Colin Cowherd's take on the USC/Notre Dame dilemma explains everything

Colin Cowherd deserves a little credit on this one. He's been suggesting that USC change its terms with Notre Dame since March. He, unlike Keyshawn Johnson, understood that USC shouldn't be playing a major non-conference road game in the middle of the Big Ten schedule or after the Big Ten schedule.

The FOX Sports pundit has long suggested either Notre Dame plays the game in late August/early September or USC should rightfully move on from it.

Notre Dame can manipulate its schedule annually

Because Notre Dame isn't in a conference, it can configure its schedule to its advantage. They can place a bye week before the USC game or stack the game up around a homestand, like the Irish did this year. The USC game was the final game on a three-game homestand and was followed by a bye week.

Meanwhile, USC had to take its third trip at least two time zones away to play Notre Dame, and it came a week after a home game against Michigan. The Trojans were dealing with additional unnecessary travel because the Big Ten doesn't take a mid-October non-conference game into consideration when creating the schedule, nor should they be expected to. 

"Notre Dame has a side deal to get into a playoff," Cowherd explained. "They're not a full conference member, so they have a weaker schedule and can manipulate their schedule, which SEC teams can't, which Big Ten teams can't." 

There's no comparison in schedules between USC and Notre Dame

It's easy to understand why Notre Dame is mad, because without USC, the Irish's schedule is a laugher. They face one playoff team (Miami) and two other teams that were bowl eligible. The Irish won't face a team that had a winning record in 2025 until at least the sixth game on their schedule. 

"Look at Notre Dame's schedule...it's pathetic," Cowherd adds. "Basically, if this was your class load in college you'd be taking home ec three times, gym class twice, and wood shop four times."

Meanwhile, USC has three playoff teams on their 2026 schedule and seven playoff teams overall. The Trojans aren't running from anything or anybody, regardless of what Keyshawn thinks. 

"Now look at USC's schedule, where they have to play Oregon, Washington, Ohio State, at Penn State, at Indiana, which is now a power, and their rival UCLA," Cowherd concluded.

As the days go by since the announcement was made to pause the series, it looks more and more like USC made the right decision.