SOUTH BEND, Ind.– When the Big Ten announced Thursday that it would forbid nonconference video games, it significantly modified Notre Dames schedule by eliminating Wisconsin. When the Pac-12 revealed the same decision a day later on, it made the Irish slate unrecognizable thanks to the practically heretical cancellation of the Notre Dame-USC game, with the Stanford rivalry game likewise shelved.
To grasp the magnitude of this scheduling action, understand that the last event to stop briefly the Notre Dame-USC series was World War II. The series began with Knute Rockne. It continued through Frank Leahy. And after a three-year time out (1943-45), its been played in 74 consecutive seasons considering that, with the series featuring 22 national championships and 14 Heisman Trophy winners (including Reggie Bush).
Advertised as the best intersectional competition in college football, the Notre Dame-USC series tagline is more truth than marketing. And for this season, with the …