LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Only one lesson really matters this weekend, right? If No. 3 Notre Dame wins, it will secure its first trip to the College Football Playoff. Win sloppily, and the Irish are in. Win in a blowout, in. Win in overtime only reached by a touchdown drive in the final minutes capped with a two-point conversion? In.
If Notre Dame beats USC, then the 2018 season will have surpassed any and all summer expectations.
Drawing much more in the way of on-field considerations from the regular season finale can be difficult, both as it always is and as it pertains to the Trojans.