No. 20 USC (5-1 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) at No. 13 Notre Dame (4-2)

Saturday, 4:30 p.m. PT, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Ind, NBC (Ch. 4)/710 AM

USC: OUT: RB Eli Sanders (knee), RB Waymond Jordan (ankle), CB Chasen Johnson (knee), K Caden Chittenden (undisclosed), DL Floyd Boucard (undisclosed); QUESTIONABLE: OL Kilian O’Connor (undisclosed), OL Elijah Paige (undisclosed), CB Prophet Brown (undisclosed).

Notre Dame: OUT: DL Gabriel Rubio (elbow), WR Micah Gilbert (hand), OL Peter Jones (ankle), OL Charles Jagusah (arm), OL Ashton Craig (knee), RB Kedren Young (knee), S Brandon Logan (shoulder), RB Dylan Devezin (shoulder); QUESTIONABLE: OL Will Black (undisclosed), CB DeVonta Smith (calf), WR Jaden Greathouse (thigh), TE Cooper Flanagan (Achilles).

Haley Sawyer (OC Register)  —  The USC football team’s trip to Notre Dame comes with a list of challenges this weekend, including a higher-ranked opponent, a long travel day, possible stormy weather and the future of a rivalry.

“I love adversity,” Trojans defensive lineman Devan Thompkins said. “I don’t want nothing to be easy.”

One week after upsetting Michigan and knocking the Wolverines out of the AP Top 25, USC is again seeking great rewards. This time, nearly a century’s worth of history sets the scene.

No. 20 USC will meet No. 13 Notre Dame for the 96th time Saturday. Temperatures will be in the 50s and rain is expected with potential thunderstorms.

“For sure (I watched) this one, because my whole family’s USC fans,” safety Kamari Ramsey said. “This one was a big one. It’s a great game. I’m just excited to play and be a Trojan.”

Even with so many accomplishments between the programs, the future of this rivalry remains uncertain.

Having a built-in game against a perennially dominant opponent doesn’t work in USC’s favor in the College Football Playoff system, which values winning over all else. And USC’s move into the Big Ten already hurts USC’s chances in the rivalry. Swapping out Notre Dame for a team that the Trojans are more likely to beat would improve their chances of getting into playoffs, and have unexpected ripple effects.

If USC upsets Notre Dame later today, that might change the conversation’s tune. Both head coaches have made remarks in favor of keeping the rivalry going.

“I don’t have any proof that it’s being extended right now, but I know there’s discussions and hopefully we can continue this great rivalry,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman told reporters.

“The focus right now is this one that we have. That’s the only one that’s guaranteed and we’ll put everything we’ve got into this one.”

When Notre Dame has the ball

The biggest Irish offensive threat is a punishing running game that can score in unpredictable ways due to the two-headed monster that is Jeremiyah Love (4) and Jadarian Price. The 6-foot, 214-pound Love, after racking up 530 yards on 100 carries in addition to 160 receiving yards on 14 catches with 11 total touchdowns, is currently the No. 2 player on ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s 2026 NFL draft board. The 5-11, 209-pound Price has only one catch on the season but has carried the ball 63 times for 422 yards and seven touchdowns.

The junior running backs allow the Notre Dame coaching staff to get creative with run formations and share the load to always have a fresh body on the field.

USC will face its second true freshman quarterback in two weeks. CJ Carr, the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, has completed 105 of 158 passes (66.5%) for 1,622 yards and 13 touchdowns with just three interceptions.

Five Irish players have 160 receiving yards or more through six games, including 6-7 tight end Eli Raridon. His ability to make a catch just about anywhere on the field makes him the second-most targeted player on the team. Raridon has hauled in 20 passes for 342 yards while averaging 17.1 yards per catch.

“He’s the best tight end we’ve played all year,” USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn told reporters. “He can block. He can run routes in line, they flex him out, they kind of line him all over the place. He’s very, very good attacking the ball. Some of the balls they throw him downfield, like, he’s not open, but the quarterback really trusts him.”

Carr has been sacked nine times, which is good news for a USC defense that has recorded 20 sacks this season and had a bounce-back game against Michigan. The Trojans also held the Wolverines to a season-low 109 rushing yards.

USC safety Bishop Fitzgerald’s value has risen steadily this season as he has become effective up high and in blitz formations. He had his first career sack against Michigan and is tied for the FBS lead with five interceptions.

When USC has the ball

USC’s running game this week is truly to be determined. Leading rushers Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders will be sidelined Saturday due to injuries, leaving a largely untested group of backs to take the field. Redshirt freshman walk-on King Miller had a breakout game against Michigan with 18 carries for 158 yards and a touchdown and rattled off a career-long rush of 49 yards.

Miller will quickly gain experience against Notre Dame’s defense and will have help on the ground from a healthy-enough Bryan Jackson, who played in his first game Saturday after dealing with turf toe all season. Riley said Ryan Wormley and Harry Dalton III will also be available for the game, and others might line up at the position as well.

“I don’t really feel like the calls have changed or that we’ve done a lot to compensate one way or another,” Riley told reporters. “We have depth here that we trust. We’re trying to rely on that as opposed to changing a lot of things just because one guy here or there is out.”

Quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) might be challenged by the inclement weather, but his consistency has become the centerpiece of the Trojans’ offense. He has turned the ball over just twice this season and is throwing for an average of 308.7 yards per game, completing 123 of 171 passes (71.7%) with 13 touchdowns.

Having Makai Lemon in the slot has helped Maiava raise his game. The former Los Alamitos High star receiver has dropped only one pass this season while collecting 44 receptions, 682 yards and six touchdowns. Adding the 6-4 Ja’Kobi Lane on the outside generates more looks and disguises for the offense.

Lemon will likely match up against Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore, who is one of the best secondary players in the FBS. He’s Pro Football Focus’ fourth-highest graded corner when it comes to coverage at 90.3 and has three interceptions and two pass breakups.

Notre Dame’s defense is allowing 245.3 passing yards and 106.2 rushing yards per game. Defensive lineman Boubacar Traore has 5½ sacks for a loss of 47 yards and 6½ tackles for a loss of 48 yards.

Who’s better? Notre Dame. But USC still has the chance to scheme up the Irish with its explosive offense. Receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane continue to make seemingly impossible grabs due to the quick release and accuracy of quarterback Jayden Maiava. Notre Dame has the edge in the running game with likely NFL-bound Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, especially now that USC running backs Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders are out due to injury.

Prediction USC 35 ND 31: On paper, USC shouldn’t win this game, especially as the Trojans may arguably have a tougher time in bad weather, and South Bend is usually a nightmare for the Los Angeles version of this rivalry.

But the Trojans are coming off their best win ever under Lincoln Riley with their backs against the wall. If USC’s phenomenal walk-on RB King Miller can put together another huge game, all-everywhere Eric Gentry (18) has a few very big plays, Maiava doesn’t turn the ball over more than once, and Riley calls a smart game, USC can give the Irish their third loss.

The challenge will be huge as the Irish need this win to keep themselves in the playoff hunt. But this is USC’s chance after some down years to show the CFB world that the Trojans can now win back-to-back tough games and is actually a legit playoff contender.