Thanks for reading week five of the Rivalry Name Rankings, brought to you this week by… gemstones.
Our No. 11 ranking is a game that was first played in 1926 between Notre Dame and Southern California, more commonly known as USC. The Fighting Irish currently own the lead in the series, having a 42-31-5 record against the Trojans. Notre Dame ripped off an 11 game winning streak from 1983 to 1993, tied in 1994, and won again in 1995. Interestingly, besides for a 4-4 series tie in 1933, USC has never held the lead in the series.
The games alternate between South Bend, Indiana and Los Angeles every year. Last year, USC won 44-24 at home, marking their fifth consecutive win. What did they win, besides bragging rights, you asked? The Jeweled Shillelagh.
Rather than try to explain it myself, the following three paragraphs are copied from the USC Football Traditions website found here:
“A shillelagh (pronounced “shuh-LAY-lee”) is a Gaelic war club made of oak or blackthorn saplings from Ireland. Those are the only woods used because, it is said, they are the only ones tougher than an Irish skull. The foot-long shillelagh has ruby-adorned Trojan heads with the year and game score representing USC victories, while emerald-studded shamrocks stand for Notre Dame wins. For tie games, a combined Trojan head/shamrock medallion is used. On the end of the club is engraved, “From the Emerald Isle.” The victor of the Trojan-Irish game gains year-long possession of the trophy.
Upon its initial presentation in 1952 by the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Los Angeles, it was said that “this shillelagh will serve to symbolize in part the high tradition, the keen rivalry and above all the sincere respect which these two great universities have for each other.” The original shillelagh was flown from Ireland by Howard Hughes’ pilot, according to legend. It was devised by the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Los Angeles, based on a suggestion by Vern Rickard. John Groen designed it. Although the shillelagh was introduced in 1952, the medallions go back to the start of the series in 1926. When the original shillelagh ran out of space for the Trojan heads and shamrocks after the 1989 game, it was retired and is permanently displayed at Notre Dame.
A new shillelagh — slightly longer than the original — was commissioned by Jim Gillis, a former baseball player at both USC and Notre Dame and a one-time president of the Notre Dame Club of Los Angeles, and handcrafted in 1997 in County Leitrum, Ireland. It contains medallions beginning with the 1990 game. There are now 42 shamrocks, 30 Trojan heads and 5 combined medallions on the shillelaghs.”
As for my personal opinion, this trophy name falls under the “completely random” section of the “classic, clever, or completely random” category system. I love the rivalry, as the two football teams are usually at the top of the college football rankings (even if Notre Dame was sorely overrated last year). I love the trophy, because frankly, how can you not like a war club with valuable jewels on it? So, with this in mind, I had to get this in the rankings list.
A final note: now that we have our new website layout, and all the kinks are worked out, we will return to the weekly posting of these rankings. I appreciate that you are reading my article!
That’s it for this week – if you have any comments for me, please post them on the message boards, using the link at the top. Thanks for reading, and check back next week. Go Wahoos.
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