With USC in the Big Ten, the Trojans’ strength of schedule will increase. The felt or perceived need to have a softer nonconference schedule to act as a buffer against the strain of a nine-game Big Ten schedule could gain a measure of urgency. Surely, though, USC can take it easy in two of its three nonconference game slots and preserve the annual battle with Notre Dame, right? Surely, USC can take the safer route in two noncon games so that Notre Dame remains an annual part of the Trojans’ schedule, right? Lincoln Riley did not offer a convincingly robust defense of keeping the Notre Dame game at Big Ten media days.
Via college football reporter, analyst, and podcast host Matt Fortuna:
“I would love to (keep the ND-USC series going). I know it means a lot to a lot of people. The purist in you, no doubt. Now if you get in a position where you got to make a decision on what’s best for SC to help us win a national championship vs. keeping that, shoot, then you got to look at it. “And listen, we’re not the first example of that. Look all the way across the country. There has been a lot of other teams sacrifice rivalry games. And I’m not saying that’s what’s going to happen. But as we get into this Playoff structure, and if it changes or not, we’re in this new conference, we’re going to learn something about this as we go and what the right and the best track is to winning a national championship, that’s going to evolve.”
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