Newsstand: ESPN FPI predicts winner of USC vs. Notre Dame football
There are sky is falling vibes in South Bend this week. Notre Dame has two ticks in the loss column, putting away any shot of the Fighting Irish reaching the College Football Playoff in quarterback Sam Hartman’s one year at the controls.
And yet, some slight salvation could be in order with a win over No. 10 USC (6-0). ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) projects an Irish victory, giving the Irish a 61.9 percent chance of beating reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and the Trojans. Las Vegas oddsmakers agree; the Irish were a 2.5-point betting favorite as of Wednesday evening according to VegasInsider.
The game is in South Bend, a city the Trojans haven’t won in since 2011 despite playing there every other year in college football’s greatest intersectional rivalry. There are some demons at the House That Rockne Built that Williams and head coach Lincoln Riley are going to have to conquer in spite of a Trojans defense that has allowed 421.3 yards per game, ranking 112th in the FBS.
Notre Dame tweets of the day
The Irish are ready to roll Saturday despite the circumstances.
Howard Cross III has been a monster this year.
It’s just about hoops season in South Bend.
Quote of the day
“Sometimes, you miss a tackle earlier in the game and someone bails you out. You cannot, as a coach or as a standard on defense, say, ‘Oh, that’s OK, that’s OK.’ Because it’s not OK.”
— Fighting Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden
Headlines of the day
- Point/counterpoint: Besides containing Caleb Williams, what do the Irish need to do to beat USC?
- What Irish OC Gerad Parker said before USC game
- How emotion energized Irish commit Taebron Bennie-Powell’s blocked punt TD
- What Lincoln Riley said about USC defense before Notre Dame
- ‘Matchup nightmare’: Why Olivia Miles, Hannah Hidalgo can coexist for Notre Dame women’s basketball
- Notre Dame 3-2-1: Three numbers, two questions (sliding Irish, now what?), and one prediction (Estimè’s return)
- Notre Dame opponent scout: USC reporter Erik McKinney breaks down the Trojans
- Five things Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Niele Ivey said at Irish media day
- How Notre Dame is preparing for USC quarterback Caleb Williams
- QB commit Deuce Knight identifies a dozen of his top targets to join him at Notre Dame
- How Notre Dame legacy, four-star EDGE Austin Alexander’s family reacted to an Irish offer
