We are about halfway through this college football season, and the wins just keep on rolling in for the USC Trojans and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

It’s are real Jekyll and Hyde love affair for the USC fans and head coach Lincoln Riley, or as Michael believes, more of Hyde and Hyde kind of vibe. USC should be excited they won a game in the Eastern time zone, but it was against a down Penn State team. However, Penn State is still a power 4 team and it was on the road, but this is a team that lost the two previous games, one to Northwestern. It really is all the feeling at once. On an actual positive note Trent Mosley was back for the Trojans and is awesome at football. We also discuss various USC receivers of the recent past and do Travis Hunter Watch.

The Fighting Irish beat the pants off Stanford. The new freshman running back looks great, which helps the already good quarterback, and oh yeah, the Notre Dame defense is still awesome. The Irish get ready for a top ten road match up with BYU this weekend. Predications were not made by everyone, but it feels like a very positive outcome for Notre Dame.  

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The post Podcast: Untitled Notre Dame USC Football Podcast – Episode 12.7 Penn State and Stanford Recap appeared first on Tilting Ground.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the USC Trojans both won their games this past weekend, but for one of the teams it feels like things are still as rocky as ever.

We start with Notre Dame who took on the greatest football coach of all time and won by double digits. The Fighting Irish running back room is still the focus of a lot of our attention, especially after the play of a freshman. Greg also must answer for his bullish attitude toward one of the ball carriers earlier in the season. This game also brought up the idea that Notre Dame may have a historical problem with playing in the rain. We then talk about the defense and how good they are even though the middle eight was very unkind to them against the Tar Heels. Based on all the above, the coming game against Stanford should be a breeze.

The Trojans are next after a brief session of Travis Hunter Watch. USC may have won but they looked bad doing it, not as bad as Washington looked losing though. This was a game of two hapless teams who did tons of silly things and failed to execute consistently. The Trojan offense was ineffective, and the defense had some questionable plays but did however keep USC in the game. We then ask if Notre Dame would take any players from the USC roster, go over Lincoln Riley’s biggest wins as the Trojan coach, and end with some general Big Ten talk.

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The post Podcast: Untitled Notre Dame USC Football Podcast – Episode 12.6 UNC and Washington Recap appeared first on Tilting Ground.

It’s like Groundhog’s Day every episode around here. The USC Trojans lose playing uninspired defense while Notre Dame wins playing dominate defense.

The only place to start is with the Trojans who lost at home to Oregon. Not only did USC lose, but they also gave up 41 points and looked particularly lost doing it. Lincoln Riley may be on the hot seat and has the fans besides themselves. What really has the fans upset though is Desmond Stephens and his targeting penalty on Dante Moore. Greg and Michael go deep on the play, the aftermath and the press surrounding the play.

In adding some insult to injury this weekend, Travis Hunter watch brings us his first career NFL interception and it’s against Michael’s beloved New England Patriots. What a weekend.

When it comes to Notre Dame there is nothing more to talk about than their incredible defense. Greg thinks this team is full of real playmakers who can make a difference. Oh, the Fighting Irish also have a pretty good quarterback too. The luck of the Irish, aimirite.

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The post Podcast: Untitled Notre Dame USC Football Podcast – Episode 12.5 Oregon and Purdue Recap appeared first on Tilting Ground.

Wins abound again for both the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the USC Trojans.  The wins may have been against inferior opponents, but as the saying goes a win is a win.

We start with the Trojans and Michael’s epiphany about being a fan, expectations, level setting, and the football gods. The USC defense may still give up too many points and Lincoln Riley could still be hard to root for, but that could just be life.

As for the Fighting Irish the conversation meanders toward how should fans feel and what content is appropriate when your team is winning. This higher-level concept is also the vehicle we use to discuss the Notre Dame running backs.

Do not fret, we also bring up our favorite topics. Travis Hunter and UCLA football.

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The post Podcast: Untitled Notre Dame USC Football Podcast – Episode 12.4 Rutgers and Michigan State Recap appeared first on Tilting Ground.

Another week of football is in the books for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the USC Trojans. Both teams were winners, and they both played inferior opponents.

We start with Notre Dame, and more important than their victory over Rice is that Greg was at the game. He walks us through his weekend, what he did, who he saw, and if Marcus Freeman knows him yet. The Irish beat Rice pretty good so there wasn’t much to learn as we prepare for Michigan State.

The Trojans scored a bunch against Louisiana, but the Ragin’ Cajuns also scored their fair share against USC. Just like with San Jose State, the Trojans won comfortably while giving up too many points. It’s not all bad, USC has a bunch of amazing freshmen who are contributing bunches right away.

We also take a few more shots at Travis Hunter, talk about the best players of our time, forget past national championship details, and list some old Trojans.

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The post Podcast: Untitled Notre Dame USC Football Podcast – Episode 12.3 Rice and Louisiana Recap appeared first on Tilting Ground.

Week 1 was a doozy. Both Notre Dame and USC played this week and there is no better place to start than with our kids’ sports. That’s right, egregious refereeing doesn’t only take place in college football. Don’t worry though, when we do finish talking about our children playing sports we get straight into the Michigan and their shady time keeping antics. Spoiler alert, it’s an afront to lawful society.

After a lengthy preamble we finally get to our beloved teams. Greg asks how Notre Dame looked in what turned out to be a big win against Wisconsin. Then Michael talks about a solid start to the Trojan season against inferior opponents, and who has caught his eye.

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The post Podcast: Untitled Notre Dame USC Football Podcast – Episode 12.2 Week 1 Recap Fresno State and Wisconsin appeared first on Tilting Ground.

