O/NSO: Beat the Irish! – No. 10 USC at No. 21 Notre Dame edition

The Obvious: This Saturday’s No. 10 USC Trojans (6-0, 4-0 Pac-12) at No. 21 Notre Dame (5-2) in Notre Dame Stadium (4:30 p.m. PT/NBC) was supposed to be a heavyweight fight in the nation’s longest and most legendary intersectional rivalry, the 94th meeting, but both teams, in their own high-profile expectations, are wobbly in spite of their winning records, having slipped in their current national perceptions. The Not So Obvious: From a USC perspective, the Trojans are ready to embark on the most difficult games on their schedule, and at 6-0 and not performing like a Top 10 team, they still retain some dwindling respect, thanks to 2022 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams, who appears on pace to win his second consecutive Heisman and tie legendary Ohio State tailback Archie Griffin as the only two men to have ever won more than one Heisman.