Nov 30 | USC

[pumpdog20]

Being honest with myself while looking into this USC season, they really are a few bounces away from being a good team. Highly doubt we are going to feel very comfortable throughout the game until the clock say zeros.

 

[IrishFren]

i’m expecting a 2012/2018 type of game. where it is a little too close for comfort throughout and we trail at times but end up winning 24-17 or 24-20

 

[CanadalovesND]

I predict a game similar to Georgia Tech. Close-ish by halftime but ND ground game will lean and pushed around the USC DL and wear them out by the fourth quarter.

 

[Valpodoc85]

Travel is tough on a team. Playing east coast one week and west coast the next was a scheduling blunder. Hopefully the lads can overcome

 

[FWIrish4]

i’m expecting a 2012/2018 type of game. where it is a little too close for comfort throughout and we trail at times but end up winning 24-17 or 24-20

This team ND team is better than both those ND teams. This USC team is probably similar to those USC teams, but without an advantage at the skill positions against our secondary. We’ve flipped the script with our secondary now being a strength.

 

[pumpdog20]

This team ND team is better than both those ND teams. This USC team is probably similar to those USC teams, but without an advantage at the skill positions against our secondary. We’ve flipped the script with our secondary now being a strength.

I think we need some type of pass rush, and that might be difficult without Cross. Few days til we find out.

 

[IrishLax]

On paper this should be a 1-2 score game. All but two Power 5 games played by USC have also been one score games.

USC is better on defense but worse on offense this year. ND running the ball is the path to victory. On defense, it's about getting after the QB since this is the first team with the talent at WR to really challenge the corners. I was not overly impressed with their passing game against UCLA last week though.

 

[Irish#1]

 

[Huntr]

They should have lost to Minny, but PJ is, somehow, a bigger bitch than LR.

 

[KPENN]

They should have lost to Minny, but PJ is, somehow, a bigger bitch than LR.

They did lose to Minnesota though?

 

[Rockin’Irish]

They did lose to Minnesota though?

Yes, they did

 

[Huntr]

Christ, I meant UCLA, but had the Minnesota-PennSt game in my head too.

 

[stpeteirish]

Funny thing is the most striking thing I see in watching USC is how different they are from last year. Last year they couldn’t stop a sneeze and their OL was a revolving door but with Caleb Williams they put points on the board with a lot of explosive plays. This year the D has improved a lot and the OL is competant but they don’t excel at anything important. Their RB, Marks is damn good but Riley would rather pass. QB is OK, not great by any means. Defense is pretty sound but doesn’t make a lot of negative plays so you can move the ball on them .
Not a blowout but we should take care of business in a workmanlike fashion. Very untypical USC. Feels like a road game vs a middling ACC team.

 

[BoredIrish]

I think Riley tries to correct his tendencies and commits to running the ball. My hope is Golden responds with a couple of 3 and outs and ND runs out to an early 10-14 point lead. Riley then is forced to return to his passing game obsession and Watts, Moore and Gray make him pay... at which point the USC pretty boys quit and the game is over.

I expect CJ Carr to have the ball in his hands for the last snap of this regular season (victory formation kneel down) and the first snap of the next regular season.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Funny thing is the most striking thing I see in watching USC is how different they are from last year. Last year they couldn’t stop a sneeze and their OL was a revolving door but with Caleb Williams they put points on the board with a lot of explosive plays. This year the D has improved a lot and the OL is competant but they don’t excel at anything important. Their RB, Marks is damn good but Riley would rather pass. QB is OK, not great by any means. Defense is pretty sound but doesn’t make a lot of negative plays so you can move the ball on them .
Not a blowout but we should take care of business in a workmanlike fashion. Very untypical USC. Feels like a road game vs a middling ACC team.

Marks is good w/ the ball in his hands whether it be via handoff or pass. I believe he leads the team in receptions. I watched their game last Saturday vs UCLA but neither team looked very good so I’ll throw that out. I could be wrong, but I’d put this SC team as the 2nd best opponent ND faces on their schedule this season. I have them equal to UL but playing in LA & being a rivalry game gives them the edge over UL as an opponent.

