Nov 26 | Southern Cal

[clashmore_mike]

AT

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Southern Cal Trojans
LA Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles, CA
November 26, 2022
7:30 PM
​

 

[Classic Irish]

To hell with southern cal.

 

[ND87]

*could* make this one, too.

 

[ulukinatme]

As always, for good luck...no losses to Southern Cal in seasons I've posted it.

 

[irishff1014]

One of the games I am worried about. I think they will give up 45 points a game and score probably 55 so they win. They still have holes in their roster but they have a experienced head coach. Yes they both have a lot of new staff but give me the experienced coach with new staff.

 

[ulukinatme]

One of the games I am worried about. I think they will give up 45 points a game and score probably 55 so they win. They still have holes in their roster but they have a experienced head coach. Yes they both have a lot of new staff but give me the experienced coach with new staff.

Damn, I was about to say we should still win this one this year given the talent advantage we have in the trenches, but who knows when it comes to Southern Cal receivers and our secondary/LBs. It may end up being a shoot out when all is said and done, unless the defense makes some serious strides this year.

 

[irishff1014]

Damn, I was about to say we should still win this one this year given the talent advantage we have in the trenches, but who knows when it comes to Southern Cal receivers and our secondary/LBs. It may end up being a shoot out when all is said and done, unless the defense makes some serious strides this year.

I think we are good on the DL/LB but the DB’s are just not good. Hopefully it improves with Joseph and maybe Watts back there. We are gonna need a spy for Williams.

 

[DONTH8]

Well considering USC will be the "Mecca of college football", I think I have to make the pilgrimage to the Coliseum while the price of admission is still down this year after they go 8-4 with us coming in...

 

[Crazy Balki]

Damn, I was about to say we should still win this one this year given the talent advantage we have in the trenches, but who knows when it comes to Southern Cal receivers and our secondary/LBs. It may end up being a shoot out when all is said and done, unless the defense makes some serious strides this year.

They've had better at QB/WR and we've had worse at DB.

I'm really not concerned about the LB's, because getting Marist back is going to be massive. USC struggled enough as is to keep Foskey from wreaking havoc on their backfield.

Now there are two of them! Add that Botelho should be more involved, as likely will Kollie, that's A LOT more speed in the front 7 than ND had last year.

And the secondary should be considerably better with the addition of Joseph and the other guys like Watts and Henderson should make some major strides, now that they have an offseason at safety to build on. The big question is can Lewis rebound. I think he's got it in him. He's shown he can play at a high level against the best.

 

[texbender]

As always, for good luck...no losses to Southern Cal in seasons I've posted it.

thinking this is my receptionist here at work, but would need to confirm some tats to be sure

 

[ulukinatme]

thinking this is my receptionist here at work, but would need to confirm some tats to be sure

 

[irishtrain]

this rivalry except for certain years under Ara/McKay has been one sided for long periods-my hope is that its not about to shift back to southern cal because to me its still ND's biggest game. Freeman is not the coach that their guy is sorry if that offends people and I hope i'm wrong.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

ESPN re-ranks Way-Too-Early-Top-25 after massive transfer

Did the Irish move up? Move down? Or stay the same?

fightingirishwire.usatoday.com

Please look who ESPN put #4
And please look at the picture they used

(also, this is not an ESPN link, so they will not get f'ing clicks)

Edit: I suppose the picture was chosen by fightingirishwire, but still.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

ESPN re-ranks Way-Too-Early-Top-25 after massive transfer

Did the Irish move up? Move down? Or stay the same?

fightingirishwire.usatoday.com

Please look who ESPN put #4
And please look at the picture they used

(also, this is not an ESPN link, so they will not get f'ing clicks)

Edit: I suppose the picture was chosen by fightingirishwire, but still.

I actually like that SC is getting more hype. The more the better. ND has had it’s share and considering the OL/DL that’s returning they deserve some of it but TBF, Freeman has never been a HC before so I’m fine w/ SC, Utah, tOSU & the usual suspects getting more hype.

