Paul Finebaum makes the case for why Notre Dame game is must-win for USC

One of the most historic rivalries in college football resumes this weekend as USC travels east to Notre Dame play for the Jeweled Shillelagh. Neither team enters with momentum.

The Fighting Irish have lost two of three games over the past few weeks while the Trojans have looked very vulnerable against some inferior teams.

But ESPN college football commentator Paul Finebaum believes USC need to win the game. He explained why Wednesday on Get Up on a segment with Mike Greenberg and Heather Dinich.

“Because their defense is absolutely disgraceful, Greeny, which means against the better teams in the Pac-12, they are going to be in big trouble,” Finebaum said. “They have to win this game. Bottom line is this: Lincoln Riley has promised a change and he hasn’t really delivered it.”

Trojans defensive coordinator Alex Grinch has taken a lot of heat in his tenure in Los Angeles for the lack of success shown by the defense, especially when compared to the high-powered USC offense quarterbacked by Heisman winner Caleb Williams.

They’ve allowed 37 points per game to Pac-12 opponents this season with only one of them, Colorado, being ranked at some point. But even then, the Buffaloes came back from 41-14 midway through the third quarter to lose only by a score of 48-41.

Despite the criticism, Lincoln Riley has publicly said he still supports Grinch.

“Here’s the deal: Everybody in the media had their mind made up,” Riley said this week. “Now, I won’t generalize. A lot of people in the media had their mind made up that the first second there was any adversity they’d say, ‘Oh my God, should have done this and they should have made this change and blah blah blah,’ and it’s not true.”