If you blinked early Saturday night you might have thought you missed the game as USC jumped out to a 10-0 lead against Notre Dame, but boy did the rest of the night go not all that much as anticipated. However, USC simply made more plays than Notre Dame in a game that the Trojans were in control of throughout, despite a fine effort by the Irish to play spoiler.
The win brings USC within one victory of their first College Football Playoff appearance in program history while Notre Dame finishes the regular season at 8-4. For the first time since 2016, Notre Dame will finish a year with fewer than 10 wins (postseason included).
Here are your instant takeaways from Notre Dame’s regular season finale defeat to the rival Trojans.