Notre Dame is a win over USC away from a spot in the College Football Playoff and a likely first-round game at home.
The No. 6 Fighting Irish blew No. 19 Army out, 49–14, to end the Black Knights’ bid for an undefeated season. With Army losing just hours after No. 5 Indiana lost to No. 2 Ohio State, No. 1 Oregon is the only undefeated team in the country ahead of the final week of the regular season.
Like Navy earlier this season, Army found itself on a fast track against Notre Dame and simply couldn’t recover. Notre Dame took a 14–0 lead after a blocked punt set up an easy touchdown and had a 28–7 lead at halftime.
Any doubt about the outcome was put to rest in the third quarter when Jeremiyah Love raced 68 yards for a TD on the first offensive play of the second half.
Notre Dame has now won nine straight games since losing to Northern Illinois in Week 2. After early-season struggles, Duke transfer Riley Leonard is feeling much more comfortable as a passer in the Irish offense, although the run game remains is always the most important force.
Notre Dame rushed 28 times for 275 yards against Army. In the 51-14 win over Navy on Oct. 26, Notre Dame had 40 carries for 265 yards and four scores. Love also had a 64-yard run in that game.
Saturday night, he had seven carries for 130 yards and two scores on the ground, in addition to catching a six-yard TD pass from Leonard.
The Irish felt so comfortable with their 28-point lead in the third quarter that Leonard was pulled in the period for backup QB Steve Angeli. Leonard helped call plays from the sideline with Angeli in the game, while the backup got some passing reps.
While Notre Dame’s offense has excelled in recent weeks, so has its defense. Notre Dame hasn’t given up more than 14 points in a game since a 31-24 win over Louisville in late September.
Granted, Notre Dame’s schedule hasn’t been the strongest, as Florida State is in the midst of a miserable season. But it’s hard to argue with the Irish’s success of late. Especially since other playoff contenders lost in Week 13.
A win over the Trojans guarantees that Notre Dame will host a playoff game and the Irish could even become the No. 5 seed. The Irish may also be facing losses. The dream of a home game may be gone if USC wins, but it’s hard to find a team outside the top 12 that would replace a 10-2 Notre Dame team.
Army, meanwhile, still has a very good shot at the College Football Playoff. The Black Knights are guaranteed to play Tulane for the AAC title on December 6. A win in that game could put Army into the playoffs as the fifth-highest conference champion. But the Black Knights would need some help from No. 12 Boise State and some high-profile losses in the Big 12 during the final week of the season.
