After enduring some stomach-churning moments during the first two quarters of play against the Southern Cal Trojans, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish woke up and came away with a 24-17 victory on Saturday night. The win effectively clinched a berth in one of next month’s college football playoff semifinal contests, though official confirmation is still a week away.
Those nervous moments came about when an inspired Southern Cal squad immediately took it to a listless Notre Dame team early in the contest. Scoring on the first series of the game and then taking a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter, an upset seemed to be brewing.