Former USC Trojans running back Reggie Bush discussed his rivalry with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish ahead of the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship game.
Bush detailed the intense games that took place during his college career between his Trojans and the Fighting Irish ahead of the national championship game that features Notre Dame and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Reggie Bush on USC-Notre Dame Rivalry
Bush detailed how intense the USC-Notre Dame rivalry was while he was playing for the former and how it frustrates him to this day to see the Fighting Irish playing in the national championship, even in 2025.
“It does make it a little difficult to root for them. Especially with the rivalry games we had against them — the Bush-Push game, every game was a dogfight against Notre Dame,” Bush said. “It was a game I always had circled on my calendar. So it makes it a little tough to root for them.”
Bush won the 2005 Heisman Trophy while representing the Trojans. He later went on to be selected No. 2 overall in the 2006 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. In his illustrious career, Bush had 1,286 carries for 5,490 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns. Furthermore, he had 477 receptions for 3,598 receiving yards and 18 receiving touchdowns as well.
In three seasons, Bush played the Fighting Irish three times from 2003-2005, going 3-0. He averaged 91.3 rushing yards per game and 50.7 receiving yards per game against Notre Dame and scored five touchdowns. Notably, he had a hat trick with 195 yards on 19 touches against ND in 2005.
CFP National Championship Preview
The Fighting Irish take on the Buckeyes in the final of the College Football Playoff, and the national championship game kicks off on Jan. 20, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The contest will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
The game figures to be a good one between two top teams, specifically top defenses, in all of college football. Heading into the matchup, Ohio State has averaged only 12.2 points allowed per game, ranking them No. 1 in the country. Meanwhile, Notre Dame is averaging 14.3 points allowed per game, marking them as No. 2 in the nation.
MORE: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Prediction
As a result, despite both programs having solid playmaking running backs and wide receivers, the contest could be a defensive dual between two elite units.
For the Buckeyes, linebacker Cody Simon has led the way with 104 total tackles, seven sacks, and one forced fumble on the year. Meanwhile, freshman Leonard Moore has had a remarkable year for Notre Dame with two interceptions and two forced fumbles. He was named to CFN’s Freshman All-American team and won the CFN Cornerback of the Year award.
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