In the offseason, Lincoln Riley and USC made a lot of headlines by saying they don't intend to renew the contract for games with Notre Dame. The "Bush Push" rivalry has been one for the ages, and now the Trojans, after a two-game losing streak and only having won one game in the last seven matchups, suddenly want out.
Right now, nothing has been renewed for after the 2026 season, so it looks like if a deal doesn't get done, this could be the last time these two teams play each other for a while. If that is the case, head coach Marcus Freeman is already setting the tone for the type of game he wants his guys to play, and it is going to make Fighting Irish fans very happy.
"This has got to be a physical, bloody game," Freeman said in his weekly press conference.
"This has got to be a physical, bloody game." – Marcus Freeman
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) October 13, 2025
This rivalry is one that has been going on for almost 100 years, with the first game between these two played in 1926 when the Fighting Irish prevailed 13-12 over the Trojans. At this time, Notre Dame holds a solid lead in the all-time series 52-37-5, going 6-1 in the last seven matchups.
Notre Dame, after starting 0-2 on the season, has certainly turned things around, and while playing lesser opponents than they did in their first two games, they have still improved in many ways. The biggest improvement for the Fighting Irish has been on the defensive side of the ball.
After allowing an average of 31.3 points per game to opponents in the first three games of the season, Chris Ash has turned his defense around to allow only nine points per game to opposing teams.
After early grumblings of wanting Ash fired, Freeman stayed the course, and it seems to have worked out in his favor. Notre Dame has also lucked out in finding a diamond at the quarterback position with CJ Carr.
As a freshman, Carr has already impressed with 1,622 passing yards, 13 touchdown passes, and just three interceptions with a 66.5% completion rate. Carr also has a rushing touchdown on the season to bring his total to 14 touchdowns.
This is going to be a big game for both the Fighting Irish and the Trojans, as both teams are fighting for a College Football Playoff spot still. Notre Dame knows that another loss could knock them out of contention, which could be the same for the Trojans based on their strength of schedule.
Notre Dame is riding a four-game win streak while USC is coming off a big win over a ranked Michigan team. Freeman wants this game to be physical and played in the trenches, which the Fighting Irish certainly can do.