Notre Dame football came so close in 2024 to winning a national championship for the first time since 1988. How can Irish finish the journey in 2025?

Notre Dame's annual rivalry against USC is one of the most storied feuds in college football history, but it hangs in the balance amid sweeping schedule changes across the sport. Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman did not mince words when asked about the future of the series Thursday afternoon.

The Dayton, Ohio native signed with the Buckeyes as a four-star recruit out of Wayne High School in the class of 2004. Freeman, playing under head coach Jim Tressel, went on to become one of the most dependable tacklers in the Big Ten .