Notre Dame Football: Ranking 2020 opponents by toughness

The Notre Dame vs. USC rivalry continues as the Irish will head to Los Angeles for the annual battle. Notre Dame has been the clear favorite in recent matchups because of the downward spiral the Trojans have been experiencing under Clay Helton and this may very well be his last game as head coach at USC.

Stakes will be at an all-time high if Notre Dame could head into this one with one loss. A playoff berth may very well be on the line.

Kedon Slovis returns for a sophomore season and he’ll be one of the best quarterbacks Notre Dame will face all year and the road atmosphere, likely in a night game, will be intense.

Remember that one time Notre Dame and Clemson met in the College Football Playoff? It was a true test to see just how far the Irish had come and if they were truly ready for the spotlight on college football’s biggest stage and then the Tigers pounced.

Led by true freshman Trevor Lawrence, Clemson dismantled Notre Dame 30-3 and that showed Brian Kelly and the Irish just how far they were from “elite” status.

Could this be their shot at revenge? Could a win hear basically seal a playoff berth and knock the Tigers out of the running? Both answers are yes, but this isn’t going to be easy.