The USC-Notre Dame rivalry was temporarily suspended just before its centenary anniversary. The news was met with so much displeasure from fans, analysts and players. And in a bid to move on, former Notre Dame wide receiver Jeremiyah Love has picked another rivalry as a preferable replacement.
Jeremiyah Love joined JD Pickell on Hard Count, where they discussed the USC-Notre Dame rivalry. After delivering verbal low blows to the Trojans over their recent performances against Notre Dame, he went ahead to pick the Michigan Wolverines as the program he would want to replace the Trojans in the rivalry game.
“Honestly, I say, bring back the Michigan rivalry,” Love said. “They bring that back, that’ll be great, good to play against somebody in the Big, and yeah, I feel like that. That rivalry would be very, very cool for Notre Dame. Just bring it back.”
Jeremiyah Love, when asked by @jdpickell which team he’d like to see annually on Notre Dame’s schedule if it can’t be USC:
Michigan. pic.twitter.com/kRf2rjSMW2
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) April 7, 2026
The Michigan-Notre Dame football rivalry is one of the most outstanding in college football history, featuring two of the most decorated teams. The rivalry began over a century ago in 1887. Sadly, the many hiatuses the rivalry has experienced are why they have had only 44 meetings. So far, Michigan has the edge over Notre Dame with a 25-17-1 record, after kicking off the rivalry with eight straight victories.
Since their last meeting in 2019, when Michigan won 45-14, both teams have worn completely new looks, with the Irish looking more impressive. The Wolverines had coach Jim Harbaugh as their head coach at the time and have since moved on to Sherrone Moore and now, Kyle Whittingham. Furthermore, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have seen Marcus Freeman replace Brian Kelly, who coached the last game between the pair.
The USC-Notre Dame rivalry ended due to the two programs’ inability to reach scheduling agreements. With the hope of getting it right this time, the Trojans remain keen on making the playoffs, having not appeared since their inception in 2014. And the late-season placement of the USC-Notre Dame game does not do any good to their playoff aspirations. Hence, they would rather go for winnable games in their non-conference schedule moving forward.
Should Love’s wish come to pass, the Wolverines will not just replace USC in the rivalry but also replace them as the Irish’s favorite victims. Considering their performances over the past few years, the Irish have been the more brilliant team. They head into 2026 after two double-digit winning seasons, outshining Michigan, who had to hire Whittingham from the Utah Utes after 8-5 and 9-4 records in the last two seasons.
Jeremiyah Love trolls USC Trojans after rivalry suspension
Contrary to the Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry, where the Irish are second best both historically and recently, the USC-Notre Dame rivalry has them as the frontrunners. While many found his comments quite overreaching, Love explained the reality of the rivalry just before it was canceled.
“I think they’re done, I think they’re done. I think they got their butt kicked, they got their last whooping, and I think they want to be done. They’re done. I don’t think they want no more smoke, especially if I was back. I don’t think they want no more because it doesn’t look too good for them for the past couple of years.”
Not only did Love not lose to the Trojans during his days at Notre Dame, but he also terrorized them with impressive displays. In 2024, he had 99 rushing yards, 38 receiving yards, and a touchdown on 13 carries, leading to a 49-35 win. Last season, he hit a career-best 228 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 34-24 victory.
After a prolific stint with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Love is set to be a top-five NFL draft selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
