The No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-1) are set to strengthen their position in the College Football Playoff today as they face off against the USC Trojans (6-5, 4-5) at the United Airlines Field at the LA Memorial Coliseum. The game is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on CBS and available for streaming on Paramount+.
The Fighting Irish are on an impressive nine-game winning streak and are looking to continue this momentum against a USC team that has shown signs of improvement, particularly in their last two matches with quarterback Jayden Maiava, a transfer from UNLV. Despite the ups and downs this season, USC has managed to hold a 4-1 record at home and has covered the spread in three of their last four games.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has some injury concerns heading into the game, ruling out linebackers Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Bodie Kahoun, and stating that defensive tackle Howard Cross III is questionable due to an ankle injury. Meanwhile, the Fighting Irish are favored to win by seven points, with a total points over/under set at 53.5.
One of the standout elements for the Trojans has been Maiava’s recent performance, where he amassed four touchdown passes in two low-scoring victories. His most recent outing saw him throwing for 259 yards and three touchdowns in a win against Nebraska. In contrast, Notre Dame aims to leverage its formidable passing defense, although they will be missing cornerback Benjamin Morrison for the rest of the season.
For the Fighting Irish, their success has been largely attributed to their robust offense. With an average margin of victory of 32.6 points this season, Notre Dame is performing exceptionally well—evident in their last game where they defeated Army 49-14, covering a 14-point spread decisively. Quarterback Riley Leonard has been a key player, demonstrating impressive passing accuracy and yard gains.
In this highly anticipated matchup, SportsLine’s model is predicting a total of 58 combined points with one side of the spread projected to hit over 60% of the time. Fans and bettors are encouraged to closely examine these predictions as the game unfolds.
Overall, regardless of the challenges faced by both teams, this game has the potential to be an exciting showdown with significant implications for the College Football Playoff landscape. Each squad is looking to prove their mettle, and the competitive spirit on the field may lead to a thrilling display of college football at its best.