“It’s always an important game. It’s a rivalry game,” said USC HC Lincoln Riley. With their playoff hopes shattered, the Trojans now aim to deliver the same plight to Notre Dame, who are en route to their first playoff appearance since 2020. But as the Fighting Irish QB Riley Leonard said, there is something else that’s more important than the big game that everyone’s waiting for.

Riley Leonard joined Jenny Dell on CBS ahead of Notre Dame’s matchup against USC. In a new YouTube episode on CBS Sports on November 28, the Fighting Irish play caller revealed Marcus Freeman’s emphasis on how to prepare against their biggest rivals. He said, “You know Coach Freeman kind of emphasized it this week. It’s not the game that we need to take priority of. It’s our preparation this week.”

Not losing focus will be key in Notre Dame’s potential win over USC to cement their playoff hopes. While there is a huge pressure going into the game, the Fighting Irish have been coached well, no wonder they’re currently the top 5 team in the nation. Riley Leonard added, “So we’re not really too amped up about the game yet. We’re amped up about this practice we got coming up. So yeah obviously, it’s a big one. But you know, it’s just any other game.” 

USC may be an underdog entering the game, but Marcus Freeman knows the stake that’s involved in the upcoming game at LA Memorial Coliseum. He said of the Trojans, “They’re 3-1 in the last four games. They have one loss at home, and it was the overtime loss to Penn State. They’ve led in the fourth quarter in every game this year.” What the HC is trying to warn is that Riley’s team could crush their playoff hopes by delivering an upset. But that can’t be allowed to happen again. 

Notre Dame playoff hopes dangle on rivalry game outcome

The first time Marcus Freeman and Lincoln Riley met was two years ago where USC won 38-27 at the Coliseum, their only series win since 2016 thanks to Caleb Williams’ talents. But Notre Dame made a comeback the following year in South Bend with a vengeful 48-20 comeback to lead the series. This season, aside from making it to the bowl games, all that 6-5 USC can do is mess up their rival’s playoff hopes. 

As Freeman stated, “This will truly bebour biggest challenge to date, for multiple reasons. The noise and the things outside of this game that have nothing to do with this game, that’s going to be a reason why it’s a challenge. But because of how good this team is in relation to its record.” At 10-1, Notre Dame is currently seeking their last win to be officially in the playoffs. Can Riley Leonard and his team maintain the momentum to treat their fans to a wild celebration?