USC opens as 6.5-point favorite over Notre Dame in the Coliseum

Notre Dame–USC is quintessential college football, an annual matchup of proud programs with pretty uniforms that have done plenty of winning. This year, with new coaches, the home team is getting the slight edge to take home the rivalry win.

VegasInsider has the Trojans favored by six and half points on its opening line for the game, slated to be played in the L.A. Coliseum on Nov. 26. While USC has flashed the high-level upside of a potential playoff team — and has the quarterback to boot — Notre Dame has ramped up week upon week since an 0-2 start to the season and a stumble against Stanford along the way, playing their best football of the season at the most important time.

Boston College isn’t nearly the competition that UCLA is, but the Irish trounced the team across from them in Week 12 nevertheless. Notre Dame won 44-0 in a snowstorm following the usual recipe: Solid defense and special teams with plenty of running the ball.

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Logan Diggs and Audric Estime combined for 193 yards and three scores on 26 carries. Chris Tyree added another 50 on six carries, plus a touchdown himself. Stopping those three, plus Michael Mayer, is the task at hand for USC.

USC comes into the game of a big rivalry win, 48-45 over the Bruins in a back-and-forth shootout. Quarterback Caleb Williams was his usual excellent self and the USC defense created a bevy of turnovers — their own recipe for success.

And it’s of course a matchup of coaches at new places. Marcus Freeman is a first-time head coach at Notre Dame and has acquitted himself well following early speed bumps.

There was no question Lincoln Riley would have USC going. It was just a matter of when. With a spot in the Pac 12 title game sewn up, a win against the Irish would seemingly give the Trojans another point to raise in their playoff argument.