Ultimate Rivalry Guide
Ohio State vs. Michigan
Texas vs. Texas A&M
USC vs. Notre Dame
The Ultimate Guide to College Football’s 2024 Rivalry Week
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MOST INTENSE RIVALRIES
According to aggregate data from Know Rivalry, on a 200-point scale.
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For college football fans, rivalry is the heart and soul of the sport. Deep traditions, rich history, iconic venues, memorable moments — they complete a rivalry. To celebrate one of the most passionate weeks of the season, FanSided is taking an in-depth and interactive look at college football rivalries.
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ABOUT
At FanSided, we understand the power of rivalry. In college football, where passions, tradition and history run deep, rivalry games are the heart and soul of the season — no matter your record. We sought to cover the anatomy of a college football rivalry, how conference realignment can impact centuries-old traditions, what College Football Playoff implications exist this year, and just which rivalry trophy is the most absurd. What we’ve created is an interactive and in-depth look at college football rivalries — and the traditions, fandoms, memorable moments and more that make them exceptional. PRODUCED BY Ian Levy and Megan Melle CONTENT BY Alicia de Artola, Austen Bundy, Chris Landers, Cody Williams, John Buhler, Justin Carter, Mark Powell and Megan Melle DESIGN BY Michael Castillo and Elliot Gerard
About
Know Rivalry has surveyed more than 30,000 college football fans, asking them to allocate 100 “rivalry points” across opponents of their favorite team — all 100 can go to one team, or they can be distributed across multiple rivalries. By adding up the points allocated from each team in a rivalry, they are able to use data to measure rivalry intensity.
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Conference Realignment Sparking New Rivalries
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OHIO STATE VS. MICHIGAN NOVEMBER 30 | 12 ET | FOX
WHY MICHIGAN HATES OHIO STATE Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque cursus magna eget ex molestie, quis ultricies orci consequat. WHY OHIO STATE HATES MICHIGAN Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque cursus magna eget ex molestie, quis ultricies orci consequat.
Ohio State has won 22 games in a row, looking for a second straight national title under head coach Woody Hayes. Michigan has fallen on hard times, hoping that a new coach by the name of Bo Schembechler can return the Wolverines to past glory. No one gives the home team much of a chance, but Barry Pierson takes a punt for a touchdown and records three of Michigan’s six interceptions to lead the Wolverines to a shocking 24-12 win. And just like that, the Ten-Year War is born: Some of the best teams in program history did battle over the next decade, with Michigan winning five games to Ohio State’s four — plus quite possibly the most famous tie in the history of the sport.
1969
RIVALRY BY THE NUMBERS
H2H WINS
51
61
NAT'L TITLES
8
12
HEISMANS
7
3
ALL-AMERICANS
93
88
BIG TEN TITLES
39
45
RIVALRY TIMELINE
ENROLLMENT
60K
52K
ENDOWMENT
$8B
$19B
NOBEL LAUREATES
5
10
NCAA TITLES
31
OLYMPIC GOLDS
52
71
RIVALRY BY OTHER MEASURES
This is the first time in six years that one team will enter The Game unranked. And while the 2024 edition may not have the sort of national stakes we’ve become accustomed to for Michigan vs. Ohio State, just try telling either team the weekend isn't vital. Regardless of the outcome, Ohio State is likely to secure one of the at-large spots in the College Football Playoff, but the Buckeyes need a win to clinch a spot in the Big 10 Championship Game — a plateau they haven’t reached since 2019. Win, and Ryan Day is one step closer to finally getting the monkey off his back and justifying the money his program dropped in the transfer portal this offseason. Lose, and it might be the thing that costs him his job in Columbus. You know Michigan would love nothing more than to spoil its rival’s shot at a conference title (and send their fan base even deeper into an existential crisis). But a win would also do wonders for Sherrone Moore at the end of a rocky first season at the helm. We knew 2024 would be a bit of a rebuilding year in Ann Arbor, but even by that standard, things haven’t gone according to plan. Beat your top-ranked arch rival in their own building though, and suddenly everything looks a whole lot rosier, for the team and for potential recruits.
