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College Football Preview: Notre Dame Fighting Irish at USC Trojans

November 25, 2006

#6 Notre Dame at #3 USC
Saturday, 8:00 pm Eastern
ABC
Opening Line: USC -7

The best game of the weekend takes place Saturday night in Los Angeles as the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame take on the Trojans of USC.  A win by Notre Dame doesn't get the Irish into the national championship game, but it would definitely keep USC out. SBG Global reports that the betting public is split on if Notre Dame can actually pull off the feat.

USC (9-1) can do no worse than go to the Rose Bowl, but Notre Dame (10-1) needs a win to assure itself a BCS bowl bid. The Trojans are third in the BCS standings, only slightly behind No. 2 Michigan, and the Irish are fifth but have a lot more ground to make up. ''Wherever they put us, they put us,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said. ''We play a great schedule, that's all I know. I'll be the last guy to campaign for us.''

USC is an 8.5 point favorite with a total of 56.5 at SBG Global.

Notre Dame will clearly move ahead of USC with a victory Saturday, and could overtake Florida if they lose this week to Florida State or in next week's SEC title game against No. 5 Arkansas.  ''I think that our best chance - without going into being a politician - our best chance is to go out to USC and beat USC and let the chips fall where they may,'' Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis said. ''You can't even be involved in the conversation if you don't go beat USC.''

The Trojans nearly lost to Notre Dame last year but Matt Leinart pushed and spun his way into the end zone - helped by a shove from Reggie Bush - with 3 seconds left as USC got out of South Bend with a 34-31 victory.

Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn hasn't had much success in three games against the Trojans, completing only 50 percent of his passes for 537 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He goes against a USC defense which has been outstanding recently, allowing a total of 19 points and forcing eight turnovers over its past three games. USC did not commit a turnover for the fourth time this season last week, and has outscored opponents 143-33 of late. Quarterback John David Booty has thrown only one interception and been sacked two times in three games since USC's only loss - 39-24 at Oregon State.

The Trojans have won four in a row over the Irish in a series that dates back to 1926, with Notre Dame leading 42-30-5.

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-- SBG Global

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