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USC's strange week ends in disappointment; attention shifts to Utah

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Ten days ago, on the morning of USC’s game against Washington, the Trojans were openly in pursuit of a national championship.

A couple of weeks prior, then-coach Steve Sarkisian told the team to look back to last year and equated early-season losses in 2014 by Oregon and Ohio State to the Trojans’ loss to Stanford on Sept. 19 this season. Those teams still played for the national title, Sarkisian pointed out, and if USC played to its potential, it could follow a similar path.

Ten days ago, that was the goal.

Instead, two losses and another bizarre coaching change later, USC junior linebacker Su'a Cravens stood outside the visiting locker room at Notre Dame, where the Trojans fell 41-31 to the No.