USC vs Notre Dame back on | Here's how they made it happen

Big Ten football news: USC, Notre Dame, Lincoln Riley and Marcus Freeman are at the center of a rivalry fight the national media got wrong. The final USC–Notre Dame deal shows why the Big Ten schedule—not fear—drove the controversy. For two years, USC was accused of running away from Notre Dame. But when the rivalry was finally renewed, the games were moved into the opening weeks of the season—the scheduling format USC had been requesting. JR examines how Lincoln Riley lost the public-relations battle while USC still won a major part of the negotiation. Was USC genuinely trying to escape Notre Dame? Or did the national media ignore the realities of USC football’s move into the Big Ten? This episode covers: Why USC wanted the Notre Dame game moved How Big Ten travel and television windows affected the negotiations Lincoln Riley’s costly messaging mistake Why Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame won the public narrative The problem with the “anytime, anywhere” argument Why an opening-week game could increase the rivalry’s national value Whether USC was ultimately vindicated What both programs—and college football fans—lost during the dispute The Big Ten Huddle delivers Big Ten football news, analysis and commentary covering USC, Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin and every program across the conference. All Big Ten Talk. All Big Ten Fans. All Big Ten, all the time. Subscribe for more Big Ten football and basketball analysis. Podcast listeners can also support the show with a five-star rating and review. CHAPTERS 00:00 Did USC Run From Notre Dame? 01:19 What the Final Agreement Actually Does 03:36 Lincoln Riley’s Messaging Mistake 05:02 How Notre Dame Won the Narrative 05:58 The “Anytime, Anywhere” Problem 07:23 The Hidden Fight Over Schedule Control 08:05 Why Week 1 Could Improve the Rivalry 09:40 USC Is Still Scheduling Notre Dame 10:24 The Playoff Timing Argument 11:42 Notre Dame’s Side of the Negotiation 12:37 Riley Lost the Argument but Won the Deal 13:14 The Honest Verdict on USC 15:03 What Notre Dame Should Learn 16:10 Was USC Ultimately Vindicated? Shop at Homefield: https://www.homefieldapparel.com/?rfsn=7872586.e3e1d25 Shop Big Ten Huddle Merch: https://the-big-ten-huddle-shop.fourthwall.com/ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-ten-huddle-podcast/id1703305789 Subscribe for more Big Ten content! More Big Ten Football News: ⁨@jrs_BigTenFootballNews⁩ Big Ten Basketball News: ⁨@JRs_BigTenBasketballNews⁩ Follow us on social media: @TheBigTenHuddle Contact: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.