O/NSO: Game 12 – CFP No. 15 Notre Dame at CFP No. 6 USC edition
The Obvious: There is nothing quite like it when the USC Trojans and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish meet when something huge is at stake – like a potential national championship run for one or both teams. In the 93rd meeting of the nation’s most celebrated intersectional on Saturday in the Coliseum (4:30 p.m. PT/ 7:30 p.m. ET/ ABC), the CFP No. 6 Trojans (10-1, 8-1 Pac-12) and the CFP No. 15 Irish (8-3), who have not played in L.A. since 2018, will have at it, and the stakes couldn’t get much higher if you’re a cardinal and gold fan. The Not So Obvious: In a season that has seen the Trojans transition from 4-8 in 2021 to 10-1 in 2022 under first-year head coach Lincoln Riley - the highest USC national ranking since 2017 - the Men of Troy find themselves during this Thanksgiving weekend in a unique and unexpected position of nearing the cusp of a potential bid to the College Football Playoff’s semifinals. For Notre Dame, while not a CFP semifinals candidate, they can knock the Trojans out of the running while enhancing their own bowl rankings, which translates into a more prestigious bowl invitation.
