profiling Notre Dame’s 2010 opponents. Check out the rest of them with Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Stanford, Boston College, Pitt, Western Michigan, Navy, Tulsa, Utah, and Army. I will now rest my forearms and hands in a cold-tub until game time.
The Overview:There is no bigger game for the Irish than the season’s finale against Southern Cal. So much has happen to the Trojans since the day they beat the Irish last October. A season that opened with a 6-1 record came crashing down, with the Trojans splitting their final six games and falling far from their longtime perch atop the Pac-10. Then the fateful offseason that ended the Trojan dynasty -- Pete Carroll exited Troy for the riches of the NFL, just before the guillotine of the NCAA came down on the neck of the football program. Joining Carroll outside of Heritage Hall was athletic director Mike Garrett, but not before Garrett handpicked Tennessee coach and former Carroll protege Lane Kiffin, who brought with him a staff filed with former Trojan coaches to replicate the previous regime. While the coaching staff is vintage Troy, the philosophy officially changed when new USC president Max Nikias forced Garrett into retirement and named former NBC announcer and one-time Trojan quarterback Pat Haden athletic director, and returned Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy.
The Trojan team the Irish face this year returns the most talent of any team on the schedule, but face a razor-thin margin for error, with their roster depleted to 57 players and a depth chart that’s scarily thin at multiple positions, including the offensive line. Still, it’s no secret that USC has owned Notre Dame of late, and the team the Irish will face in late November could be a scary team with nothing to lose, or a team ravaged by injury with little left to play for.
Last time against the Irish:
With 13 minutes left in the game, the Irish trailed the Trojans by 20 points, and all the talk of Notre Dame being “back” was over. But once again, Notre Dame’s offense rose to the occasion, and behind Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate the Irish mounted a furious comeback. Playing without Michael Floyd (who dressed for the game), the Irish marched down the field in the games final seconds, and with one second left on the clock, Notre Dame had the ball on the Trojan four-yard line, and trailed by seven. Clausen had two options with the Trojans doubling-teaming Golden Tate, Duval Karama on the out-cut and Kyle Rudolph running the in-route behind him. He chose Kamara, who slipped, and the ball sailed to the turf, and the Irish’s fourth attempt to score from inside the ten yard was their last.
The Irish defense was again a major culprit, with the Trojans racking up 501 yards, and freshman quarterback Matt Barkley hitting wide open receivers for 380 yards, including 100 yard days by both tight end Anthony McCoy and wide receiver Damian Williams. Gary Gray came up with a clutch fourth quarter interception, but the Trojans’ first three drives of the second half all ended in touchdowns, and it was just too much for Charlie Weis’ squad to overcome.
Degree of Difficulty:
Of the 12 opponents the Irish face this year, I rank USC the toughest game on the schedule.
1. Southern California Trojans
2. Utah Utes
3. Boston College Eagles
4. Michigan Wolverines
5. Michigan State Spartans
6. Pitt Panthers
7. Stanford Cardinal
8. Purdue Boilermakers
9. Navy Midshipmen
10. Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
11. Army Black Knights
12. Western Michigan Broncos
Let’s make no mistake, the final two games on the Trojan schedule are their bowl games. If USC can beat Notre Dame on Thanksgiving weekend then beat USC UCLA at the Rose Bowl, the sting of sitting out bowl season won’t be anywhere near as harsh.
The Match-up:
Matt Barkley is back leading the Trojan offense, building off an impressive rookie campaign. He’ll lose primary target Damian Williams and tight end Anthony McCoy, but the receiving corp is littered with blue-chip talent like Brice Butler and Ronald Johnson. As usual, there will be plenty of running backs to chose from, with Allen Bradford and C.J. Gable getting the first crack and freshman phenom Dillon Baxter likely ready to contribute after a disciplinary suspension. The Trojans also have All-American fullback Stanley Havili sitting out the opener for a fight with a teammate, but he’ll be a versatile weapon at fullback. The offense will sink or swim on the play of the offensive line. There is talent there, but the depth is downright scary. Injuries could force USC to improvise, and there isn’t much room to freestyle with the current roster.
Defensively the Trojans should be an improved unit from last year, especially with the infusion of Monte Kiffin to coach. Defensive coordinator Ed Orgeron also has a reputation for getting the most out of his defensive line, and if he can keep guys like Nick Perry, Armond Armstead and Jurrell Casey healthy, this will be the strength of the defense. The linebackers have great depth, though they lack the top-end talent that’s been a staple of the Trojan ‘backers before them. The secondary needs to replace all four starters, though Shareece Wright is back after sitting out last season with off-the-field problems.
How the Irish will win:
Defensively, the Irish will find a way to win the line of scrimmage, and the offensive line the Trojans are starting is one of their weakest since the start of the Pete Carroll era. With the ability to get pressure on Barkley with four or five guys, the secondary can contain the big play and the mobile linebacking corp can stop a USC running game that lacks the star-power of the past. Offensively, the spread offense has given Pete Carroll and the Trojans fits, and they’ll be running the same defense under Orgeron and Kiffin, so expect the Irish to move the ball better than they have in the past. Even the strong defensive line won’t be as quick to rush the passer with Dayne Crist sitting five yards deep and getting the ball out of his hands quickly. Play a clean game and keep the turnovers and penalities in check, and the Irish will finally take down the Trojans, although one year too late to do it against Carroll.
How the Irish will lose:
It isn’t hard to figure out how the Trojans beat the Irish. They’ve done it the past eight years, each time a bit different than the others. There’s plenty of skill on the Troja n roster and the front-four of USC could be a mismatch with the Irish offensive line. Matt Barkley has already been called the “next one” for the Trojans, and if a few offensive weapons emerge, they could become an explosive offensive team. If you throw out last season, the Trojans always seem to play their best football down the stretch, and with the Irish coming to town for the last game of the year in the Coliseum, you know the Trojans will be ready to fight.
Gut Feeling:
This game depends on what USC team walks out of the tunnel. If it’s the motivated, chip-on-their-shoulders Trojans, then it’s a coin-flip game where the Trojans will likely -- and rightly -- be favored. But if the last year showed us anything, between the cracked veneer of the Carroll era and the NCAA sanctions, this program is starting back at zero. It’s hard to predict what type of program the Trojans will be under Lane Kiffin, just like it’s difficult to tell what the Irish will turn out to be under Brian Kelly. The best part is, we’ll find out in a few days...