I have a problem common to a lot of Notre Dame Fighting Irish fans with California roots, which is that I know too many nice people who root for the USC Trojans. It’s tough having Trojan fans and alums in your life who are relatives, family friends, high school buddies, etc., because your affection for them as individuals inevitably clouds the blind and unrelenting hatred of Southern Cal which is our calling from birth, and which honor demands.
What’s more, the relatively weak performance of USC over the past decade has turned the Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh into something of an afterthought in terms of preseason hype compared to other matchups on the Irish schedule.