Notre Dame football: Caleb Williams signing intensifies USC rivalry
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team has gotten the best of USC in recent memory, but the addition of Caleb Williams intensifies the rivalry in 2022.
The last time the Notre Dame football team lost to the USC Trojans was November 26, 2016, a 45-26 loss inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Of course, the 2016 Irish team was in bad shape, going into that game with a 4-7 record, and it was clear the Trojans were the better team, taking a 24-7 halftime lead.
Since then, it has been all Irish, as they have won four straight, including three inside Notre Dame Stadium. To close out the 2022 regular season, the Irish will travel to the west coast to take on the Trojans, and after signing Caleb Williams on Monday, the rivalry just got kicked up a notch.
It has been a tremendous offseason for the Trojans, as they added one of the best football coaches in the country in Lincoln Riley, and with the addition of Williams, USC is not going to be an easy task in the final game of the regular season. Notre Dame football could have a College Football Playoff berth on the line by the time these two teams meet up, and you have to think Riley is going to turn the USC program around quickly.
Notre Dame football to face elite quarterbacks in 2022
For the Irish, the task will be tough during the 2022 season, as they take on two of the premier quarterbacks in the country in Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Williams to bookend their regular seasons. They also will take on Clemson and quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who is looking to bounce back after a tough 2021 campaign.
USC got off to a good start in the Clay Helton era, but has been very mediocre ever since, and actually finished the 2021 season with a 4-8 record. Riley should be a shot in the arm for this program, making the regular-season finale between these two hated rivals must-see TV, even if you are not fans of the Irish or the Trojans.