This might seem hard to believe, but every time the Trojans and Fighting Irish do battle, the result isn't always an instant classic.
I know what you're thinking - is he kidding? Did he really just say that when USC and Notre Dame get together, the game can be - gasp - disappointing?
Sure, it goes without saying that these two teams have been involved in some of the more memorable games ever contested in college football history.
In 1964, the unranked Trojans beat the undefeated and top-ranked Irish to end their national title hopes.In 1970, the 5-4-1 Trojans stunned 9-0 Notre Dame with a 38-28 victory.
Four years later, Anthony Davis led the Trojans back from a 24-0 deficit to a 55-24 romp. And, of course, who can get forget 2005's epic matchup?
But not every Trojan-Irish matchup - and Saturday's will be the 79th in this rivalry's history - has been one that is intergalactically revered.
In fact, this rivalry has produced its fair share of clunkers, or at least games that will be remembered less for the outcome and more for other circumstances.
The 1927 and 1929 episodes saw Notre Dame win 7-6 and 13-12, respectively. Both games, however, will be remembered more for the crowd size than for the score.
Both games were played at Chicago's Soldier Field, and more than 100,000 attended each. In 1929, 112,912 people saw the game - the largest documented crowd in NCAA history.
In 1959, Notre Dame was again victorious, 16-6. But the important result of that game had less to do with the "win" column and more to do with the schedule itself.
The brutally cold weather conditions prompted both teams to agree to move the games played at South Bend to October, which is how it is today.
Those three games qualify as "Does anybody care who won?" games. I'm sure Fighting Irish fans were excited, but I don't recall anyone ever coming up to me and saying, "You know, I wish you were around to see that '59 thriller."
And then, of course, there are those games that never lived up to the hype.
USC fans will always remember the 44-24 beat down the Trojans put on the Irish last season. But wasn't that game supposed to be close? Weren't the Irish supposed to put up a fight?
In 2002, the No. 6 Trojans hosted the No. 7 Irish and promptly dismantled them, 44-13.
Believe it or not, not every game in this series comes down to the final minute or features an epic comeback.
And don't be surprised if tomorrow's game doesn't fall into that category.
The Trojans might start their second-string quarterback and are still pretty banged up, which could lead to some sloppy play.
But as bad as USC has looked at times, Notre Dame has looked that much worse. The Irish will start Evan Sharpley, their third-string quarterback and third different player to start under center for Notre Dame.
In Sharpley's defense, he has led the Irish on four of their seven touchdown drives. But that's just the issue - they have had seven offensive touchdowns all season long. Not exactly an offensive juggernaut.
Neither team has looked particularly dominant recently, and in Notre Dame's case, not at all.
But the Trojans have a clear edge at the skill positions and are still capable of blowing a team out.
Notre Dame? Not so much.
So what does this mean? It means don't get your hopes up. This year's contest has all the makings of a sloppily played, one-sided affair.
But then again, when USC and Notre Dame gets together, anything can happen.
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www.dailytrojan.com or e-mail Grant at tunkel@usc.edu.