WHAT TO KNOW IN 2024
Militias from Ohio and Michigan engage in a brief conflict over a strip of land stretching from the city of Toledo to the Indiana state line. President Andrew Jackson eventually hammers out a compromise, giving the disputed land to Ohio while granting Michigan what is today known as the Upper Peninsula. But while the war ends, the animosity never does, simmering under the surface until it finds an outlet in a new game called football.
1835- 1836
1897
Let The Game begin. Michigan — one of the sport’s early Western powers — dominates the first gridiron meeting with Ohio State, as G.D. Stuart scores three times en route to an easy 34-0 win. The Wolverines finish 6-1-1 that season, while a fledgling Buckeyes program in just its seventh year of existence goes 1-7-1.
1901- 1926
Under head coach Fielding Yost, Michigan becomes one of the sport’s preeminent programs, winning six national titles (including four straight from 1901 to 1904) and going 17-3-1 against their rivals to the south.
1934
Ohio State hires a Texan named Francis Schmidt as its next head coach. While Buckeye fans don’t have a ton of faith that Schmidt can reverse their fortunes against Michigan, Schmidt is undeterred, telling members of the media that the Wolverines “put their pants on one leg at a time.” Sure enough, Ohio State wins four in a row against Michigan from 1934-1937, and a new tradition is born: the “Gold Pants Charm,” awarded to every Buckeye player who beats the Wolverines.
1973
One of the most controversial games in this rivalry’s history managed to leave everybody on both sides upset. Ohio State entered 9-0, ranked No. 1 in the country. Michigan entered 10-0, ranked No. 4. As was often the case with Hayes and Schembechler, the winner would go to the Rose Bowl for a shot at a national title. Except, well, no one won: On a rainy day at Michigan Stadium, the Wolverines scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to even the game. Michigan had two field goal chances to win, but missed both, ending things in a 10-10 tie. On a conference call the next day, the Big Ten announced that its members had voted to send Ohio State to the Rose Bowl. Schembechler was furious, claiming that “petty jealousies” — particularly on the part of Michigan State — had influenced the proceedings. Ohio State went on to beat USC in Pasadena, but missed out on a national title after Notre Dame beat undefeated Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
2006
In the illustrious history of The Game, Ohio State and Michigan had never met ranked 1-2 in the AP poll. But that’s exactly what happened on Nov. 18, 2006, when the top-ranked Buckeyes hosted the No. 2 Wolverines at the Horseshoe — just one day after Schembechler’s tragic passing. It was billed as the Game of the Century, and it did not disappoint: Troy Smith delivered a Heisman-clinching performance with four touchdowns, and while Michigan forced three turnovers amid a furious second-half comeback, the Wolverines fell just short in a 42-39 Ohio State win.
BOWL GAMES
55
NFL DRAFT PICKS
489
414
PRO H.O.F.
11
As college football’s all-time winningest program, the Wolverines are steeped in history, and with that history comes a certain standard — not just in athletic prowess but in personal conduct. The idea of the Michigan Man is a sacred one, and Ohio State is everything that a Michigan Man is not. (While Bo Schembechler was widely praised for his good-heartedness, Woody Hayes hated Michigan so much he even refused to buy gas across state lines.) The Buckeyes are vulgar, crass and everything wrong with the new state of affairs in college athletics; the Wolverines, meanwhile, didn’t even install lights at Michigan Stadium until 2010. This is old money vs. new money, the love of the game vs. win-at-all-costs.
WHY MICHIGAN HATES OHIO STATE
An Ohio State fan reads all of that and thinks, “just who do you think you are?” To Buckeye fans, the Wolverines are elitist snobs, a bunch of fancy-pants law-school grads who love reciting facts about World War II and never fail to mention that they went to a Public Ivy. Michigan believes there’s something different, something special, about the Michigan Man, but to Ohio State, they’re just as maniacal about winning college football games as everyone else. The only difference is that they put on airs.
WHY OHIO STATE HATES MICHIGAN
QB Tom Brady
ALL-TIME RIVALRY TEAM
RB Archie Griffin
RB Eddie George
WR Cris Carter
WR Desmond Howard
TE Jim Mandich
OL Orlando Pace
OL Steve Hutchinson
OL Dan Dierdorf
OL John Hicks
OL Jake Long
DE Mike Vrabel
DE Aiden Hutchinson
DT Cam Heyward
DT Mark Messner
LB Chris Spielman
LB LaMarr Woodley
LB James Laurinaitis
CB Charles Woodson
CB Ty Law
S Jack Tatum
S Jabril Peppers
BIGGEST PERFORMANCES
Tim Biakabutuka runs wild | 1995
Eddie George and the No. 2-ranked Buckeyes got top billing entering the 1995 game, but it was Biakabutuka who got the last laugh, carrying the underdog Wolverines to a 31-23 win with 313 rushing yards, which is still a rivalry record.
Dwayne Haskins breaks records | 2018
Jim Harbaugh appeared poised to finally get over the hump in 2018, taking the country’s best defense into the Horseshoe to face an underdog Ohio State squad. But Haskins put that defense in a blender, throwing for 396 yards and six touchdowns (both rivalry records) in a shocking 62-39 win.
Tom Harmon does it all | 1940
In the final game of his iconic Michigan career, Harmon saved his best for last, throwing for 151 yards and two scores, rushing for 139 and two more and even picking off three passes en route to a 40-0 win.
Chris Spielman is everywhere | 1986
The 1986 game is best remembered for Jim Harbaugh’s pregame guarantee and Ohio State’s missed kick late, but the Buckeyes wouldn’t have even been in a position to win were it not for Spielman, who set a single-game school record with 29 tackles.
Hassan Haskins snaps the streak | 2021
At long last, Harbaugh got the monkey off his back, snapping Ohio State’s eight-game winning streak in the rivalry with an emotional 42-27 victory in the snow in Ann Arbor. Haskins set the tone, bullying the Buckeyes defense en route to 169 rushing yards and a school-record five TDs.
David Boston goes off | 1998
John Cooper entered the '98 game a woeful 1-8-1 against Michigan, with several of those losses costing his Buckeyes a Big 10 or national title. With his job on the line, Cooper finally broke through, thanks to a massive assist from David Boston, who caught 10 balls for a rivalry-record 217 yards and two TDs in a 31-16 win that sent OSU to the Rose Bowl.
US PRESIDENTS
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HOME
There are a dizzying array of great rivalries in college football: Backyard Brawls and Holy Wars, battles for axes and iron skillets. But only one of them carries so much weight, such primal intensity, that it hardly needs a name at all. Most rivalries are born and develop through football. Michigan vs. Ohio State simply uses football as a conduit, less a sporting event than a loosely organized war between two ways of life. This hate isn’t clean, and it isn’t old-fashioned. It predates statehood, has launched wars and compelled presidents to intervene, the grudge growing stronger each year for nearly two centuries. All of which collides, once every year, underneath a slate-gray sky on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Woody and Bo waging a ten-year war. Desmond Howard hitting the Heisman. The Game of the Century. The Spot. They reverberate still because, for the people who have played in it and the fans who carry it with them, they transcend the sport itself. Michigan-Ohio State isn’t just a game; it’s The Game, the one to which all others aspire, the only thing that matters. And now, for the 119th time, it’s time for these two teams to put it all on the line. —Chris Landers
THE GAME
There are a dizzying array of great rivalries in college football: Backyard Brawls and Holy Wars, battles for axes and iron skillets. But only one of them carries so much weight, such primal intensity, that it hardly needs a name at all. Most rivalries are born and develop through football. Michigan vs. Ohio State simply uses football as a conduit, less a sporting event than a loosely organized war between two ways of life. This hate isn’t clean, and it isn’t old-fashioned. It predates statehood, has launched wars and compelled presidents to intervene, the grudge growing stronger each year for nearly two centuries. All of which collides, once every year, underneath a slate-gray sky on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Woody and Bo waging a ten-year war. Desmond Howard hitting the Heisman. The Game of the Century. The Spot. They reverberate still because, for the people who have played in it and the fans who carry it with them, they transcend the sport itself. Michigan-Ohio State isn’t just a game; it’s The Game, the one to which all others aspire, the only thing that matters. And now, for the 119th time, it’s time for these two teams to put it all on the line. — Chris Landers
TEXAS VS. TEXAS A&M NOVEMBER 30 | 7:30 ET | ABC
76
37
NATIONAL TITLES
4
2
63
