No, Notre Dame didn’t beat USC this past season, but not even having Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams has everyone praising the Trojans. The annual blue bloods poll by Pick Six Previews is out, and the Irish lead the Trojans by a whopping eight percentage points in the poll. In fact, the Irish are tied with Michigan for having the third-highest poll numbers with only Alabama and Ohio State ranking higher.
Over 160,000 votes
% that view the program as a "Blue Blood"
94% Alabama
91% Ohio State
85% Michigan
85% Notre Dame
84% Oklahoma
77% USC
76% Texas
75% Nebraska
– – – – –
54% UGA
47% Penn St
43% FSU
43% Tennessee
42% LSU
36% Miami
31% Florida
23% Clemson
10% Auburn
9% Washington— Pick Six Previews (@PickSixPreviews) February 11, 2023
This is not to say the Irish have a better program than the Trojans. In fact, Williams’ return for 2023 probably makes the Trojans slight favorites for when the teems meet again. But the recent years of futility in Los Angeles undoubtedly still have a lingering effect on some people, and they perhaps need to see that the Trojans aren’t just a flash in the pan. Until they see that, Irish fans can take pride in the fact that in at least one poll, their team still has the upper hand.
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