Notre Dame and USC aren't even playing each other in the 2026 season, which is just wild after a rivalry going back to 1926. But DraftKings still has a head-to-head win total prop for them, and it's set at Notre Dame at -2.5 wins against USC for the regular season. If you want to bet on the Irish, that's priced at -160, while USC at +2.5 is sitting at +125. That’s a pretty telling gap even without them on the field.
What Happened To The Rivalry?
This rivalry has some serious history, kicking off in 1926 and playing 96 times since then. They've been going at it annually since 1946, with the only break being the 2020 COVID season. Now? They won't meet again, short of a bowl game, likely until at least 2030. Everyone’s pointing fingers, naturally. USC is now in a brutal Big Ten schedule and apparently wanted to play this historic game early in the non-conference slate. This matchup traditionally happened in October when in South Bend, think the "Bush Push" game, and at the end of the regular season when in Los Angeles. Notre Dame, though? No interest in moving the game up. It looks like they had a backup plan cooking for a while, quickly scheduling a home-and-home with BYU starting this year in Provo. Funny enough, the Irish and Cougars were the top two at-large teams left out of last year's College Football Playoff. As a football independent with only five games technically spoken for with the ACC, Notre Dame has a ton of scheduling flexibility, even keeping Navy on the slate. USC just doesn't have that wiggle room, playing nine Big Ten games.Breaking Down The Numbers
Figuring out a college football team's strength of schedule is always tough, especially with all the transfer portal action and NIL money flying around. But if we just look at the combined opposing winning percentage from last season, Notre Dame has a huge edge already. Their foes were a combined 73-80 (.477) in 2025. The Trojans’ opponents, on the other hand, clocked in at 91-66 (.580) in 2025. CBS Sports' Brad Crawford even ranked USC's schedule as the eighth-toughest nationally this season back in early May. Notre Dame didn't even crack Brad's top 12. There's no doubt the Irish will be a preseason AP Top 10 team, maybe even Top 5. That 2.5-win prop feels like a big signal for what's coming, even without the actual rivalry game on the schedule this year.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.