34
368
306
73K
$17B
57
21
98
14
We should have known that these two teams just couldn’t quit each other. Texas and Texas A&M have been apart for more than a decade now, 13 years spent insisting that actually, this wasn’t even a rivalry at all, we don’t even think about them, why would you suggest such a ridiculous notion? But now that the conference realignment carousel has brought them back together (for now), we can finally drop the act: The Longhorns and Aggies wouldn’t know what to do without each other. These are the two oldest public institutions in Texas, a relationship that dates back to the aftermath of the Civil War. Generations of Texans have been defined by this rivalry, one that holds within it all the conflicts and contradictions of normal life. And now it’s back, and better than ever. The conference has changed, but the stakes remain the same. Win, and move on to the SEC Championship Game, with a potential berth in the College Football Playoff to follow. Lose, and you’re ceding much more than ground in the standings or an opportunity for bragging rights. This is a battle for the soul of Texas, for who really runs the most football-crazy state in the country. —Chris Landers
LONE STAR SHOWDOWN
“Hate” is such a strong word, really. The average Texas fan’s posture toward the Aggies is really like an older brother talking to his younger sibling: You’re just jealous. The Horns have what A&M wants — the tradition, the success, the titles — and it drives them crazy, so much so that they’re willing to drop $75 million on a head coach (and then an extra $76.8 million to make that coach go away after he just about drives the program into the ground). The Aggies can sling all the insults they want, but it won’t change the fact that Texas football runs this state.
WHY TEXAS HATES TEXAS A&M
The Aggies have a simple nickname for Texas fans and alumni: sips, as in sipping tea, whiling away the hours in their ivory tower while A&M students were off working the land and fighting wars. White collar against blue collar, lawyers against farmers, the fancy-pants flagship in the state capital against the ag school out in the sticks; A&M has always felt that Texas looks down on them, ever since (to hear an Aggie tell it) the Horns used political connections to weasel their way into more funding when the school was founded in the late 19th century. This is more than just a rivalry, really — this is class warfare.
WHY TEXAS A&M HATES TEXAS
The college football gods have shined upon the state of Texas this year. Not only is the rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M renewed, but a place in the SEC Championship Game is on the line. The winner of Saturday's matchup at Kyle Field will head to Atlanta to take on Georgia. The No. 20 Aggies need a win to keep their hopes of going to the College Football Playoff alive. Losses to Auburn and South Carolina in November have complicated their path. Now, it's up to freshman quarterback Marcel Reed and the formidible A&M rushing attack to deliver in the clutch. The Texas A&M defense has a chance to redeem themselves after giving up 40+ points in those aforementioned losses. The No. 3 Longhorns hit the ground running in their first season in the SEC, taking the conference crown would be the ultimate statement. Of course, beating a rival would be reward enough. Texas has the top-ranked defense in college football, per ESPN FPI. They'll look to be on top of their game as quarterback Quinn Ewers is expected to suit up despite an ankle sprain. As usual, Arch Manning Watch will be on alert.
QB Vince Young
RB Ricky Williams
RB Earl Campbell
WR Roy Williams
WR Mike Evans
TE Martellus Bennett
OL Jake Matthews
OL Bud McFadin
OL Dan Neil
OL Justin Blalock
OL Richmond Webb
DE Brian Orakpo
DE Myles Garrett
DT Steve McMichael
DT Ray Childress
LB Von Miller
LB Dat Nguyen
LB Derrick Johnson
CB Aaron Glenn
CB Kevin Smith
S Earl Thomas
S Lester Hayes
Colt McCoy goes off | 2009
Colt McCoy had his way with the Aggies more than once, but the 2009 matchup was as good as it got. In a 49-39 win for the Longhorns, McCoy threw for 304 years and 4 touchdowns, adding another 175 yards on the ground, including a 65-yard scamper to the end zone in the second quarter. Put that together with his stats from the win in 2008, and in two years, McCoy threw for 615 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 224 yards rushing and another 3 touchdowns on the ground.
Cyrus Gray can't be tackled | 2010
After two years of getting picked apart by Colt McCoy, the Aggies got revenge with a return to smashmouth football. Their 24-17 win in 2010 was powered by Cyrus Gray who piled up 223 yards on 27 carries with a pair of touchdowns — an 84-yarder in the second quarter and a 48-yarder in the fourth that provided the final margin of victory.
