This is exactly what USC needed.
The Trojans needed Notre Dame to pick up steam late in the season. The Men of Troy needed the Fighting Irish to rack up quality wins and become a better, more attractive opponent. They needed Notre Dame to shove aside the Clemson Tigers and give USC a much more realistic path to the College Football Playoff.
The Irish delivered, scoring two non-offensive touchdowns and setting up a third touchdown with an interception in the Clemson red zone, paving the way for a 35-14 win in which Clemson’s two scores were meaningless cosmetic touchdowns long after the outcome had been decided.
Our friends at Fighting Irish Wire have complete coverage of Notre Dame’s big win. We’ll unpack the various reasons why this helps USC: