Rivalry leaderboard

Notre Dame-USC Greatest Games

The series' top 25 meetings, ranked without team allegiance by game-time AP strength, final-score closeness, and overtime.

Games: 25
Top score: 76/100
Overtime: 0

Series context

Completed meetings: 96
Series record: Notre Dame 53-38-5 USC
Tracked years: 1926-2025
Trophy: Jeweled Shillelagh

Series ranking

The rivalry's top 25 games

25 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.

1968Week 12
USC at Notre Dame
USC 21, Notre Dame 21
Result: Tie
No. 2 USC vs. No. 9 Notre Dame · 0-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
76
Game score
2005Week 7
USC at Notre Dame
USC 34, Notre Dame 31
Winner: USC
No. 1 USC vs. No. 9 Notre Dame · 3-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
74
Game score
Full Game · 2005 Notre Dame vs. USC (Regular Season Full Game)
1989Week 8
USC at Notre Dame
USC 24, Notre Dame 28
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 9 USC vs. No. 1 Notre Dame · 4-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
73
Game score
1978Week 13
Notre Dame at USC
Notre Dame 25, USC 27
Winner: USC
No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 USC · 2-point margin
Ranking 39/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
72
Game score
1969Week 6
Notre Dame at USC
Notre Dame 14, USC 14
Result: Tie
No. 12 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 USC · 0-point margin
Ranking 33/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
68
Game score
1988Week 14
Notre Dame at USC
Notre Dame 27, USC 10
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 USC · 17-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 18/35 · Overtime 0/15
67
Game score
1976Week 13
Notre Dame at USC
Notre Dame 13, USC 17
Winner: USC
No. 15 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 USC · 4-point margin
Ranking 34/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
65
Game score
1973Week 9
USC at Notre Dame
USC 14, Notre Dame 23
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 9 USC vs. No. 5 Notre Dame · 9-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 26/35 · Overtime 0/15
64
Game score
1975Week 8
USC at Notre Dame
USC 24, Notre Dame 17
Winner: USC
No. 3 USC vs. No. 14 Notre Dame · 7-point margin
Ranking 35/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
63
Game score
1954Week 11
USC at Notre Dame
USC 17, Notre Dame 23
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 17 USC vs. No. 4 Notre Dame · 6-point margin
Ranking 31/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
60
Game score
2006Week 13
Notre Dame at USC
Notre Dame 24, USC 44
Winner: USC
No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 USC · 20-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 15/35 · Overtime 0/15
58
Game score
2022Week 13
Notre Dame at USC
Notre Dame 27, USC 38
Winner: USC
No. 13 Notre Dame vs. No. 5 USC · 11-point margin
Ranking 34/50 · Closeness 24/35 · Overtime 0/15
58
Game score
1970Week 14
Notre Dame at USC
Notre Dame 28, USC 38
Winner: USC
No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 16 USC · 10-point margin
Ranking 30/50 · Closeness 25/35 · Overtime 0/15
55
Game score
1992Week 14
Notre Dame at USC
Notre Dame 31, USC 23
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 19 USC · 8-point margin
Ranking 28/50 · Closeness 27/35 · Overtime 0/15
55
Game score
1990Week 14
Notre Dame at USC
Notre Dame 10, USC 6
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 21 USC · 4-point margin
Ranking 24/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
55
Game score
1972Week 13
Notre Dame at USC
Notre Dame 23, USC 45
Winner: USC
No. 10 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 USC · 22-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 13/35 · Overtime 0/15
54
Game score
1965Week 7
USC at Notre Dame
USC 7, Notre Dame 28
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 8 USC vs. No. 4 Notre Dame · 21-point margin
Ranking 40/50 · Closeness 14/35 · Overtime 0/15
54
Game score
1991Week 9
USC at Notre Dame
USC 20, Notre Dame 24
Winner: Notre Dame
Unranked USC vs. No. 5 Notre Dame · 4-point margin
Ranking 21/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
52
Game score
1979Week 8
USC at Notre Dame
USC 42, Notre Dame 23
Winner: USC
No. 3 USC vs. No. 14 Notre Dame · 19-point margin
Ranking 35/50 · Closeness 16/35 · Overtime 0/15
51
Game score
1980Week 15
Notre Dame at USC
Notre Dame 3, USC 20
Winner: USC
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 USC · 17-point margin
Ranking 33/50 · Closeness 18/35 · Overtime 0/15
51
Game score
2012Week 13
Notre Dame at USC
Notre Dame 22, USC 13
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 1 Notre Dame vs. Unranked USC · 9-point margin
Ranking 25/50 · Closeness 26/35 · Overtime 0/15
51
Game score
2018Week 13
Notre Dame at USC
Notre Dame 24, USC 17
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. Unranked USC · 7-point margin
Ranking 23/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
51
Game score
2009Week 7
USC at Notre Dame
USC 34, Notre Dame 27
Winner: USC
No. 6 USC vs. No. 25 Notre Dame · 7-point margin
Ranking 21/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
49
Game score
1981Week 8
USC at Notre Dame
USC 14, Notre Dame 7
Winner: USC
No. 5 USC vs. Unranked Notre Dame · 7-point margin
Ranking 21/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
49
Game score
2019Week 7
USC at Notre Dame
USC 27, Notre Dame 30
Winner: Notre Dame
Unranked USC vs. No. 9 Notre Dame · 3-point margin
Ranking 17/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
49
Game score

Methodology

How each game earns up to 100 points

AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.

Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.

Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.

Regular-season rankings use the AP Top 25 recorded for the game's week. Postseason meetings use the final regular-season AP poll before bowl and playoff results. Games before 2005 remain in the ranking but do not link to unsupported box-score pages. Videos are matched by canonical game ID or by a rematch-safe season matchup.