Justin Tucker wins the finale | 2011
With Texas A&M leaving the Big 12 for the SEC after the 2011 season, this matchup appeared to be the end of a historic rivalry. In a tough game that featured six turnovers and saw Texas came back from a 13-point deficit, the hero was kicker Justin Tucker, who hit three PATs and a pair of field-goals, including a 40-yarder as time expired to give Texas the win.
1995
Thanks to 169 yards from a young freshman running back named Ricky Williams, Texas wrecks the Wrecking Crew, snapping A&M’s 31-game winning streak at Kyle Field with a 16-6 victory that gives the Horns the final Southwest Conference title before the advent of the Big 12 the following year. As the clock hits zero, Texas fans who made the trip to College Station attempt to storm the field in celebration, drawing the ire of Aggie fans — and touching off a melee in the stands.
1984
After more than four decades of misery, the Aggies finally exact some revenge, blasting the 13th-ranked Horns in Austin by a score of 37-12. It marks a turning point in the rivalry: Behind the Wrecking Crew defenses of Jackie Sherrill and R.C. Slocum, A&M goes 10-1 against Texas from 1984 to 1994, allowing more than 14 points just twice.
1963
President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, just a few days before he’s set to address the Texas football team the night before the A&M game. The teams decide to play the game as scheduled, and it’s a barnburner: The top-ranked Longhorns trail 13-3 entering the fourth quarter, but 12 unanswered points helps them escape the upset — and seal the program’s first-ever national championship.
1941
Texas comes up with a tradition of its own: the Hex Rally, named in honor of a group of UT students who, desperate to snap A&M’s 18-game home winning streak in the rivalry, paid a visit to a local fortune teller, who told them to burn red candles in the days leading up to the game in order to hex the Aggies. Texas would go on to win that year’s game, 23-0, and the rally has stuck ever since.
1937
Texas poaches a former Aggie, Dana Bible, to be its next head football coach. In the span of just a few years, Bible turns the Horns into a national power — and kicks off several decades of dominance over their in-state rival. Texas goes 36-7-1 against A&M from 1940 to 1983, including a 17-1 stretch under the legendary Darrell Royal.
1909
The Aggies burn their first on-campus Bonfire. Initially conceived of as a way to generate enthusiasm for the athletic department as a whole, Bonfire is eventually tied to the annual game against Texas, symbolizing A&M’s burning desire to beat the team from Austin.
Just a year after the University of Texas decides to start fielding a football team, the varsity squad — they weren’t known as the Longhorns just yet — notches its first win over Texas A&M, blanking the Aggies 38-0. Texas starts the series with seven straight victories, while A&M won’t even score a point against their rivals until 1902.
1894
1999
Eight days before the No. 7 Longhorns take on No. 24 A&M, 12 people are killed and 27 injured by the collapse of the Aggie Bonfire. The teams decide to go ahead with the game, and prove that some things are bigger than a rivalry: The Texas Longhorn Band dedicates its performance to the victims, closing with “Amazing Grace,” while the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band concludes by walking off the field in a silent cadence. The Aggies go on to pull the upset, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 5:03 remaining in a 20-16 win.
2011
Texas A&M is set to head for the SEC the following year, leaving the future of the rivalry uncertain. Just to be safe, Texas hands the Aggies one final L on the way out the door: After an A&M score to take a 25-24 lead with under two minutes to go, Case McCoy leads a drive into field-goal range, setting up Justin Tucker for the game-winning kick. The teams won’t meet again for 13 years.
