There may not be a team in the country that benefitted more from the carnage in the SEC last weekend than Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish moved up to No. 5 in the latest CFP rankings and will likely secure their spot in the CFP with a win on Saturday afternoon. Even sweeter, that win would come against the rival Trojans.
USC secured bowl eligibility with a victory over another rival UCLA last week.
USC is 2-0 since making the switch to Jayden Maiava at quarterback. It will look to carry a winning streak into the bowl game, but it is a home underdog this week.
Read on for my Notre Dame vs. USC picks and college football predictions for Week 14 on Nov. 30.
Notre Dame vs. USC Same-Game Parlay
- Notre Dame -6.5 (-122)
- Jeremiyah Love Over 78.5 Rushing Yards (-114) and Anytime Touchdown (-230)
- Jayden Maiava Under 235.5 Passing Yards (-114)
Parlay Odds: +411 via FanDuel
Please always remember to bet responsibly. SGPs are long shots for a reason.
Spread: Notre Dame -6.5 (-122)
Notre Dame is 10-1 overall but also 9-2 against the spread. It has won its last nine games by an average margin of 32.5 points per game.
While USC is 7-4 ATS this season as well, it doesn't match up well with Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish will have the advantage in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Should Notre Dame dominate on the ground once again, it will be able to control the clock and limit USC's opportunities.
Notre Dame also has the secondary to match up with and neutralize USC's wide receivers. That will make it tougher on Maiava, who will be playing behind a young USC offensive line.
Additionally, Notre Dame has a win-and-in scenario to clinch a spot in the CFP. With all 10 wins coming by at least seven points this season, I like Notre Dame to get it done and cover in this spot.
Notre Dame Player Prop: Jeremiyah Love Over 78.5 Rushing Yards and Anytime TD
With Ashton Jeanty in the Heisman race and a strong NFL Draft class at running back, Jeremiyah Love may sometimes slide under the radar.
However, the sophomore has needed just 121 carries to tally 850 rushing yards this season, averaging seven per carry. Love has cleared this line in three of his last four games. Three of his four 100-yard games this season have come in that span as well.
Even more impressive has been his consistency finding the end zone. He has scored in every game this season with 14 rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns. Seven of those combined 16 touchdowns have come in the last four games.
Love might be in line for another big day against the Trojans.
USC is allowing 130.1 rushing yards and 1.4 rushing touchdowns per game. While it's 16th in Rushing Success Rate Allowed, it is 103rd in Rushing Explosiveness Allowed. Love has a run of 25 yards or more in seven of his 11 games this season.
As a unit, Notre Dame is averaging 221 rushing yards per game led by a three-headed monster in Love, Jadarian Price and quarterback Riley Leonard.
However, with Love emerging of late, I expect him to star once again.
USC Player Prop: Jayden Maiava Under 235.5 Passing Yards
In his first start this season, Jayden Maiava threw for 259 yards and accounted for four total touchdowns against Nebraska. Last week, he threw for 221 yards and completed just 54% of his passes.
After already going under in one of two starts, he will have his toughest test this week.
Notre Dame ranks fifth in the FBS in Passing Success Rate Allowed. It leads the FBS in fewest passing yards allowed, surrendering just 139.5 per game.
Just two quarterbacks all season have cracked 236 passing yards against the Fighting Irish.
Last season, Notre Dame also held future No. 1 pick Caleb Williams to 199 passing yards on 37 attempts while picking him off three times.
