Thomas Rupp

There are plenty of great college football rivalries...most of them are either regional or within a specific conference. There is only one intersectional rivalry in the country, and that is Notre Dame and USC. This rivalry began in 1926 with two titanic coaches that helped pave the way for the success of college football in the United States; USC's Howard Jones and Notre Dame's Knute Rockne. Although they only coached against each other 5 times during this series (due to Rockne's untimely death in 1931), they planted the seed to one of college football's greatest rivalries that still stands to this day. Thomas Rupp provides an informative account of both coaches' lives and the series that started between both schools. He recaps all 5 contests between both coaches and even debunks a few myths along the way. At times it seems that the book is a bit more Rockne-centric, but there is plenty of quality information on Jones and USC as well. Rupp also describes the national scene that both coaches thrived in by delving into the age of the Roaring 20s. Al Capone, Clara Bow, John Wayne, and D. C. Stephenson all make appearances in an attempt to provide additional context. Overall, it is an enjoyable and revealing read for all fans of college football history, and especially for those Trojan and Fighting Irish fans.… (lisätietoja)