Iron Bowl, The Game and the best rivalry games die-hard fans have to watch Thanksgiving week

AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 25: Alabama Crimson Tide running back Damien Harris (34) runs the ball during a football game between the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, November 25, 2017 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Photo by Chip Dillard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 25: Alabama Crimson Tide running back Damien Harris (34) runs the ball during a football game between the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, November 25, 2017 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Photo by Chip Dillard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
college football rivalry games
SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 21: The USC Trojans face off at the line of scrimmage against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during a game at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame won 49-14. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

(3) Notre Dame vs. USC – Saturday 8:00 pm – ABC

When Notre Dame visits USC on Saturday night, they will be playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Last weekend, Notre Dame sent a message to the Playoff committee by destroying No. 12 Syracuse 36-3. The Fighting Irish defense held the top-ranked Syracuse offense to 234 total yards and forced three turnovers, which allowed Notre Dame to cruise to an easy victory. If they plan on rolling over the Trojans, they will need a similar performance out of their top-10 defense. Southern Cal has been lackluster on the offensive side of the ball, but have a stable of athletes who have the ability to make game-changing plays.

Southern Cal will be fighting for their sixth win on the year, which would make them bowl eligible for the seventh straight season. The Trojans are led by freshman quarterback JT Daniels, who has shown brief flashes of why he was a five-star recruit, but for the most part, has been largely inconsistent. Although an upset victory for the Trojans doesn’t seem likely, this team is loaded with talent and has the ability to challenge Notre Dame if they can put it all together.

The Trojans may not be playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff, but they are still going to fight for bowl eligibility, so don’t expect them to lay down for Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are favored by 9.5 points and will win outright, but USC will cover the spread in a competitive game.