed into today's heated competition without the train rides of the 1920's.

The Juice Is Loose: Oct. 14, 1967

On Oct. 14, 1967, Ara Parseghian's Irish led the Trojans 7-0 going into halftime.

Then, famously, or infamously, USC introduced a junior tailback transfer from City College of San Francisco to the world: OJ Simpson.  The two-time All-American and future Heisman winner would run for 160 yards and three second-half touchdowns to defeat the Irish in South Bend.

For Notre Dame fans reeling about turnover problems in their games against South Florida and Michigan, it should be noted that the Irish gave up seven interceptions and two fumbles in the second half collapse against OJ Simpson's Trojans.

The contest ended in a solid victory for Southern Cal—USC 24, Notre Dame 7.

Fighting Irish and Fighting On: Oct. 23, 1971

USC entered Notre Dame as a 21-point underdog, while the Irish entered their home field ranked sixth in the nation.  A back and forth day for both teams, Notre Dame underachieved as it failed to dominate the 2-4 Trojans.

After hitting USC quarterback Jimmy Jones during an attempted pass, the ball rolled backwards with two Irish players attempting to corral the ball.  After a massive scrum for the football, tempers flared and fists were thrown.  The benches cleared, and for 20 minutes, officials attempted to clear the field before the game could be resumed.

The favored Irish ultimately lost to their West Coast foes—USC 28, Notre Dame 14—but the fight epitomizes the intense emotions felt by both programs each time they meet each other.

Green with Envy: Oct. 22, 1977

Dan Devine and John Robinson each entered Notre Dame Stadium with one loss, but it seemed Devine's loss weighed more heavily on his program than Robinson's loss.  Successor to Ara Parseghian, Devine was feeling the heat from Irish Nation after two three-loss seasons and a recent loss to Ole Miss. 

He needed to turn the tide of his own fate, let alone the fate of a "mediocre" Irish program under his command.

Notre Dame warmed up in their traditional navy blue jersey before entering the locker room after pregame warmups.  When the Irish returned behind a Trojan horse dragged by students in togas, Notre Dame no longer donned their traditional Blue, but wore emerald green jerseys to the elation of fans who suddenly erupted into a frenzy.

Behind the leadership of Joe Montana, the Irish dominated the Trojans.  Afterwards, Notre Dame continued to wear green, defeating Texas in the Cotton Bowl to claim the national title in Devine's third year. 

The spark was not ignited until the USC game, however. Notre Dame 49, USC 19.

The Only Time for No. 1 vs. No. 2: Nov. 29, 1988

Thanksgiving weekend of 1988 pitted Notre Dame and USC against each other for the first time, and only time, the programs were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 simultaneously.

The Trojans were favored in the contest as the Irish entered the Coliseum missing two of its best playmakers.  In a controversial coaching decision, Lou Holtz decided to leave running backs Ricky Watters and the late Tony Brooks in South Bend for disciplinary reasons as the Irish entered the biggest game of the season.

Despite missing the combination of playmakers, Notre Dame defeated USC behind the play of quarterback Tony Rice and its defense, who scored on an interception of former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete.

The Irish would go on to win the national title after this 27-10 victory.

God on Their Side: Oct. 16, 1999

In a mediocre season for Notre Dame, the Paul Hackett-coached Trojans marched into Notre Dame Stadium and opened with a 24-3 lead against the Irish in the first half.  It appeared Bob Davie would lead the Irish to defeat once more.

In an ironic twist of fate, and with a little help from the divine, Notre Dame would stage the largest comeback on its home field in the second half.  As the Irish exited the locker room, the weather had completely reversed course, putting the wind at Notre Dame's back. 

With some hard work and a little luck, the Irish recovered a Jarious Jackson fumble in USC's end zone to secure the final score of the game and an Irish victory. Notre Dame 25, USC 24.

Game of the Centur(ies): Oct. 15, 2005

In the arguably the greatest game ever played in college football, the Irish sought to stop USC's dominance in Charlie Weis' first year.  Again, the Irish donned Green jerseys in the hopes of turning the tide of the series once more. 

USC entered Notre Dame Stadium behind the leadership of eventual Heisman winners Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush.  With allegations the Irish left its Kentuckly bluegrass a little higher than usual to slow Bush's electric speed, USC performed as effectively as usual on offense. 

The Irish, however, also played mistake-free football behind the arm of Brady Quinn, who aimed to control the clock to slow the Trojans.

As time ticked down, the Trojans scored on a Bush touchdown after a Leinart-led 80-yard drive to give USC a 28-24 lead.  Afterwards, Quinn orchestrated his own heroic drive, taking the Irish 82 yards on a drive that ended in a five-yard touchdown run by Quinn himself. 

Less than two minutes remained for the Trojans.

After a 10-yard sack and a small gain by Bush, the Trojans faced a 4th-and-9 on their own 26-yard line.  Their undefeated season hung on the brink.  Then, a miscue by Irish cornerback Ambrose Wooden allowed Trojan receiver Dwayne Jarrett to catch a Leinart ball, not only obtaining the first down, but taking the ball to the Irish 13-yard line.

With only seconds remaining in the game, two Bush runs placed the Trojans at the Irish 2-yard line.  A Leinart run for the corner of the end zone resulted in a punishing hit from Corey Mays as Leinart fumbled at the one yard line. 

The clock, errantly, expired and confusion ensued.  With the scored 31-28, the Trojans could kick the field goal or go for the win.  They chose the latter.

As Leinart took the ball on a quarterback sneak, it appeared the Irish had stuffed him until he received a little extra help from Bush, who provided the infamous "Bush Push."  While technically illegal, officials never threw a flag for assisting a teammate's advance down the field. 

But the debate rages between Irish fans and Trojans fans.

In the end, USC would finish their regular season undefeated, though losing to Texas in the National Championship.

The loudest game ever played in Notre Dame Stadium, the 2005 edition was the most exciting football game played in this great rivalry. USC 34, Notre Dame 31.