Notre Dame Football: 3 takeaways from playoff-clinching win over USC
By Jacob Wilson
Notre Dame football marched into The Coliseum and took down rival USC, all but cementing their hopes for a College Football Playoff berth.
Continuing a rivalry that began in 1926, Notre Dame and USC met up for the 87th time in a game that would likely dictate the Irish’s playoff fate. This is a rivalry that has included some lopsided games over the past few years, but that didn’t seem to detract from today’s contest in Los Angeles.
Given head coach Brian Kelly’s persistent failure late in the season, this game was sure to be an indication as to whether or not this Notre Dame really has what it takes to take down a national powerhouse such as Alabama or Clemson. If the Irish couldn’t finish against USC, there would be little reason to expect anything different against a playoff-caliber program.
However, the Irish dismissed those notions after finishing the season with a 12-0 record. Here are three takeaways from Notre Dame’s final regular season game.