Culture Clash: Trojans VS Irish

CollegeFootballNews.com ^ | October 12, 2005 | Matthew Zemek

[rockthecasbah]

Believe the hype. Moreover, cherish it.

Anyone not convinced of Notre Dame's quality, along with anyone convinced of USC's superiority, should still relish the off-the-charts buzz surrounding this game. Why is Trojans-Irish receiving through-the-roof publicity? If you love and care about college football, you shouldn't have to ask. Let's remember: lost amidst the Gerry Faust Error, Lou Holtz's total dominance of Troy, and the sad sagas of Paul "I Can't" Hackett and Ty Willingham, this is college football's greatest intersectional rivalry. SC-Notre Dame has carried a deeply-rooted place in the histories of these two decorated football schools. The rivalry blossomed and flourished precisely when television coverage of the sport was beginning to catch on. When Ara Parseghian and John McKay commanded these two programs, they mesmerized a nation and defined a sport from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s. Yes, Alabama was big stuff in the same electric era of college football history; ditto for Bob Devaney's Nebraska clubs, Darrell Royal's Texas teams, and other great squads from Michigan State, Ohio State, and UCLA. But the rivalry that made college football from 1964-1974 was USC-Notre Dame.

[rockthecasbah]

This Trojan partisan thinks this will be a competitive game. Let's play football!

[DarthVader]

I think not. USC will rock.

[MBB1984]

So far, this has been a wonderful football season. I really love seeing the traditional football powers back in form, such as Alabama, USC, Penn State, Notre Dame, Texas, etc. I almost think I am in the early 70s again. It should be a great game.

[ken5050]

FYI..there are now 9 teams undefeated...because of future games, and potential conference championship meetings, mathematically ONLY a maximum of 4 can end the season undefeated..

[gopwinsin04]

Catholics vs. ????

[Maximus of Texas]

College coaches were recently polled on the greatest rivalries. I heard this on the radio so I don't have them in front of me but I know USC/Notre Dame was right up there with Texas/OU and Army/Navy. I think Michigan/OSU was #1.

[sassbox]

Come October 15, the Trojans will fall

[rockthecasbah]

It is fun to talk about, and at SC, a school that went through a long (13 years or 20 years, depending on your standards) down period, it is especially fun. Their fans are about as giddy as the Republicans when Dwight Eisenhower saved that party after 20 years of the New Deal in 1952.

[SoCal Pubbie]

USC 41, Notre Dame 24.

[rockthecasbah]

Notre Dame was the best college team under Rockne in the decade of the 1920s and under Frank Leahy in the 1940s. They had another major "era of Ara" (Parseghian) in the 1960s and '70s, and are listed among the top two-year dynasties (1946-47), 5-year dynasties (1943-47, 1973-77) and have three dynasties that are included among the 10/15-year period. Furthermore, they are Notre Dame, and all that that stands for: "Win one for the Gipper," the Catholic Church, "Touchdown Jesus," Ronald Reagan, "Rudy," "subway alumni," the Four Horsemen outlined against a blue-gray October sky, "wake up the echoes..." Notre Dame's fans are the most intense and loyal. They are the team that played in Yankee Stadium, in Soldier Field, at the Coliseum. Many of their historic games were against SC. The tradition of these two teams are the best and the oldest.

[DarthVader]

USC 55 Notre Dame 24

#1 Ranked Offense vs. #94 ranked Defense. USC will set the NCAA record for offense this weekend.

[rockthecasbah]

No rivalry in sports (or politics or war, probably) has done so much to elevate both sides as the USC-Notre Dame tradition. It put both schools on the national map. It pits, as SC assistant coach Marv Goux put it, "the best of the East vs. the best of the West." It matches the Catholic school with their Midwestern values against the flash 'n' dazzle of Hollywood, and it has never failed to live up to expectations.

[Young Werther]

Long and Storied Football History!

Rutgers University and its neighbor, Princeton, played the first game of intercollegiate football on Nov. 6, 1869, on a plot of ground where the present-day Rutgers gymnasium now stands in New Brunswick, N.J. Rutgers won that first game, 6-4.

Class of '65, I was a member of the 199th graduating class!!! Rutgers students took the day off to fight with Washington a the Battle of Monmouth with Molly Pitcher at their side. Wanna talk tradition!

[DarthVader]

The Trojans have one of the most prolific offenses in college football since the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Here is some interesting comparative data on the two teams for their first 5 games of their respective seasons:

1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers 2005 USC Trojans


Nebraska 64 USC 63
Oklahoma State 21 Hawaii 17

Nebraska 50 Arkansas 17
Michigan State 10 USC 70

Arizona State 28 USC 45
Nebraska 77 Oregon 13

Pacific 7 USC 38
Nebraska 49 ASU 28

Washington State 21 USC 42 Nebraska 35 Arizona 21


Points For: 275 Points For:258
Points Against: 87 Points Against:96

Avg. Off Yds per game: 650 Avg. Off Yds per game: 670

[rockthecasbah]

"#1 Ranked Offense": Yes, but when a team is this incredible, however, watch not just for undefeated seasons and National Championships, but watch out for college kids reading their press clippings and being shot at from all sides by a nation of teams out to beat them. It happened to the Cornhuskers and the Sooners. Carroll's team had their share of off-field problems this last winter. Offensive coordinator Norm Chow split. A few players ran into problems with grades and the law. The National Title is on the line every Saturday. Take nothing for granted.

[DarthVader]

They had problems last year too and translated it to another NC. Carroll handles adversity better than any coach in college FB. He has done an incredible job coaching all these HS AAs and their team attitude and concept is incredible. He has dealt with injuries and suspensions and all his kids do is make plays. They get 5 injured players back this week. Kiffin and Sarkesian have done a great job with the OC duties. Pat Reuel from the NY Giants replaced Tim Davis and has the offensive bulldozing defenses into submission. Jethro Franklin from the Packers replaced Ed Oregeron has the D-line stuffing the run and pressuring the QB.USC is smashing NCAA records every week.

[marine86297]

"Catholics Vs..."

Condoms?

[xkaydet65]

The thing I like most about this is that Charley Weis has made it fun to root for the Irish. This hasn't been the case since Lou Holtz ruled in South Bend. In an egregious error he tried to compete with Miami by allowing his players to act in ways very similar to the thuggish Hurricanes of the day. UND lost the class it had held onto for sixty years in losing seasons as well as winning.

Tyrone Willingham brought some o that class back, but his lack of success on the field negated it. Charley Weis is the real deal, in the mold of Ara. I think the Irish will "Shake Down the Thunder" tomorrow.

[Dog Gone]

This Trojan partisan thinks this will be a competitive game.

Understatement prediction of the year nominee...

[rockthecasbah]

There have probably been even more improbable surreal endings to NCAA football games in history, but how many of them involved a two time defending national champion #1 ranked team defending a 27 game win streak and a quarterback sneak over the top to win with a go ahead touchdown with 3 seconds left.