USC’s defense has to take advantage of Notre Dame’s struggling offense

If Notre Dame’s offense scores 28 points, would you feel more confident or less confident about USC’s chances?

Let’s play a Price Is Right pricing game before USC faces Notre Dame on Saturday.

What is the point total USC must hold Notre Dame below in order to win on Saturday?

Our view:

30. That’s the magic number for the USC defense. Just be okay. Don’t be awful. Giving up 28 to Notre Dame wouldn’t be great, but Caleb Williams isn’t going to play as poorly this week as he did last week versus Arizona. USC can generally be counted on to score 30 points. As long as Notre Dame is held in the 20s, that will probably be enough. No more than 28 at most, but if ND doesn’t score more than 24, that’s where USC would feel extra comfortable. Nothing more than 21? It’s close to lock city if USC can do that. If ND doesn’t score 20, goodnight and sleep tight.

Nick Shepkowski of Fighting Irish Wire’s “higher or lower” number: 34 points.

We can all agree: If Notre Dame scores in the 30s, Alex Grinch will have failed.

If USC’s defense does its job, Notre Dame shouldn’t score more than 21 points and shouldn’t have more than 35 minutes of possession.

*

Follow Fighting Irish Wire for more on Notre Dame as the Irish prepare to face USC.

Follow Buffaloes Wire for complete coverage of Deion Sanders and Colorado.

Follow Ducks Wire for coverage of Oregon football leading into the big game against Washington on October 14.

Prominent Pac-12 sports journalist thinks USC is likely to fire Alex Grinch before season’s end.

USC and Lincoln Riley need to have a plan in place if Alex Grinch coaches poorly and loses to Notre Dame.

Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator might actually be worse than Alex Grinch, a fascinating plot point heading into the October 14 renewal of Irish-Trojans.

Brent Venables is coaching Oklahoma far better this year than Lincoln Riley is coaching USC. It’s up to Riley to change that reality against Notre Dame and Utah.