Robinson previews USC-Notre Dame

Moderator:  All right, well, let’s ask the coaches a little bit about some of these upcoming games this week.  John, USC is going to Notre Dame for the October game – and I mean it’s probably not as big a luster on that game as it normally might be when both teams are really, really good, but what are you hearing out your way or from the USC people?  Are they excited about this game?

John Robinson:  Oh, I think so.  I think both teams are.  This is the game that transcends a lot of things.  It’s a rivalry you know just kind of different from any other rivalry.  It’s a national rivalry.  I don’t think there is another one like it in the country.  For so many years the winner of this game was either going to be ranked No. 1 or No. 2.  I also think that both teams are on the way back.  USC, I guarantee you in two years will be a top team just – I’m watching them practice some and their freshmen are of the caliber that they need to have.  I think both teams are somewhat average this year, but I think the winner of the game – SC has a tough go of it – Notre Dame, Stanford, Oregon, and Washington are all ahead of them, but it’s going to be really a fun game I think.

Moderator:  Don, if Notre Dame were to keep winning, you know they lost those first two games of the year that they basically just gave away with turnovers, if they keep going .. do you see them moving up enough in the human polls to qualify for the BCS?  Now, Richard, what does Notre Dame have to do to automatically get in to a BCS Bowl Game? 

Richard Billingsley:  I looked at the guidelines this morning to see what automatic qualifications are and according to the BCS guidelines in the media guide they send out, Notre Dame gets an automatic bid if they’re ranked in the Top 8 of the final BCS standings.  So, they’d have to get into that Top 8 to get an automatic bid.

Moderator:  Okay.  Now, Don, do you think that Notre Dame’s got a tough enough schedule for the rest of the way to – I mean they’re not even – they’re not in anybody’s poll I don’t think yet so they’re just cracking some votes in ours’ in the bottom 25.  Do you think they can get enough votes with their schedule to drive themselves up that high or do you think like John says that they’re like USC, they’re still at least a year or two away from being a top team?  Do you agree with that?

Don Nehlen:   Yeah, I agree with it.  I think John’s got it right on the nail.  I think that they are getting better.  And, you know, they’re two losses, they gave the games away.  They didn’t lose them.  They just gave them away by turnovers.  And, you know, to be honest, I don’t know exactly who Notre Dame has left on their schedule.

Billingsley:  Notre Dame, of course, USC at home this weekend.  Navy at home.  At Wake Forest.  Maryland in Landover, Maryland.  And then Boston College and then at Stanford on the 26th of November, is their last game.

Nehlen:  They’ve got USC and Stanford – the rest of them are pretty average.

(Image courtesy of Flickr, The Seven Book)

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