No. 6 USC is set to take on Stanford and open up Pac-12 play this Saturday night in the midst of the conference’s collapse after 10 of the 12 teams elected to leave next year. While the future of the Pac-12 remains in question, the historic rivalries — including that of Stanford and USC, which dates back to 1905 — will look very different after this season. The Trojans will join the Big Ten Conference, and the Cardinal will join the Atlantic Coast Conference, so annual play between the two teams will no longer continue.

With all of these changes ahead, there’s no time like the present to revisit some of the classic match-ups between USC and Stanford that made this rivalry so monumental.

1905 — The inaugural matchup

While USC lost its first-ever matchup with Stanford 16-0, a new rivalry was born. The then USC Methodists had never played outside of Southern California before this game. Led by Head Coach Harvey Holmes, USC would finish with a record of 6-3-1 in 1905.

1969 — USC extends its win streak to 12 over Stanford

From 1958 to 1969, USC had not lost a single game to Stanford. On Oct. 11, 1969, the No. 4 ranked Trojans defeated Stanford 26-24 and extended their win streak to 12 over them. In a close game that saw Stanford take a one-point lead with just over one minute remaining in the fourth quarter, the Trojans, led by then-sophomore quarterback Jimmy Jones, helped the USC offense drive down the field and eventually become victorious thanks to a game-winning field goal. 

1977 — USC wins 49-0, its biggest margin over victory over Stanford

In a pivotal game near the end of the season, USC essentially ended Stanford’s Rose Bowl hopes by defeating the then-Stanford Cardinals 49-0. This blowout would remain as the Trojans’ largest victory against Stanford. Then-sophomore running back Charles White ran for two touchdowns, and then-sophomore quarterback Rob Hertel threw for a pair of his own.

1979 — Stanford’s late comeback ends game in a tie; USC misses out on national title chance

In a midseason matchup between the No.1 ranked Trojans and a slow-starting Cardinals team, USC found itself up 21-0 at halftime before allowing Stanford to come back and tie the game up at 21.

The game ended in a tie because both teams missed field goals in the final minute. Following the disappointing tie result, the Trojans fell to No. 4 in the rankings. The Trojans would miss out on a national championship bid despite finishing 11-0-1.

2013 — Unranked Trojans stun No. 5 Cardinal

Following the firing of Head Coach Lane Kiffin earlier in the season, the Trojans were looking to salvage their season and potentially upset No. 5 ranked Stanford, which was a contender for the national championship.

Interim Head Coach Ed Oregeron stepped in, and with the help of a clutch USC offense, the Trojans converted on fourth-and-two near midfield late in the fourth quarter. Then-sophomore quarterback Cody Kessler found then-junior wide receiver Marqise Lee for a 13-yard gain, which set up a game-winning field goal to give USC a 20-17 victory.

2017 — USC defeats Stanford in Pac-12 Championship Game

The 2017 Pac-12 Championship Game was one for the ages. Late in the game, the Trojans’ defense effectively shut down the Cardinal’s scoring bid at the goal line and finished with a 99-yard drive to win their first Pac-12 title since 2008. Then-junior running back Ronald Jones capped off the Trojans’ scoring drive with an 8-yard touchdown run, sealing the victory for USC. Then-redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Darnold, who threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns in the win, was named MVP of the game.

Over a span of 118 years, the USC-Stanford rivalry has left its historic mark on college football. However, the departure of both teams from the Pac-12 raises the question: Will they still be considered rivals after 2023? While it is hard to tell in the present, the history between these two teams will live on forever.