USC Trojans vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh has featured a handful of absolute thrillers, whether they were in South Bend or Southern California. The 1968 tie that featured Heisman Trophy winner O.J. Simpson and Irish legend Terry Hanratty was a great one, as was the 1978 edition in which the Trojans came back to beat Joe Montana in his last game against USC. But the infamous Bush push in 2005 was the best. A back-and-forth affair that hinged on a string of big plays (a punt return by Tom Zbikowski, a long touchdown pass from Brady Quinn to Jeff Samardzija and two long touchdown runs by Reggie Bush), the game ultimately came down to reigning Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart capping off a 75-yard drive with a one-yard run that was aided by a quasi-legal push from eventual Heisman Trophy winner Bush. In 85 meetings, Notre Dame leads, 45