The USC Trojans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish have been football rivals for nearly 100 years, traditionally offering an exciting annual matchup. However, in the modern era of college football, the necessity of this rivalry is being questioned. Colin Cowherd brought this topic to his viewers on his show Tuesday, pondering if the game still holds importance.
Cowherd argued that in today’s college football landscape, the annual game between USC and Notre Dame may no longer be necessary and could potentially hinder either team’s chances of winning a national championship.
“Why do they have to keep playing Notre Dame? Colin, the history oh give me a break,” he said. “College football punted on history last year.” Cowherd highlighted how college football has overlooked West Coast football, prompting several Pac-12 teams, including USC, to reconsider their traditional matchups.
"I'm going to ask a question. Why does USC have to keep playing Notre Dame? College football punted on history last year." — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/PojBgM9ZOY
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 29, 2024
Colin Cowherd also suggested that USC should only continue playing Notre Dame if the Fighting Irish join the Big Ten, a conference USC will be part of starting this coming season. Cowherd pointed out that USC already has a challenging schedule ahead, including matchups with Big Ten powerhouses like Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, and their traditional end-of-year game against up-and-coming UCLA. Additionally, the Trojans will face the LSU Tigers at the start of the season.
“I’m punting Notre Dame out of respect for Notre Dame,” Cowherd said, emphasizing that the decision is not about diminishing the rivalry but about adapting to the evolving college football landscape. This raises the question of whether either school might reconsider their participation in this historic matchup in the future.