Love the pic they used for SC w/ Kyren stiff-arming the defender.

 

[notredomer23]

If the preseason rankings are based on where they think USC will finish... #4 isn't completely ridiculous. Not sure how them and Michigan both secured the easiest conference schedules I've ever seen. USC just has to go 2-1 against UCLA, Utah, and ND to go 11-1. 10 wins is a near lock.

 

[Irish du Nord]

If the preseason rankings are based on where they think USC will finish... #4 isn't completely ridiculous. Not sure how them and Michigan both secured the easiest conference schedules I've ever seen. USC just has to go 2-1 against UCLA, Utah, and ND to go 11-1. 10 wins is a near lock.

Well they lost to 4 of the other teams on their schedule last year so I wouldn’t assume they only have to worry about those 3 teams. It’s not irregular for them to have a tough game against ASU, Cal, or Stanford. Winning is hard.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Well they lost to 4 of the other teams on their schedule last year so I wouldn’t assume they only have to worry about those 3 teams. It’s not irregular for them to have a tough game against ASU, Cal, or Stanford. Winning is hard.

I hear you, BK

 

[CoachB]

No Clemson?

 

[Crazy Balki]

Riley's career at Oklahoma was riddled with close shaves and upset losses to teams that were far less talented than his own.

2017:
@ Baylor (1-11) W 49-41
vs. Iowa State (8-5) L 31-38
vs. Texas (7-6) W 29-24
@ Kansas State (8-5) W 42-35

2018:
@ Iowa State (8-5) W 37-27
vs. Army (11-2) W 24-17 OT (Yeah, Army had 11 wins, but it's still Army)
vs. Texas (10-4) L 45-48
@ Texas Tech (5-7) W 51-46
vs. Oklahoma State (7-6) W 48-47

2019:
vs. Texas (8-5) W 34-27
@ Kansas State (8-5) L 41-48
vs. Iowa State (7-6) W 42-41
vs. TCU (5-7) W 28-24

2020:
vs. Kansas State (4-6) L 35-38
@ Iowa State (9-3) L 31-38
vs. Texas (7-3) W 53-45 OT
vs. Iowa State (9-3) W 27-21

2021:
vs. Tulane (2-10) W 40-35
vs. Nebraska (3-9) W 23-16
vs. West Virginia (6-7) W 27-24
@ Kansas State (8-5) W 37-31
vs. Texas (5-7) W 55-48
@ Kansas (2-10) W 35-23
vs. Iowa State (7-6) W 28-21

This was at a program that was already built up and had the talent in place from the jump for him to succeed. At USC, that isn't the case. They can bring in the transfers, and they'll help. Getting a Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison will prop up their offensive explosiveness, but the issue remains that they are a program that lacks of culture of physical and mental toughness, and that wasn't exactly Riley's MO at Oklahoma. His teams regularly looked soft and got pushed around by teams far less talented than his, but he got by most of the time in a pitifully weak Big XII. It wasn't until the likes of Baylor, Oklahoma State and Iowa State emerging later in his tenure that he began to struggle.

Not that the Pac-12 is any better, but he also doesn't have that same caliber of talent yet that got him by at OU.

 

[ulukinatme]

They brought in a ton of offensive linemen a cycle ago if I recall, but it was all three star talent or worse I think. I'm sure some of them will pan out, but you gotta figure it'll be some time before they get talent in the trenches. They'll have the skill players of course, but they're probably going to need to rely on quick passing attacks. I don't seem them getting physical and pushing us around. They will probably still dominate the PAC-12 for the most part.

 

[IrishBoognish]

They brought in a ton of offensive linemen a cycle ago if I recall, but it was all three star talent or worse I think. I'm sure some of them will pan out, but you gotta figure it'll be some time before they get talent in the trenches. They'll have the skill players of course, but they're probably going to need to rely on quick passing attacks. I don't seem them getting physical and pushing us around. They will probably still dominate the PAC-12 for the most part.

