The magnitude of Saturday’s game is no secret to anyone even remotely associated with Notre Dame football. For the Irish, a win means its first ever chance to play in the College Football Playoff. The Trojans, however, are fighting for bowl eligibility, the ability to play spoiler to an arch rival, and maybe the job of its head coach.
The game has some eerie similarities to Notre Dame’s bout with the Trojans to put the finishing touches on a 12-0 season in 2012. That was the last time the Irish won in the Coliseum. Notre Dame hopes to repeat that history in 2018.