WE ARE BACK! The powers that be tried to kill the podcast by taking the USC Notre Dame rivalry game away but guess what the game has been rescheduled (for 2030 ) and here we are.

There is only one place to start and that is Lincoln Riley. The city of Los Angeles hates him and so do Greg and Michael. We would say he is polarizing, but again no one likes him. There was football this weekend and USC beat San Jose State. There were good things and bad things about the win. Some of the Freshman starters looked good, while concerns about the defense popped up. Seems like more of the same from the Trojans.

We then switch the focus to Notre Dame. Greg was on campus in the preseason and shares some of his personal personnel analysis. He also gets real and talks about what it’s like to be a fan and get to cover your favorite team. We do some light prep for the season opener against Wisconsin then sign off. Oh, and Travis Hunter catches some random strays.

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The post Podcast: Untitled Notre Dame USC Football Podcast – Episode 12.1 Season Preview & San Jose State Recap appeared first on Tilting Ground.

The end is here. It’s over. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the USC Trojans canceled the greatest intersectional rivalry in the history of college football today. Emotions were raw as we talked about what happened and how it made us feel. There are no winners today, only losers. No need for a long recap. Just buckle up and come along for the emotional ride.

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The post Podcast: Untitled Notre Dame USC Football Podcast – Episode 11.7 Rivalry Canceled appeared first on Tilting Ground.

The College Football Playoffs are finally here, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the USC Trojans have one unfortunate thing in common: neither of them will be participating. Fair warning up front, this episode is Notre Dame heavy. Honestly, it is Notre Dame exclusive. How could it not be when the Fighting Irish were blatantly snubbed from the playoff?

We open the show by checking in on Greg to make sure he’s still emotionally intact after the selection announcement. Once confirmed, we dive straight into the shadowy cabal of college football executives who decided the final playoff field. After reviewing all the angles, conspiracy theories, and backroom smoke signals, we arrive at only one logical conclusion: Notre Dame never had a chance. The system was set up for them to fail.

Naturally, the next move for the Irish was to decline their bowl game invitation. No one likes to look foolish on national television, especially after being disrespected on the biggest stage. Greg and Michael brainstorm a whole buffet of reasons why skipping the bowl makes sense ranging from self-preservation to sending a message to simply avoiding the indignity of meaningless December football. Still, one host of this show consistently plants his flag on the hill of comPETEing. Also, let’s be honest, how do you turn down the only bowl game where tradition dictates you eat the mascot?

From there, the episode wanders into a mix of musings about the playoff itself, early offseason chaos, transfer portal mayhem, and the existential question every fan faces this time of year: what exactly are we supposed to do with ourselves now?

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The post Podcast: Untitled Notre Dame USC Football Podcast – Episode 11.6 Notre Dame CFP Exclusion appeared first on Tilting Ground.

The regular season has finally drifted to a close for both the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the USC Trojans. On paper, both teams walk away with wins and shiny winning records. But, as the podcast quickly realizes, the gloss doesn’t quite match the grain.

We open with USC, fresh off a 19 point win over their crosstown rival UCLA. A win should feel like a warm coat in late November… yet somehow it feels more like a damp hoodie. Another sluggish start, another game spent wondering what exactly the Trojans are. They finish 9–3, which sounds impressive until you remember that they beat everyone they were supposed to beat and lost to everyone they were supposed to lose to. A predictable season wrapped in the aura of an unpredictable program.

Identity? Still missing. The defense? A roller coaster without the fun. Year four of the Lincoln Riley era ends with the same questions it started with, drifting around like stubborn fog. Maybe things click in the bowl game, but for now, it’s hard to draw a clean silhouette of this team’s future.

Then we pivot to Notre Dame, who handled Stanford the way they handled most of their schedule with a quiet efficiency that occasionally borders on ruthless. The Irish sweep aside the Cardinal, and suddenly the conversation turns toward résumés, perception, and what any of it means in the playoff era. Are they flashy enough? Dominant enough? Loud enough in a sport that rewards spectacle?

There’s a bit of Pitt-bashing for flavor, a dash of Marcus Freeman appreciation, and a good chunk of speculation about how Championship Weekend could open the gates or slam them shut on Notre Dame’s playoff hopes.

Whatever happens, the Irish end the season looking sturdy, the Trojans end the season looking blurry, and the podcast ends the episode sounding like fans everywhere: cautiously hopeful, mildly exasperated, and already hungry for what comes next.

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The post Podcast: Untitled Notre Dame USC Football Podcast – Episode 11.5 UCLA Stanford Recap CFP Thoughts appeared first on Tilting Ground.

Another chapter in this legendary rivalry is complete — and maybe the last for a while if not ever. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish took down the USC Trojans on Saturday in a wet, sloppy showdown. Both teams had their fair share of mistakes, but in the end, the Irish came out on top.

We kick things off with the Trojans. Somehow, USC managed to look bad and still show a few flashes of hope. The defense was the main culprit, giving up what felt like a million rushing yards to the Notre Dame offense. And then there’s Lincoln Riley’s play calling — let’s just say it raised some eyebrows in a rainy road game that demanded smarter decisions.

As for the Irish, it wasn’t all smooth sailing either. Quarterback CJ Carr had a down night, and the kicking game? Rough. Really rough. But the running backs — Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price — did whatever they wanted, and the defense completely shut down USC’s top weapon, Makai Lemon.

In the end, Notre Dame got the win and looks poised for a potential playoff run, while USC… well, their season could go in just about any direction from here.

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The post Podcast: Untitled Notre Dame USC Football Podcast – Episode 11.4 Notre Dame USC Recap appeared first on Tilting Ground.