The Notre Dame Fighting Irish face a difficult test against the No. 20 USC Trojans this Saturday, with two key defensive linemen sidelined due to injuries. Head coach Marcus Freeman confirmed the absences on Thursday, adding to the challenges for the Fighting Irish in what could be the final scheduled meeting of this historic rivalry.

Senior defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio, one of Notre Dame's strongest defenders and critical to their run defense, is out with a left elbow injury. Sophomore defensive end Loghan Thomas will also miss the game due to a concussion.

On3's JD Pickell made a bold prediction on the matchup, picking USC to pull off a 34-31 road victory in South Bend. Pickell believes that USC can exploit Notre Dame's quarterback inexperience to keep its playoff hopes alive.

“I am not predicting, but at least accounting for a world where D'Anton Lynn rolls out with a more complex game plan,” Pickell explained.

He suggested that if USC stays opportunistic defensively and forces turnovers from redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr, the Trojans could capitalize with more scoring opportunities for Jayden Maiava.

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“I think both teams score, but I think that ultimately the Notre Dame youth and inexperience in this spot causes them to fall a little bit short,” he said.

How does Notre Dame Football look without these players?

Thomas's absence impacts more than just the defensive line. “The value he brings more than anything on special teams is something not many people talk about,” Freeman noted. “He's a great special teams player for us.”

Despite the setbacks, Notre Dame has strong defensive line depth with over 20 players on the roster. Jason Onye, Donovan Hinish, and USC transfer Elijah Hughes lead the rotation that defensive line coach Al Washington has praised as being “six deep” at defensive end.

After four straight wins, the Fighting Irish are 4-2 and ranked No. 13. They are maintaining good momentum to make the 12-team College Football Playoff despite their 0-2 start.