USC vs. Notre Dame: Is This a Make or Break Game for Brian Kelly and Tommy Rees?

With 17 returning starters, two All-Americans leading the way on offense and defense, and months of media attention and publicity, this was supposed to be the year that Notre Dame took the next step on their journey back to being one of college football’s most prominent programs.

A double-digit win season and a BCS bowl game were considered to be real possibilities, but that quickly went out the window after the Irish started the season with two disappointing losses to South Florida and Michigan.

I have to admit, I was one of the many who hopped on the Notre Dame hype train over the summer, so I felt a little duped after Notre Dame’s slow start, but I’ve since started to regain some faith in the Irish now they’ve righted the ship and reeled off four straight wins to move to 4-2.

Beating up on mediocre teams like Air Force and Purdue is great and all, but now it’s time for Notre Dame to show that they truly were deserving of all of those ESPN specials and magazine covers this offseason.

The USC Trojans will head into Saturday night’s showdown in South Bend with a 5-1 record and they’re the type of opponent that gives Notre Dame the chance to make a huge statement to the college football world.

While the game may lack its normal luster, given that neither team is currently ranked in the BCS standings (USC is ineligible due to its postseason ban), this is still the perfect opportunity for the Irish to show they belong this year.

Last year, coach Brian Kelly won over a lot of Notre Dame fans by taking the Irish out to Los Angeles and beating the rival Trojans for the first time since 2001, but this game will have a lot more on the line.

With a schedule that only includes one ranked opponent, No. 8 Stanford, the rest of the way, Notre Dame has the chance to go on a big stretch run to end the season and gain back the credibility the team lost back in September, but Kelly’s squad has to get the job done on Saturday night before it can start thinking about the future.

Notre Dame has had two full weeks to prepare and focus for this game and if the Irish come out and play flat, Kelly and his crew are going to definitely hear some grumbling from the fan base.

Quarterback Tommy Rees and the rest of the offense are going up against one of the weaker pass defenses in the country and they’ll be expected to put up big numbers through the air against a USC secondary that currently ranks 105th in the country.

Rees played rather poorly in last year’s meeting, tossing three interceptions, but luckily, he’ll have a chance to redeem himself.

On paper, Notre Dame has the edge, but remember, USC QB Matt Barkley didn’t play in last year's game, and he’s the key to success for the Trojans.

The Irish will have a lot on the line on Saturday night, and this is really setting up to be a make or break game for Notre Dame this season.

If the Irish can get a win over USC at home and get their record up to 5-2, they will likely move back into the polls for the first time since Week 1, and set themselves up for a big second-half of the season.

However, if the Irish look sloppy and fall to 4-3, Brian Kelly and Tommy Rees are going to start feeling the wrath of the Notre Dame faithful again.

It's OK to trust Notre Dame again, but it has to be a cautious trust for now.