This week, the stories are almost completely reversed. Davie has guided the Irish to a Top 10 ranking and probable BCS bowl bid with all that extra cash. He has quieted the critics and solidified the football program in South Bend.

At USC, Paul Hackett has had a season packed with upsets and disappointments. The Trojans started with a dominating game against Penn State, and the march was on.

Not so fast, as Lee Corso would say. Injuries at key positions, lack of performance and some bad luck resulted in five consecutive losses in the middle of the season. Since then, Hackett has had to contend with all the rumors.

What went right for Notre Dame? Their first five games were at home, on one of the great home fields ever. They matched up physically with every team they played early and finished the first half of the year at 3-2 -- maybe not great by ND standards but with much promise for the remainder of the season. They have rolled to victory ever since; the key game was the overtime win against one of their nemeses, Air Force. Davie has had to overcome injuries and inconsistent play at quarterback; now Matt LoVecchio has taken the reigns and is playing well enough to guide the offense and keep it productive.

And Southern California? After three straight victories, the Trojans went down in defeat to upstart Oregon State. How were they to know just how good the Beavers would be at the end of the year? But USC is not "supposed" to lose to Oregon State, right? They just could not rebound and the losing streak took off. The key losses down the stretch were the Homecoming game to California and Washington State. Cal and WSU were the two lowliest teams in the league. Like just about everyone, Hackett's team had injuries and quarterback play was often spotty. For some reason, this team could not overcome the adversity this year.

Notre Dame

Game Plan: Notre Dame

Offense: Power run game will need double team blocks at the point of attack Play action passes are open vs. 9-man defensive front Get downfield blocks for runners who are in open-field Defense: No easy touchdowns. Contain and pursue Stop the run on first down -- force them to pass Roll the secondary to disguise single coverage to QB Kicking: Get a good block on all returns -- create running lane Use Setta?s leg for points whenever possible No protection errors Players: Get after them early -- take their spirit away fast Use the knockout punch or you will lose opportunity Set unit goals for high performance Coaches: Less is more, but do not overlook good ideas Be patient if USC starts throwing most of time To control the game, you must score first

"Finally the world is right?" Butch Davis said it about Miami, but it is more clearly meant for Notre Dame.

Dominating offense with a bruising running game and efficient quarterback play in key situations have brought the Irish to the brink of the BCS. Two years ago Notre Dame came into this game needing victory to get a BCS bid. The Irish lost 10-0 without Jarius Jackson. Early last season poor clock management cost them dearly as well as a dysfunctional kicking game.

But all is right in South Bend these days.

After losing quarterback Arnaz Battle, Bob Davie showed his talent by keeping the team together while searching for the right replacement. Matt LoVecchio has emerged as the man today and his performance is the key reason for the team's continued success this year. Lovecchio is an awkward looking quarterback when running the option or scrambling but he has picked up 255 yards and is the fourth leading rusher in the offense. More impressive is his 11 touchdowns passing to only one interception.

Julius Jones has been hampered with a thigh injury and is listed as questionable this week, but Tony Fisher with 536 yards and Terrance Howard with 377 yards can carry the load as they have recently. In its last two games, against Boston College and Rutgers, the Irish have rushed for 380 and 295 yards, respectively. Of course, neither the Eagles nor the Scarlet Knights are the Trojans, but there is a confidence factor that cannot be ignored.

Do not look for too many passes this week, but with LoVecchio's accuracy and ability to make the big play, David Givens and Joey Getherall will be looking to step into the spotlight again. Getherall is a "Rudy" type player for this team -- every team wishes they had one like him.

The Irish also lost their key defender early in the year with Grant Irons' injury. Notre Dame showed their muscle in the Nebraska game, and they have continued to play strong defense throughout the season. They will not play much man coverage against all of the USC receivers because they will get caught with too many mismatches. The front four can put pressure on the passes, but they may need more people coming to get some sacks. The defense cannot get too brave with these blitzes and give up some easy touchdowns. Keeping a safety home in the middle of the field will be a good idea to keep receivers from roaming around catching passes.

Nick Setta has lived up to his talent and provided good consistency for the special teams after a 1999 season that had so many problems to solve. Setta has a good leg and can make the clutch kick if necessary. The Irish have always been a great return team because their return men are strong runners with leg strength who can break open field tackles. Getherall is an exception, but keep an eye on him every time he touches the ball.

USC

Game Plan: USC

Offense: Make the most of limited opportunities Get points on the board early Spread the field and get single coverage No turnovers in own territory Defense: Put on big pads. This game will test strength and willpower Do not let LoVecchio beat you with passing Use "run blitzes" to stop ND and force losses Kicking: Go for a block on punter No one quits on punt or kick off coverage -- pursue Take returns up the middle for best results Players: Play this game for personal pride Make your breaks -- do not wait for them Forget everything for a few hours and play football Coaches: Use a few wrinkles, but not too many Force an up-tempo game by scoring first Stay focused late in game?fourth quarter comeback

After "Student Body Right?"

USC football never had the same identity with its team. Try as the Trojan coaches have, a legendary runner has not enrolled on campus for a long time.

Times have changed and USC football coaches attempted to keep up with others by diversifying their attack and creating a balance of run and pass. Sultan McCullough may not be Marcus Allen, but he has rushed for 1,149 yards to date and is a true threat to opponents' defenses. Hard running Petro Papadakis is best on the short yardage and goal line plays and has scored eight touchdowns. Against Notre Dame, the offensive line must create some running room on first down and keep the drives rolling since this game will be decided by which team can control the clock.

Carson Palmer has had a less than expected year with a 56 percent completion average and 14 touchdowns. But, he has thrown 16 interceptions and that completely negates the positive aspects of the passing game. Protection has not always been great and Palmer has thrown some balls up for grabs instead of finding the secondary receivers. USC spreads the ball around to receivers, as eight different players have caught 10 or more throws. Kareem Kelly has caught 51 balls to lead the team but has only 3 touchdowns; less than expected with that many catches.

USC has established balance in its offense averaging 423.9 yards per game; 263.4 passing and 160.5 rushing. The defense as well has had a respectable year giving up an average of 340 yards per game; with Pac-10 offenses no one stands out on defense.

One area which has not been productive is the pass defense's ability to get interceptions with only seven this season, second lowest in the league. They will not get many chances this week with the Irish who throw less and less each week. The run defense has been strong enough with it's 119.2 yard average; this will be the key battle in the game as Notre Dame will run the ball more than fifty times on Saturday.

Punt coverage against Joey Getherall will be important. This guy finds a way to win games.