Utah isn't getting pushed around either.

 

[Blazers46]

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

If the preseason rankings are based on where they think USC will finish... #4 isn't completely ridiculous. Not sure how them and Michigan both secured the easiest conference schedules I've ever seen. USC just has to go 2-1 against UCLA, Utah, and ND to go 11-1. 10 wins is a near lock.

They've had a lot of issues with Stanford recently. That could be a potential early L.

And it's on the Farm, you know Stanford has a dominant home environment.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

They brought in a ton of offensive linemen a cycle ago if I recall, but it was all three star talent or worse I think. I'm sure some of them will pan out, but you gotta figure it'll be some time before they get talent in the trenches. They'll have the skill players of course, but they're probably going to need to rely on quick passing attacks. I don't seem them getting physical and pushing us around. They will probably still dominate the PAC-12 for the most part.

I was going to make this same point. Of course, landing a skill position guy like Addison is going to prop up their hype and expectations but when push comes to shove, games on Saturday's (or Fridays because the PAC 12 is garbage lol) are ultimately decided in the trenches.

Riley is most definitely a step up from Helton and will resurrect this program from their deep slumber, to some degree, but to expect a top 5 finish and a CFP berth, in a conference that quite frankly can't get out of their own way as of late, seems pretty far fetched in year one, IMO.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Riley is just a rich man's Clay Helton. USC has been running on elite offensive skill talent and mediocrity elsewhere. I don't think Riley is the guy to change that.

For all their attempts to relive the Pete Carroll days, USC seems to have forgotten that they reached their heights with a defensive coach who shored up the program's weaknesses rather than augmenting its strengths. They don't need Lincoln Riley to have a great offense but they might need a Brent Venables to to complement it with a great defense.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Riley is just a rich man's Clay Helton. USC has been running on elite offensive skill talent and mediocrity elsewhere. I don't think Riley is the guy to change that.

For all their attempts to relive the Pete Carroll days, USC seems to have forgotten that they reached their heights with a defensive coach who shored up the program's weaknesses rather than augmenting its strengths. They don't need Lincoln Riley to have a great offense but they might need a Brent Venables to to complement it with a great defense.

Riley was a best case scenario hire for us. USC gets it hype back without actually addressing any of its perennial weaknesses, so we get more credit for beating them each year without the Trojans seriously threatening our recent domination.

 

[rtrn2glory]

Seriously, I'm starting to think the best way to do this NIL thing is to put a cap number at like $5 million for the whole program. Then they'll be asking for a union or something else. What an absolute shit show.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

USC stands no fucking chance against this D.

The secondary looked really nice against fucking elite WRs and a better QB than USC. And OSU played hard
USC will be soft ass pushovers per normal.

If the O sorts things out (and gets more dynamic)I'm actually predicting a 3 score win, easily

 

[phillyirish]

USC stands no fucking chance against this D.

The secondary looked really nice against fucking elite WRs and a better QB than USC. And OSU played hard
USC will be soft ass pushovers per normal.

If the O sorts things out (and gets more dynamic)I'm actually predicting a 3 score win, easily

Will see, too early to tell. All we know is that, in his first game, Lincoln Riley scored more points in a game than Notre Dame ever put up in the Brian Kelly era. Yea against rice, but ND has had its share of cupcakes. An elite, modern offense is a pre-requisite to compete, we won’t have one of those anytime soon.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Will see, too early to tell. All we know is that, in his first game, Lincoln Riley scored more points in a game than Notre Dame ever put up in the Brian Kelly era. Yea against rice, but ND has had its share of cupcakes. An elite, modern offense is a pre-requisite to compete, we won’t have one of those anytime soon.

USC folds once they get hit. Rice can't hit. Or guard. You can't use that. No way Lincoln Riley has the depth or culture change this year.

And his QB and wr core are less good than osu