The Irish are Comin'

Its Notre Dame week! And it doesn't matter whether either team is having a good or bad season, the week leading up to this game is special. College football's greatest intersectional rivalry has stood the test of time, and has produced some of the game's greatest moments.

The 6 - 5 Irish stumble into the Coliseum just playing for a little pride after a humiliating loss to Syracuse. Few give them a chance to win, or even stay close, to the Trojans. At 9 - 1 on the other hand, USC simply looks to keep the train moving by disposing of Notre Dame with their eye on bigger BCS fish to fry. Adding to the Trojan intensity will be the fact that is "Senior Day", the last home game for several Trojan seniors.

So can the Irish overcome their recent malaise and make a game of it?

Let's get to the break down:

Notre Dame

Offense - QB Jimmy Clausen is not returning home to Southern California in the fashion that he wanted to. Definitely improved over last year, Clausen has completed 60% of his passes for 2700+ yards with 20 TDs. However, 15 interceptions have hurt his cause. The Irish running game has not been a friend to Clausen, either, as the top three rushers produce less than 4 yards per carry. Running back Armondo Allen leads that unit with 596 yards on the season.

WR Golden Tate is clearly the playmaker for this Notre Dame squad. Tate has gotten deep often this season, and produced 888 yards on 50 receptions for almost 18 ypc and 7 TDs. TE Kyle Rudolph has chipped in with 24 receptions to give the Irish a bit of a threat over the middle of the field.

The offensive line is also better than last year, but its still inconsistent as they have not been able to open any holes for a running game that produces a paltry 119 yards per game.

Hidden Stats: Notre Dame has really struggled scoring in the red zone this year. At 115th in the nation, the Irish only convert (TDs or FGs) at a 68% clip once they get the ball inside the opponents' 20 yard line. Turnovers have also been a problem, as the offense has coughed up the ball 25 times this season - 90th in the country.

Defense - Even with well-regarded defensive coach John Tenuta joining the Irish staff, this unit has struggled in key areas and at critical moments. The defensive line struggles to get pressure in the passing and running games. Their defense has only produced 17 sacks in 11 games (85th in the country), and they rank 113th in the country in tackles-for-loss. DT Pat Kuntz is the veteran of the defensive line, and leads the unit with 3.5 sacks.

Linebackers Maurice Crum and Harrison Smith are good players who man the middle of the Irish defense. Safety Kyle McCarthy leads the team in tackles with 96, and CB David Bruton has snagged 3 interceptions on the season.

Special Teams - "Do it all" WR Golden Tate also returns kicks and punts for the Irish. FG kicker Brandon Walker has only made 13 - 23 FGs. Walker is only 8 - 17 on FGs of 30 yards or more.

USC

Offense - QB Mark Sanchez is not putting up big numbers lately, but he is taking care of the ball very well. In the last three games, Sanchez is 44 - 65 for 541 yards and 6 TDs with 0 interceptions. The running game moved to center stage with CJ Gable, Stafon Johnson and Joe McKnight sharing the ball, and making a lot big plays lately.

Trojan WRs Patrick Turner, Damian Williams and Ronald Johnson should find space in the Irish defensive backfield. The Irish cornerbacks are tall, but not very physical and can be beaten off the line of scrimmage.

Behind an Trojan offensive line that is playing consistently now, the Trojans will have opportunities in both the running and passing game against Notre Dame. All they'll have to do is read the defense, and take what's given to them.

Defense - The Trojan defense has got to be licking it chops when it sees the Irish offense. Defensive ends Kyle Moore, Clay Matthews and Everson Griffen should be able to put great pressure on the QB from the edges as they are too quick for the Irish offensive tackles.

The trio of LBs (Maualuga, Cushing and Maiava) should be able to fill the gaps well against the Irish running backs. But they'll have to guard against being overly aggressive, because the Irish may try to take advantage of their initial quickness with screen and draw plays, especially on third downs.

The SC defensive backs have handled anything thrown their way this year. They'll have a special threat to handle in Irish WR Golden Tate. When looking for a big play, the Irish offense will look to go deep down the sideline to Tate. You can bet Trojan Safety Taylor Mays will be aware of Tate's whereabouts on every play.

Special Teams - Kickoff returners CJ Gable and Ronald Johnson had big games last week. But they may not have a chance to follow it up as its a good bet that the Trojan defense will keep the Irish out of the end zone most of the game. Punter Greg Woidneck had his best game of the season against Stanford, and Kicker David Buehler has been solid all year long.

Prediction:

USC - 42
Notre Dame - 3