USC football's Week 7 game will have them facing a familiar long-time opponent, Notre Dame. The No. 10 Trojans (6-0) will be traveling to South Bend to take on the No. 21 Fighting Irish (5-2) after hosting them at the LA Coliseum last year, beating them 38-27. Last season's victory was the first time USC hadn't beaten their long-time foes since 2016.

What may or may not be surprising about this year's matchup is that USC football is coming into South Bend as a slight underdog (+2.5), per FanDuel. Head coach Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame are coming off their second loss last weekend, where they were beaten by Louisville, 33-20. Yet, the Trojans are still undefeated, but they keep slipping in the polls, down five spots over the last three weeks.

That's largely because USC has been playing with fire over the last three weeks, starting with Arizona State, where they struggled to put them away for most of the game, then letting Colorado have a second-half comeback, only winning by a touchdown with the mercy of the clock, and then last week going to three overtimes against Arizona. USC is still unblemished, but only in terms of their record, and they have plenty of faults as a team.

Many factors are going against USC in this game. For one, it's the beginning of a brutal stretch in their schedule, where they face five ranked teams, with four in the top 20 and two in the top 10. Position by position, USC doesn't match up well with this Notre Dame football team, which is skilled up front on both sides of the ball. Additionally, it's going to be a cold and rainy night in South Bend on Saturday, with temperatures hitting the lower 50s, according to SB Nation.

Can USC keep their undefeated streak going and prove they are still one of the best teams in the country? Let's delve into some USC football Week 7 predictions.

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4. USC's defense continues to get their sacks against Notre Dame

There's really only one strong component to USC's defense, and that's their ability to get to the quarterback often. They are currently tied for 5th in the nation in defensive sacks with 22. They might not get to Notre Dame's Sam Hartman as much as they've been getting to other quarterbacks lately, but they'll get to him at least twice.

3. USC is held to under 300 yards of offense

If the rainy, windy, cold weather is a factor, then it's uncertain how USC will move the ball, especially against a tough Notre Dame defensive front. Before the Louisville game, the Fighting Irish had only allowed 20 points or more once. On a clean surface in Louisville, they allowed the Cardinals 330 yards of total offense to account for that score. This was also a beaten and bruised Notre Dame football team that had been through a gauntlet over the last three weeks. Now back in South Bend, in what looks to be a matchup that favors them in every way, including the weather, they could easily contain Caleb Williams and the Trojans' offense, even if talented Trojans wide receiver Zechariah Branch was playing.

2. Caleb Williams doesn't have a passing touchdown

What makes Williams so special is his ability to move outside the pocket, throwing down the field on the run. No one does it better in college football than Williams. But now, imagine a slippery, wet grass field with Williams trying to evade Notre Dame defenders. There could be a lot of slipping and sliding all night with the weather elements playing a significant factor, particularly for Williams' style of play.

This guy should concern any USC football fan, fearing that with the way Williams likes to move out of the pocket, one slip could cost him his season. Hopefully, though, it's not more than just a bad statistical night, one where he doesn't throw for a single touchdown.

1. USC suffers their first loss of the season to Notre Dame, scoring their lowest point total of the season

Again, this just isn't the kind of match that USC wants or needs right now. The defense has shown that it isn't getting any better. In fact, it may be regressing. Even as talented as the offense is, the weather conditions may completely wipe out any explosiveness, which is solely relied upon Williams.

Maybe running back Marshawn Lloyd and his 7.7 yards per carry can help. But that will mean Lincoln Riley and USC will have to heavily rely on their running game, something that they only use 44% of the time. Regardless, there are just too many factors going against USC, starting with their recent poor play, and ending with the impending bad weather. The Trojans lose 22-17, scoring their lowest point total of the season.