SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame's defense has passed three tests against the nation's top quarterbacks.
A fourth looms Saturday when the 13th-ranked Fighting Irish visit No.
No. 13 Notre Dame (8-3, No. 15 CFP) at No. 5 Southern California (10-1, No. 6 CFP), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EST (ABC)
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK COLLEGE LINE: USC by 5 1/2.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — No. 5 Southern California's swift transformation from a program in disarray to a revitalized powerhouse in its first season under Lincoln Riley has been one of the most impressive developments of the college football season.
LSU moved up to fifth and Southern California was sixth Tuesday night in the College Football Playoff rankings behind Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan and TCU.
The top four remained the same for the third straight week, but the chasing teams changed order after Tennessee lost to South Carolina last Saturday night.
Conference title and playoff hopes are just part of what's on the line during college football's rivalry weekend.
There's the Golden Egg in Mississippi. The Territorial Cup in Arizona. The Old Oaken Bucket in Indiana.
Seven players rushed for at least 200 yards in the Football Bowl Subdivision over the weekend, and three of them did it in the same game.
Mississippi’s Quinshon Judkins ran 24 times for 214 yards and teammate Zach Evans ran 17 times for 208 in a 42-27 loss to Arkansas on Saturday.
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Caleb Williams passed for a career-high 470 yards, Austin Jones rushed for a season-high 120 yards and No. 7 Southern California beat No. 16 UCLA 48-45 on Saturday night to reach the Pac-12 Championship game.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Cornerback Benjamin Morrison had three interceptions, the Notre Dame defense forced two fumbles and the No. 18 Fighting Irish scored on their first eight possessions to beat Boston College 44-0 on Saturday.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — No. 18 Notre Dame has celebrated its football partnership with the ACC routinely over the last five seasons.
In fact, it seems to happen every time the Fighting Irish put a league foe on the schedule.
Boston College (3-7, 2-5 ACC) at Notre Dame (7-3), 2:30 p.m. EST (NBC)
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK COLLEGE LINE: Notre Dame by 18 1/2.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Marcus Freeman started his first full season as Notre Dame coach with a stumble and a fall.
Losing at No. 2 Ohio State was understandable. Losing the home opener to Marshall and sliding from preseason No.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Miyan Williams rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown before leaving with an injury late in the first half, C.J Stroud threw five TD passes and No. 2 Ohio State buried Indiana 56-14 on Saturday.
BALTIMORE (AP) — Drew Pyne could see Braden Lenzy had beaten his man, and although his pass was a bit underthrown, that only gave the Notre Dame receiver a chance to make one of the season's most spectacular touchdown catches.
Nobody has to tell Marcus Freeman that every game on the schedule merits attention.
Even though Notre Dame has won six of seven and is coming off a stirring victory over Clemson, the Irish can't afford to overlook anyone.
No. 20 Notre Dame (6-3, No. 20 CFP) at Navy (3-6), Saturday, 12 p.m. EST (ABC)
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK COLLEGE LINE: Notre Dame by 15 1/2
Just over three weeks ago Syracuse was riding high, undefeated after six games and ranked No. 14. Three straight losses have sent the Orange plummeting out of the rankings and they're desperate to stop the skid.
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is prepared to do what it takes to improve his struggling offense — even if that means benching starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei for more than a series or two.
No. 20 Notre Dame is back in The Associated Press college football poll after struggling early this season.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma State and Wake Forest became the latest teams from the preseason AP Top 25 to slide out as eight ranked teams lost this past weekend.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — This time, Notre Dame got to feel what it’s like to celebrate a victory over Clemson with a stadium full of fans.
“I couldn’t get out of there,” tight end Michael Mayer said.
Michigan Stadium is one of the few places left in American sports where the home and visiting teams use the same tunnel to enter and exit the field, a design popular in venues built in the early 20th century but rare now.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — If first-year LSU coach Brian Kelly had remained at Notre Dame, there was no guarantee he would get another shot to coach against Alabama's Nick Saban.
From now until one of them leaves his current post, they'll be on opposite sidelines at least once a year.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — DJ Uiagalelei used his first start at Notre Dame to emerge as a future star.
His second trip could help him revive those hopes.
Two weeks after a third-quarter benching, Uiagalelei returns to the scene of a career-defining game when he leads No.
