How Notre Dame’s Win vs. USC Impacts Both Teams’ College Football Playoff Chances

Saturday's game between the Fighting Irish and Trojans had incredible significance for both teams on and off the field.

Notre Dame and USC face off in Week 8 of the 2025 college football season, with both programs in need of a win to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The annual rivalry game between Notre Dame and USC took on added significance this season. As things stand right now, the Fighting Irish and Trojans are not slated to play in 2026, with Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde reporting that USC has offered a short-term extension to the series (in Los Angeles) while Notre Dame wants to ink a long-term deal. The 2020 COVID-19-impacted season aside, next year would mark the first time that the two sides haven't met on the gridiron since World War II. Prior to 1943, they had played every season since the series began in 1926.

Worries about the future of one of college football's greatest rivalries provided a backdrop to a game that has plenty of on-field intrigue as well, and it delivered. Notre Dame has rebounded from its 0–2 start against two of college football's best teams, and has looked like an absolute buzzsaw in the month since their one-point loss to Texas A&M. USC's season looked like it was heading in the disappointing direction that so many recent Trojans campaigns have when they lost by two at Illinois... and they turned around to dominate Michigan in all facets last week.

Ultimately, Notre Dame outlasted their West Coast rivals in nasty conditions on Saturday night in South Bend, 34–24. The Fighting Irish move to 5–2 on the season with the victory, while the Trojans fall to 5–2.

Notre Dame desperately needed a win in this rivalry game to avoid taking on a third loss. USC is probably not dead in the College Football Playoff race, and was very competitive on the road against a top team, but their path has become very narrow.

Here’s how Notre Dame’s win impacts the CFP race for both teams.

FREE. SI College Football Newsletter. Get SI's College Football Newsletter. dark

How Notre Dame defeated USC

The Fighting Irish and Trojans traded scores through three quarters, when USC opened the door for Notre Dame to start taking advantage of some serious mistakes. After USC took a 59-yard Jordan Maiava touchdown pass to Ja’Kobi Lane (along with a two-point conversion) to take a 24–21 lead, Fighting Irish back Jadarian Price returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards to re-take a 27–24 lead. Notre Dame could not take advantage of a Maiava interception on the next drive, missing a field goal, but USC star Makai Lemon fumbled it away on the Trojans’ next drive, leading to a CJ Carr touchdown run six plays later to push the score to 34–24 and slam the door shut on Lincoln Riley’s squad.

With windy, rainy conditions, Notre Dame was happy to let its pair of star running backs take over the game. USC defended the run well against Michigan in its win last week, but the Trojans’ defense could not contain Jeremiyah Love, who had the best game of his college career, and Price. The two combined for 306 yards and two touchdowns on 44 carries, with Love leading the way with 228 yards and a score. Quarterback CJ Carr managed the game, throwing for just 136 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and added a rushing touchdown, as Marcus Freeman and his staff were happy to pound away at the USC defense.

The Trojans’ injury-hampered backfield could not match, managing just 68 yards on 29 carries. Walk-on King Miller led the way with 70 yards on 18 carries after his breakout performance against Michigan. The Trojans leaned on Maiava and the passing attack, and he managed to cut through the conditions for 328 yards with two touchdowns, but struggled to do damage late in the game, throwing two second half interceptions. 

With Notre Dame’s win…

The Fighting Irish live to see another week, and add the biggest win available to their résumé. Strength of schedule isn't typically an issue for Notre Dame, but this year's slate was extremely front-loaded, and they suffered a pair of losses to Miami and Texas A&M—two teams now ranked in the top four of the AP Top 25—by a total of four points. Those losses probably won't weigh against the Fighting Irish too heavily, especially as the team continues to round into form, but there are very few quality wins left. 

As of the Week 8 poll, USC is the only other ranked team on the schedule. Navy is 6–0 and could be a decent win down the stretch, but ND's remaining ACC games—Boston College, Pitt, Syracuse and Stanford—leave plenty to be desired. The group has a collective record of 10–14, and of that group, only Pitt is over .500. Notre Dame also doesn't have the possibility of reaching a conference championship game and securing an automatic bid.

Notre Dame likely needs to run the table and likely get some help to make the CFP at 10–2. Landing a big win over USC was the single most impactful result that Marcus Freeman's team could gain to boost its playoff chances. Mission accomplished for the Irish on Saturday.

Notre Dame's 2025 football schedule

All rankings listed are from the Week 8 AP Top 25.

Date	Opponent	Score
Aug. 31	at No. 2 Miami	L 27–24
Sept. 13	vs. No. 4 Texas A&M	L 41–40
Sept. 20	vs. Purdue	W 56–30
Sept. 27	at Arkansas	W 56–13
Oct. 4	vs. Boise State	W 28–7
Oct. 11	vs. NC State	W 46–7
Oct. 18	vs. No. 20 USC	W 34–24
Nov. 1	at Boston College	TBD
Nov. 8	vs. Navy	TBD
Nov. 15	at Pitt	TBD
Nov. 22	vs. Syracuse	TBD
Nov. 29	at Stanford	TBD

With USC’s loss…

The Trojans lost some of the momentum gained by last week’s dominant win vs. Michigan, an impressive display for Lincoln Riley's team on both sides of the ball. The loss also doesn’t destroy the Trojans’ chances to reach the Big Ten championship as a nonconference game, though with No. 1 Ohio State and No. 3 Indiana cruising, they’ll need some help to make it to Indianapolis. The Buckeyes and Hoosiers will be heavy favorites in every game from here on out, and do not meet each other in the regular season. The Trojans also do not have the opportunity to knock the Buckeyes or Hoosiers out of those conference championship spots, so they'll be relying on a seismic upset down the stretch.

Even with the loss, USC has more opportunities to climb the ladder moving forward, though their next game—Nebraska, after a bye next weekend—loses some luster with the Huskers’ blowout loss to Minnesota on Friday. The Trojans finish the year with games against potentially plucky Iowa and UCLA teams bracketing a showdown with West Coast rival Oregon, another major playoff contender. Run the table and USC would have a fair chance to make the field at 10–2 with a win against the Ducks, which would likely be one of the better wins that any team would enter the postseason with. It is an uphill climb, but the Trojans still have a path.

USC's 2025 football schedule

All rankings listed are from the Week 8 AP Top 25.

Date	Opponent	Score
Aug. 30	vs. Missouri State	W 73–13
Sept. 6	vs. Georgia Southern	W 59–20
Sept. 13	at Purdue	W 33–17
Sept. 20	vs. Michigan State	W 45–31
Sept. 27	at Illinois	L 34–32
Oct. 11	vs. Michigan	W 31–13
Oct. 18	at No. 13 Notre Dame	L 34–24
Nov. 1	at No. 25 Nebraska	TBD
Nov. 7	vs. Northwestern	TBD
Nov. 15	vs. Iowa	TBD
Nov. 22	at No. 8 Oregon	TBD
Nov. 29	vs. UCLA	TBD

Sports Illustrated's postseason projections for Notre Dame, USC

Both Notre Dame and USC are on the outside looking in of the current College Football Playoff picture. Entering Week 8, SI's Pat Forde had both the Fighting Irish and Trojans listed among his teams "also considered" for the 12-team field. Bryan Fischer, meanwhile, had Notre Dame projected as the No. 11 seed in the CFP entering the week, and set for a rematch of last year's quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl against Georgia. After Vanderbilt's win over LSU on Saturday, he bumped the Fighting Irish from his live CFP bracket in favor of the Commodores. We'll see if he rethinks that pick after Notre Dame's big win.

---

More College Football on Sports Illustrated

Listen to SI’s new college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.

feed