 

[Irishdawg]

Marks is good w/ the ball in his hands whether it be via handoff or pass. I believe he leads the team in receptions. I watched their game last Saturday vs UCLA but neither team looked very good so I’ll throw that out. I could be wrong, but I’d put this SC team as the 2nd best opponent ND faces on their schedule this season. I have them equal to UL but playing in LA & being a rivalry game gives them the edge over UL as an opponent.

Yep, gotta stop Marks first! He’s had 192 carries 1,100 yards 9TDs this year. Plus, 47 receptions. He is the workhorse!

 

[stpeteirish]

Marks is good w/ the ball in his hands whether it be via handoff or pass. I believe he leads the team in receptions. I watched their game last Saturday vs UCLA but neither team looked very good so I’ll throw that out. I could be wrong, but I’d put this SC team as the 2nd best opponent ND faces on their schedule this season. I have them equal to UL but playing in LA & being a rivalry game gives them the edge over UL as an opponent.

I think Louisville when we played them was a little better but adjusted for location USC and Louisville are pretty equal .
We’re better because Riley is better so if that continues we should prevail

 

[IRISHDODGER]

I think Louisville when we played them was a little better but adjusted for location USC and Louisville are pretty equal .
We’re better because Riley is better so if that continues we should prevail

Hope that‘s the case along w/ Tim Prister‘s belief in that Freeman has this team singularly focused on winning this game. Anything can happen in an end of season rivalry game. I don’t care that MF & this team had zero to do w/ previous close calls or losses in LA. Look at 6-6 Auburn last year vs a Bama team that made the CFP. Despite Bama having the GOAT at HC, it wasn’t enough to prevent a middling Auburn team from almost ruining their season.

 

[Crazy Balki]

Hope that‘s the case along w/ Tim Prister‘s belief in that Freeman has this team singularly focused on winning this game. Anything can happen in an end of season rivalry game. I don’t care that MF & this team had zero to do w/ previous close calls or losses in LA. Look at 6-6 Auburn last year vs a Bama team that made the CFP. Despite Bama having the GOAT at HC, it wasn’t enough to prevent a middling Auburn team from almost ruining their season.

It's true, but Alabama did that a lot last year. They had more than a few close calls against really mediocre/bad teams.

 

[dublinirish]

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[Cackalacky2.0]

 

[IAIrish]

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Before, I thought Pate gave some pretty fair analysis.

Not sure where he basing this take other than SC having nothing to lose... the fact that ND might struggle in a close game since they've rolled everyone after wk2 and SC won't because that's how they play every game?? GTFO with that trash take.

Keeping this receipt.

 

[FWIrish4]

Before, I thought Pate gave some pretty fair analysis.

Not sure where he basing this take other than SC having nothing to lose... the fact that ND might struggle in a close game since they've rolled everyone after wk2 and SC won't because that's how they play every game?? GTFO with that trash take.

Keeping this receipt.

USC getting credit for playing close games against *checks notes* 7-4 LSU, 6-5 Michigan, 6-5 Michigan, 4-7 Maryland, 6-5 Washington, 6-5 Nebraska, and 4-7 UCLA won’t stop being funny to me.

Yeah playing close games against shitty teams probably means they’re not that great themselves.

 

[DillonHall]

Josh Pate also picked Texas A&M over ND. Just saying

 

[IrishBoognish]

Josh Pate also picked Texas A&M over ND. Just saying

Didn't he pick Navy too?

 

[ozzman]

He's been super against the Irish all year even though his model had us way higher than he ranked us.

 

[Irishokie]

Didn't he pick Navy too?

That was Joel Klatt. I had the same thought.

 

[DillonHall]

He's been super against the Irish all year even though his model had us way higher than he ranked us.

Yeah he’s an idiot (like all of them). He has a model but sometimes picks against it. Then what’s the point of the model?

 

[rtrn2glory]

Thanksgiving week always screws my days up. Woke up and could've sworn it was Saturday.

 

[CoachB]

Maybe he's right. He could be. USC could be 11-0 also. The last time I made a mistake and got on here talking about how people were stupid for thinking their team could beat us was NIU. I'm not jinxing us like that again. So, Pate could be spot on. I hope he's wrong.