USC vs. Michigan: Who Should Notre Dame Fans Be Rooting For?

This weekend, when USC hosts Michigan, it'll hit home for Notre Dame fans on all fronts.

One of the biggest upsides of recent conference expansion is the joy of watching teams that historically would usually only matchup in postseason play battle it out in the regular season. With this in mind, Irish fans are about to watch two of their most heated and hated rivals battle it out in Los Angeles when Michigan travels out west to the Coliseum this Saturday to face USC.

This game puts Notre Dame fans in a dilemma. Should Irish fans root for USC to knock off Michigan to give the Wolverines their second loss and provide Notre Dame with a chance to beat a raked USC team next week? Or would it be better to have USC head to South Bend physically beat up and emotionally drained after a tough loss to Michigan?

Michigan vs. USC team stats pic.twitter.com/VNw7GlVAyI
— Swanky Wolverine (@swankywolverine) October 6, 2025

The case for a USC victory being most favorable for Notre Dame

Because Notre Dame lost to Miami and Texas A&M, two undefeated and top-five teams presently, there aren't many statement games left on Notre Dame's schedule that the Irish can win that will impress the CFP committee. Irish fans who would like to see USC beat Michigan like the thought of a ranked USC team coming to South Bend next weekend.

This would mean that with a win over the Trojans, Notre Dame would have a ranked win feather in the cap to lean on. As an additional benefit, should USC beat Michigan, the Wolverines would have a second loss and fall in the rankings, also helping the Irish in that way.

The case for USC taking a loss against Michigan

While many like the idea of a ranked USC team coming to South Bend for strength of schedule purposes, there is another argument to be made. Historically, USC seems to ride momentum. When the Trojans are hot, that "LA swag" appears, and they play confidently and with emotion. Conversely, when things go badly, USC often goes in the tank and spirals.

Should Michigan beat USC, the Trojans would have a second loss, be unranked, and would head to South Bend feeling physically and mentally beaten down, giving the Irish an edge on both fronts.

As for the strength of schedule argument, I hear about it mattering often, but it seems to me that what matters most to the committee, come CFP selection time, is loss avoidance, assuming a team's schedule is reasonably challenging, which Notre Dame's would qualify as being.

I can see legitimacy to both arguments in this case, but one thing is for certain. Whether USC wins or loses this week, the Irish must beat them a week from Saturday.