USC at Notre Dame Football Betting Lines

Written October 14, 2009 by Rock Henderson

The greatest inter-sectional rivalry resumes in South Bend this weekend when the sixth ranked USC Trojans fight on against 25th ranked Notre Dame. USC has taken the last seven in this series and have only allowed three points in their last two meetings while scoring 76 themselves. This could be Notre Dame’s best chance to beat the Trojans in some time as Pete Carroll’s squad will be led by true freshman quarterback Matt Barkley. The Irish will counter with Heisman contender Jimmy Clausen and his 1500 yards passing with 12 touchdowns. Head coach Charlie Weis has stated to the media that he feels Notre Dame is being disrespected in the rankings and he will have his chance to prove his point on Saturday. The Trojans are listed as 10 point favorites according to the latest NCAA football odds.

It was just a year ago that Notre Dame was coming off a 7-6 season that was viewed as yet another disappointment to Irish fans. Weis returned 15 starters from that squad which increased expectations as ND has seven home games on their 12 game schedule. Jimmy Clausen has been outstanding in 2009. Even when star WR Michael Floyd was lost for the season, Clausen has stepped his play up and led the Irish to four wins in five chances. Notre Dame could easily be 1-4 or 5-0 depending on how you look at the situation. Three of the Irish’s wins have been by a combined 13 points including a seven point win in overtime. Their lone loss came at Michigan on a touchdown with less than a minute to go to lose by four. WR Golden Tate has stepped in for the injured Floyd and made himself into the go to guy for Clausen. The junior wideout has caught 33 passes for over 600 yards and four scores. He has also aided the running game in the Wildcat formation. The defensive side of the ball is an area of concern as they rank towards the bottom in several categories. Weis has had two full weeks to prepare the troops and knows that a win here could vault his team into the BCS bowl picture.

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Perennial power USC finds itself in a familiar position in 2009. Still loaded with talent, the Trojans had their usual early season letdown loss at Washington with backup QB Aaron Corp at the helm. Matt Barkley would return the following week against Washington State and directed the Trojans to two more victories. A strong running attack has helped Barkley get accustom to the speed of the college game. RB Joe McKnight has had his fair share of highlight runs. The junior back has scampered for 473 yards and six scores. Stafon Johnson, who is the other half of the dynamic Trojan running duo, will not return this season after suffering a weight room injury. Having a true freshman play such an important position this year for USC has put added pressure on SS Taylor Mays and the defense. The athletic unit has performed up to and maybe even exceeded expectations by only allowing a little over eight points per game.

USC has dominated the Irish recently with superior athleticism and experience in key positions. Notre Dame seems to be catching up on the offensive end with the talent they have in 09’, but the defenses aren’t even comparable. Carroll is one of the best when it comes to having extra time to prepare for the opposition. Barkley manages the game well enough to allow the Trojans to cover the large number. Play: USC -10

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