How Tonight’s Outcome Could Affect USC’s Playoff Hopes

USC needs to come away with the win.

One of the biggest games on the USC Trojans schedules is when they take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this week. Not only is this historic rivalry one of the best in college football, but this game will have significant implications for the Trojans College Football Playoff hopes.

If USC can come away with a win, it would give them a quality road win on their resume. Since Notre Dame is ranked 21st in the country, this would be a signature victory for USC. It would also give them a win outside of the Pac-12, which could help them if they have similar records with other teams at the end of the season.

One example could be if both the Trojans and Ohio State Buckeyes finish the year with the same record, their performance against a familiar opponent, such as Notre Dame, could determine things. The Buckeyes went into South Bend and escaped with a last-second win, so if USC were to put together a better win, it would help their chances.

If USC were to lose to the Fighting Irish, it could spell the end of their undefeated season, and their playoff hopes would take a hit. Notre Dame has lost two of three games entering this week so it wouldn't be a good look for the Trojans.

If they want to reach the College Football Playoff, USC essentially has to stay undefeated the entire season. It may not be fair, but it's the reality of how the college game works today.

The hope is that USC learned their lessons from their game against Arizona last week and can take down Notre Dame. Bragging rights are on the line here, and this USC team doesn't want their chance to reach the playoffs to slip away from them potentially. This game with Notre Dame can massively swing their chances in either direction.

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