The Iconic Rivalry: Notre Dame-USC is Part of Pop Culture History

 

By Tara Adams

The storied football programs of Notre Dame and USC have been battling it out on the gridiron since 1926. This year marks the 95th time the rivals will play.

The games, often fierce showdowns between the teams, draw week-long media attention and plenty of speculation about which team will win the Jeweled Shillelagh for the year.

The rivalry has even drawn references in movies and television series over multiple decades.

If Notre Dame wins today, the Fighting Irish will make the College Football Playoffs. Unranked USC, however, would love to spoil those plans and close out the season with a victory.

Notre Dame leads the series with a record of 58-31-5, according to Notre Dame Athletics. 

“We don’t like those guys over there,” Notre Dame Defensive Lineman Junior Tuihalamaka said in a post-practice press conference this week. 

Tuihalamaka explained that the rivalry with USC has been ingrained in his head since he enrolled at Notre Dame.

“The past two years playing them, there's only been times where I can't like them,” he said.

Defensive Coordinator Al Golden this week described a scene in “The Godfather II” when asked about the rivalry. 

“If you're watching ‘Godfather II’ and Hyman Roth's talking to Michael Corleone, you know what's on in the background, right? It's Notre Dame-USC, and that's all we gotta say. I mean, that's it at the end of the day. So, it's a great opportunity for us, and we're blessed to be a part of it, and our job is to honor that.”

“The Godfather II” isn't the only place in pop culture where the Notre Dame-USC rivalry has turned up. 

In “Die Hard” (1988), one of Hans Gruber's henchmen, Eddie, is watching a Notre Dame-USC game at Nakatomi Plaza while posing as a security guard.

“Notre Dame on top of USC,” an announcer states,” as Nakatomi Plaza is taken over by Gruber's team. 

In the third season of “The Sopranos,” Tony Soprano has a flashback to his childhood in “The Fortune Son” episode (1999). 

“Southern California versus Notre Dame,” an announcer can be heard saying in the flashback, as the Notre Dame Victory March plays in the background.

Several game shows have also played up the rivalry.

In the 1994-'95 season of “American Gladiators,” former USC players Anthony Davis and Charles White battled former Notre Dame stars Allen Pinkett and Vagas Ferguson. 

“Family Feud” in 2008 and “The Price Is Right” in 2017 featured episodes in which the schools competed against each other.

Whether this year's rivalry game will produce future pop culture references remains to be seen. One thing is almost certain, however: The college football world will be paying attention. 

The game will air at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.