PRO HoF
CONF TITLES
33
18
59
53
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2024
NOTRE DAME VS. USC NOVEMBER 30 | 3:30 ET | CBS
49
109
84
532
531
13K
49K
$16B
$7B
6
22
113
15
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Rivalries can be born of many things, but the most heated are usually stoked by proximity. Battles for in-state supremacy or hatred of neighboring territories creates all the conflict you need. That’s what makes USC vs. Notre Dame unique. Los Angeles, Calif., and South Bend, Ind., are 2,000 miles from each other. The Trojans and Fighting Irish have never played in the same football conference. There is nothing tying them together — except for their rivalry, which is considered "The Greatest Intersectional Rivalry” in college football. Legend has it, a happenstance meeting between the wives of Notre Dame head coach Knute Rockne and USC athletic director Gywnn Wilson birthed this particular rivalry. There are other versions of the story with more realistic factors, such as money, logistics and politics. Sometimes, it’s best to let legend cover a multitude of sins. Either way, USC and Notre Dame have been facing off annually since 1926. Over the course of nearly 100 years, the rivalry has helped to shape the very landscape of the sport. Now, in an ever changing world of college football, this one constant remains: Two college football blue bloods face off in a rivalry that stands out among the rest. When Notre Dame hosts, the Trojans head to beautiful autumnal South Bend in October. This year, USC will host the 95th meeting, and the Fighting Irish will travel west to spend a late November Saturday in the sunny sanctuary of Southern California. —Alicia de Artola
GREATEST INTERSECTIONAL RIVALRY
The most painful memories of any Notre Dame fan likely involve USC. That’s a pretty great reason to hate the Trojans. The Fighting Irish will never be over the Bush Push (it was an illegal play!). Older generations still remember national title bids spoiled in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Newer generations spent a decade with Pete Carroll adding fuel to their fire of spite. And it’s not just the football. The west coast has made USC soft, quinoa-eating, kombucha-drinking and appearance-obsessed. The Trojans are Hollywood. The Irish embody American ideals and Catholic values.
WHY NOTRE DAME HATES USC
One need only look at the rivalry timeline to understand where the deep-seated hatred comes from. The rivalry is characterized by national title hopes being made and broken as well as long stretches of futility. The Trojans hate the Fighting Irish because of those 13 years of pain in the 80s and 90s. They hate them for their green jersey shenanigans. They hate them for the sense of blue-blood entitlement they display despite going without a national title since 1988. They hate them because Rudy was offsides. As John McKay liked saying about the rivalry: “There is nothing worse than losing to UCLA and nothing better than beating Notre Dame."
WHY USC HATES NOTRE DAME
The 2024 edition of the USC vs. Notre Dame rivalry brings the kinds of stakes this rivalry loves to produce. The No. 6 Fighting Irish are 10-1 and one win away from punching a ticket to the College Football Playoff. The Trojans are a disappointing 6-5 but this game is now their Super Bowl. USC would love nothing more than to play spoiler once more. The Irish come to the Coliseum with one of the best defenses in college football and an offensive attack led by Riley Leonard. Since losing a shocker to Northern Illinois, Notre Dame’s average margin of victory is 31 points. Taking USC lightly because of their record would be a mistake. The Trojans have lost five games, but those defeats are by a combined 19 points. They took No. 4 Penn State to overtime at the Coliseum earlier this season. New starting quarterback Jayden Maiava is a scrambling threat while the USC defense has improved leaps and bounds from the one that gave up 48 points to the Irish last year.
QB Matt Leinart
RB Reggie Bush
RB Paul Hornung
WR Tim Brown
WR Keyshawn Johnson
TE Tyler Eifert
OL Anthony Muñoz
OL Quentin Nelson
OL Bruce Matthews
OL Aaron Taylor
OL Ron Yary
DE Ross Browner
DE Leon Hart
DT Alan Page
DT Leonard Williams
LB Richard Wood
LB Manti Te'o
LB Junior Seau
CB Todd Lyght
CB Adoree' Jackson
S Ronnie Lott
S Troy Polamalu
Adrian Young's grand slam | 1967
A year after suffering the most lopsided loss to Notre Dame in school history, Irish immigrant and USC linebacker Adrian Young snagged a school-record four interceptions. The dominant outing saw the No. 1 Trojans win 24-7 South Bend on their way to John McKay's second national championship.
Joe Theismann explodes | 1970
In perhaps the greatest in-a-losing-effort performance in rivalry history, Notre Dame quarterback Joe Theismann threw for 526 yards against the No. 4 Trojans at the Coliseum, despite losing 38-28. The passing mark still stands as the most ever accululated in a single game by an Irish quarterback.