No. 5 Clemson (8-0, 6-0 ACC, No. 4 CFP) at Notre Dame (5-3), 7:30 p.m. EDT (NBC)
Line: Clemson by 3 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame turned its season around by leaning on its ground game. Now the Fighting Irish are about to find out if they can keep grinding it out when they face one of the nation's top run defenses.
The College Football Playoff and the Bowl Championship Series before it made No. 1 vs. No. 2 rather routine in the postseason.
Before all that, back in the old bowl system, everything needed to fall into place just right so No.
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Refreshed from a week off, Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei believes the site of his best showing in college will prove once more to doubters he's capable of leading the fifth-ranked Tigers to their championship goals.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — J.T. Tuimoloau had a strip sack to set up No. 2 Ohio State for a touchdown and then had a pick-6 for the Buckeyes, who scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to erase a deficit and beat No.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — All it took was one play for the Irish to know it might be their lucky day.
Brandon Joseph returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the game, tailback Audric Estimé rushed for 123 yards and scored twice in the fourth quarter to thwart a Syracuse rally, and Notre Dame defeated the No.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — No. 16 Syracuse is no longer on the shrinking list of unbeaten teams after letting a big one slip away against fifth-ranked Clemson at Death Valley.
Notre Dame (4-3) at No. 16 Syracuse (6-1), Saturday, noon ET (ABC).
Line: Syracuse by 2 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Here are things to watch in the Atlantic Coast Conference in Week 9:
GAME OF THE WEEK
Pittsburgh (4-3, 1-2) at No. 21 North Carolina (6-1, 3-0), 8 p.m. (ACCN)
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Coach Marcus Freeman is about to find out what kind of team Notre Dame really is.
There are three ranked opponents left on the schedule, including each of the next two Saturdays.
Sometimes it can be difficult to look away from the wreckage.
At this point in a college football season there are plenty of compelling matchups involving teams with championship aspirations.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Mike Mayer caught six passes for 115 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown, Isaiah Foskey blocked two punts to set up a touchdown and a field goal and Notre Dame beat UNLV 44-21 on Saturday, just the second victory in four home games this season for the Fighting Irish.
DALLAS (AP) — The third in-person meeting of conference commissioners who manage the College Football Playoff since an August directive from their bosses to expand the postseason format ended without a resolution, but not without optimism.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin offered a blunt assessment of the challenge facing the unbeaten and seventh-ranked Rebels when they visit LSU on Saturday.
“This is the most talented opponent by far,” Kiffin said.
UNLV (4-3) at Notre Dame (3-3), Saturday, 2:30 p.m. ET (Peacock)
Line: Notre Dame by 27 ½, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman understands the problem. The Fighting Irish have lost their home-field advantage.
Finding the solution has been a challenge.
In Freeman's first season as head coach, Notre Dame (3-3) is an inexplicable 1-2 in South Bend despite entering each game as a double-digit favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. And they easily could be 0-3.
The first half of the college football season has been defined by coaching changes, downtrodden programs finding success and several traditional powers with lofty preseason expectations hitting the skids.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Tanner McKee passed for 288 yards, Casey Filkins scored a touchdown and Joshua Karty kicked three field goals as Stanford ended an 11-game losing streak against FBS opponents, beating Notre Dame 16-14 on Saturday night.
Stanford (1-4) at Notre Dame (3-2), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
Line: Notre Dame by 16 ½, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Michael Mayer's record-breaking career at Notre Dame is about more than mere numbers.
He's become the heartbeat of the program’s midseason turnaround.
While the preseason All-American is the clear leader in the tight end room, his productivity on the field has helped the Fighting Irish reel off three straight wins since starting 0-2.
Maybe making a coaching change less than halfway through the season isn't such a terrible idea.
After an unprecedented spate of early season firings, teams with interim head coaches went 4-0 this weekend in major college football.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Jalen Milroe threw for three touchdowns in his first start and No. 1 Alabama made a final goal-line stand to escape with a 24-20 victory over Texas A&M on Saturday night in a battle of backup quarterbacks.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman described tight end Michael Mayer as a work in progress.
He also called him a freak and a heck of a football player after the junior caught 11 passes for 118 yards and two scores to become the program’s all-time receptions leader for a tight end as Notre Dame won its third straight, beating No.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A week ago, running back Israel Abanikanda had his arm in a sling and Pittsburgh was at a low point in its season.
One week later, Abanikanda returned and enjoyed a game for the ages.