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Notre Dame football: Reasonable expectations for the Irish against USC

By Brad Weiss

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 27: Kyren Williams #23 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs against Jahlil Taylor #52 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half of their game at Kenan Stadium on November 27, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 27: Kyren Williams #23 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs against Jahlil Taylor #52 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half of their game at Kenan Stadium on November 27, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Notre Dame football Jarrett Patterson
SOUTH BEND, IN – NOVEMBER 23: Jarrett Patterson #55 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish snaps the ball during a game against the Boston College Eagles at Notre Dame Stadium on November 23, 2019, in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Boston College 40-7. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame football: Reasonable expectations for the Irish against USC

The offensive line continues to improve

Against Virginia Tech, we finally got to see some strong play from the Notre Dame offensive line, something we have been waiting all season to see. The addition of Joe Alt at left tackle, a revolving door this season, and Andrew Kristofic replacing Zeke Correll seemed to give the Irish the boost it needed upfront.

Now, they need to show consistency, and they will get to do so against a USC pass rush that can be downright dangerous at times. If the Irish can improve upfront going forward, especially with how their schedule will play out, they should be in a great position for another double-digit win season in South Bend.

Against USC, I like this group to continue to grow as an effective unit, keeping Jack Coan and Tyler Buchner clean, while also creating lanes for Kyren Williams and this rushing attack. If they can do that, they should easily beat a USC team that has been atrocious on defense this season, with three games allowing over 40 points on their resume.

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