Trojans beat the golden dome heads.

USC's running game was impressive, gaining the most yards in a game this season (219 yards).  The two back tandem of Tyler and McNeal sure looked like thunder and lightning 2.0, didn't they?  Tyler pounded the ball, McNeal would zip through the gaps.

USC's offense had a nice game, controlling the ball for nearly 40 minutes and a near-balanced spread between the running game and the passing game that forced ND to pay attention to the play-action pass.   That in turn, helped the defense, by letting it stay fresh for the whole game.

It's quite the statement, considering most of ESPN LA's experts picked Notre Dame to win big (by as much as 10 points)...only Steve Mason picked USC to win.

ND had two weeks to prepare -- they came out with those shiny new helmets to show off just how much they prepared for USC.  Their first drive ended with a 3-and-out (so was their next drive).  But at least they had shiny new helmets.

Side notes:

• Syracuse, a team that USC beat to a pulp but was considered a weak AQ team by sports pundits, dispatched #15 South Carolina in dominating fashion.
•  You can also see the next tandem in USC's future: Amir Carlisle and George Farmer.
• I'm guessing Dillon Baxter is not in USC's future...but if he's going to blame anyone, he needs to blame himself for dancing around in the back field instead of hitting the hole like McNeal does.
• There was supposed to be somewhere between 20 and 30 recruits on hand, brought in by Notre Dame, to watch the game, including Arik Armstead who decommitted from USC.
• I wonder if USC players reminded the recruits that ND has only beaten USC once in the last decade?
• Manti Te'o has lost twice to USC...the team that he would have played for and probably challenged Galippo at the middle linebacker spot.