Anthony Davis, the ND Killer | 1972 & 1974
The 1972 Trojans stayed perfect when tailback Anthony Davis put in a magesterial performance, scoring a school-record six touchdowns in a 45-23 win. Two came via kickoff return, a method he'd reprise two years later against the Irish, when he sparked a historic comeback and 49-0 second half with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown.
Tony Rice leads undisputed No. 1 | 1988
In a historic No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup at the Coliseum, Tony Rice made quick work of the Trojans. His 65-yard touchdown run on the game's opening drive ignited a dominant performance by the Irish, who had to play without multiple stars on offense. Rice made up for it, cementing Notre Dame as national title frontrunners.
Adoree' Jackson does it all | 2016
2016 Thorpe Trophy winner Adoree' Jackson paid homage to both USC's Anthony Davis and Notre Dame's Paul Hornung when he started at cornerback, and scored touchdowns via kick return, punt return and pass reception. He even recorded a rush in the game, on his way to gaining 291 all-purpose yards on just nine touches.
Josh Adams runs all over USC | 2017
The 2017 installment of the rivalry was a demolition of USC's defense at the hands of the Notre Dame rushing attack. The Irish ran for an unholy 377 yards, with Josh Adams accounting for 191 and three touchdowns himself. His 84-yard score late in third quarter added insult to injury, streaking down the field untouched. ND ran away with a 49-14 victory.
2002- 2009
What goes around comes around. Pete Carroll owned the Irish from 2002 to 2009, posting USC’s longest winning streak in the rivalry. The 2002 matchup featured a high-stakes meeting between the No. 6 Trojans and No. 7 Irish; Carson Palmer threw for 425 passing yards and four touchdowns passes in a Heisman winning performance. And, of course, the 2005 meeting produced the Bush Push as No. 1 USC stunned No. 9 Notre Dame with a game-winning touchdown at the death.
1983- 1995
USC may have been riding high with an 11-2 record against Notre Dame from 1970 to 1982, but the Irish got their revenge. The Trojans failed to beat Notre Dame for 13 seasons, the longest unbeaten streak in the rivalry. The 1986 meeting featured a 17-point fourth quarter comeback. In 1988, No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 USC met for all the marbles. The Irish prevailed 27-10 behind Tony Rice.
1962- 1978
The Irish and Trojans combine for eight national titles in a 16-year period and each could have had more. Notre Dame spoiled USC’s hopes with ties in 1968 and 1969. USC ruined Notre Dame’s seasons in 1964, 1970 and 1971 with upset wins. Anthony Davis made himself a rivalry legend in 1974 by leading “The Comeback,” overturning a 24-0 Irish lead in the second half of the game. Meanwhile, Dan Devine’s “Green Jersey Game” would add to the lore in 1977 as the Irish changed out of their normal navy jerseys to rout USC 49-19 in green.
1961
USC and Notre Dame finally figure out that October in South Bend is a much more pleasant time to play a rivalry game than late November. The No. 8 Irish thrash the Trojans 30-0 to celebrate.
1952
The “Jeweled Shillelagh” is presented by the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Los Angeles as the rivalry game trophy.
1947- 1948
No. 1 Notre Dame blows out No. 3 USC, 38-7, en route to back-to-back national titles. But the Trojans get their revenge the next year, tying No. 2 Notre Dame, 14-14, to end their 21-game winning streak and deny them a national championship which would have given them four in a row from 1946 to 1949.
1943- 1945
Notre Dame and USC go three years without playing because of World War II. It’s the longest the two universities have gone without playing since the rivalry began.
1928- 1932
USC notches their first victory in the series in 1928. Fittingly, the emphatic 27-14 win locked in Howard Jones’ first national championship in Los Angeles. It also opened a five-year run when the winner of the USC-Notre Dame game became the national champion. The Irish prevailed in 1929 and 1930. The Trojans hit back in 1931 (ending a 26-game unbeaten streak for ND) and 1932.
Notre Dame beats USC 13-12 in a first meeting that forecasts a rivalry for the ages. It took a last-minute touchdown pass from Art Parisien and an accurate extra point to separate the two in a game Knute Rockne called “the greatest game I ever saw.” There would be more where that came from. A year later, a crowd of 120,000 spectators filled Soldier Field in Chicago to watch the Irish best the Trojans again by one point, 7-6.
1926- 1927
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