Notre Dame is a win over USC out of a spot in the College Football Playoff and a likely first-round game at home.
No. 6 The Fighting Irish blew out No. 19 Army, 49-14, to end the Black Knights’ quest for an undefeated season. With Army’s loss coming hours after No. 5 Indiana lost to No. 2 Ohio State, No. 1 Oregon is the only undefeated team in the country heading into the final week of the regular season.
Much like Navy earlier in the season, Army found itself in a quick deficit at Notre Dame and simply couldn’t recover. Notre Dame took a 14-0 lead after a blocked punt set up an easy touchdown and led 28-7 at halftime.
Any doubt about the outcome was removed in the third quarter when Jeremiyah Love raced 68 yards for a TD on the first offensive play of the second half.
Notre Dame has now won nine straight since losing to Northern Illinois in Week 2. After struggling early in the season, Duke transfer Riley Leonard is much more comfortable at quarterback in the Irish offense, though the run game is still a major strength.
Notre Dame rushed 28 times for 275 yards against Army. In a 51-14 win over Navy on Oct. 26, Notre Dame had 40 carries for 265 yards and four scores. Love also ran for 64 yards in that game.
He had seven carries for 130 yards and two scores on the ground Saturday night in addition to catching a 6-yard TD pass from Leonard.
The Irish were so comfortable with their 28-point lead in the third quarter that Leonard was pulled in time for backup QB Steve Angeli. Leonard helped draw plays from the sideline with Angeli in the game as the backfield had several passes.
While Notre Dame’s offense has excelled in recent weeks, the defense has also been excellent. Notre Dame hasn’t given up more than 14 points in a game since a 31-24 win over Louisville in late September.
Admittedly, Notre Dame’s schedule hasn’t been the strongest as Florida State is in the midst of a miserable season. However, it is difficult to argue against the success of the Irish in recent times. Especially when the other playoff contenders lost in Week 13.
A win over the Trojans will guarantee Notre Dame a playoff game and the Irish could even be the No. 5 seed. The Irish may also be at a loss. The home game dream may be gone if USC wins, but it’s hard to find a team outside the top 12 to replace a 10-2 Notre Dame team.
Meanwhile, Army still has a strong shot at the College Football Playoff. The Black Knights are guaranteed to play Tulane for the AAC title on Dec. 6. A win in this game could put Army in the playoffs as the conference’s fifth-highest seed. However, the Black Knights would need help from No. 12 Boise State and some big losses in the Big 12 during the final week of the season.