Notre Dame entered Saturday’s against Syracuse very much on the College Football Playoff bubble. It was No. 9 in the most recent rankings, already had two losses, had not played the most daunting schedule and does not have a conference championship game to really boost its resume.
It needs style points.
It did not just need to win its remaining two regular-season games against Syracuse and Stanford; it needed to win convincingly.
Well, mission accomplished on Saturday in a 70-7 win over Syracuse that was already a laugher within the first 10 minutes of the game.
It was not only an emphatic win for Notre Dame’s playoff chances, but it was also a huge statement for running back Jeremiyah Love in his quest for the Heisman Trophy.
Notre Dame jumped out to 21-0 lead before taking offensive snap
Notre Dame left no doubt in this game from the first beginning, jumping out to a 21-0 lead before taking its first snap on offense.
It did so by returning two interceptions for touchdowns and also returning a blocked punt for a touchdown, all within the first five minutes of the game.
When Notre Dame did finally touch the ball on offense, it scored on its second offensive snap when Love ran for a 45-yard touchdown on his first carry of the game.