Notre Dame’s Shot at Primetime Redemption vs USC

Can Notre Dame Redeem Itself Under the Lights Against USC?

Notre Dame's 2025 season has had an odd feel to it.

After primetime losses in games one and two at the hands of Miami and Texas A&M, many around the country declared Notre Dame's season to be over and the Irish's CFP chances to be nonexistent, even though the same was said last season about a team that played in the CFP title tilt.

Notre Dame was out of sight, out of mind after Miami & Texas A&M

Sure enough, week by week, Marcus Freeman's team has rattled off wins, four to be exact, and in fairly dominating fashion.

While the Irish were flying under the national radar and collecting wins, chaos has ensued around the country, and the combination of Irish wins and others' losses has Notre Dame positioned in the 13th spot in the latest AP poll.

Just when Notre Dame ascends back into the polls in a major way, USC, fresh off a home beatdown of Michigan, finds itself ranked and vying for a CFP position as well.

This series of events is a wonderful drama-filled lead-in to a ranked-on-ranked primetime matchup between Notre Dame and USC. Both teams have everything to play for and everything to lose. It's beautiful.

𝙂𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙚𝙠

𝙅𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙝 𝙍𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙮
🆚 USC
📍 South Bend, Indiana
📅 Saturday, Oct. 18
🕢 7:30 PM ET
📺 NBC | Peacock#GoIrish☘️ | @TireRack pic.twitter.com/3U2xuaMJV7
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 13, 2025

Notre Dame has a chance to shine by taking down the Trojans

I'm certain that Notre Dame players and coaches are still very frustrated about the way the first two games went. The Irish would like to think that they are a very different team now than they were then.

The USC game is this program's last chance to prove this is the case in primetime against a highly skilled, ranked opponent in a game that will draw national attention.

Notre Dame will likely be heavily favored in all five remaining games after the off week following the USC game.

This includes battles against Boston College, Navy, Pitt, Syracuse, and Stanford. If Notre Dame beats USC, a 10-2 record is very likely, and so too would be the Irish's chances of making the CFP.

With a third loss, however, Notre Dame would be eliminated from CFP competition, and the year would be disappointing, even if the Irish beat every team after USC. This game literally and figuratively means everything for Notre Dame. This game will very define the Irish's 2025 season.

Win, and the CFP dream lives on. Lose, and questions of "what if" will linger frustratingly until the 2026 season kicks off. The stakes couldn't be higher or the lights any brighter. This is Notre Dame and USC at their best, both relevant and both talented.

Enjoy the moment.