It doesn’t matter that Notre Dame is undefeated and ranked third in the nation, just one win shy of earning a spot in the College Football Playoff.
It doesn’t matter that the Irish are heavily favored to get that victory against a struggling, if not woeful, USC in their annual showdown at the Coliseum this weekend.
The last few seasons, November has been cruel month for coach Brian Kelly’s program, cursed by slipups and misfires, tarnished by losses that killed championship runs.
Now, so close to another title shot, the stakes are high. And Kelly knows anything can happen in a rivalry game.