Sugar Bowl Final Thoughts: What it looked like when Notre Dame pulled back to curtain on a victorious locker room Should we start tracking TFL margin? How Mike Denbrock called the game the Irish needed, even if it wasn't exactly the game he wanted. www.nytimes.com/athletic/603...

Marcus Freeman spent this season building belief. Not by talking about it. But by calling it. How Notre Dame's head coach wired the Irish to (potentially) win on Wednesday night. www.nytimes.com/athletic/602...

🚨🎙️The Independent🎙️🚨 Our Sugar Bowl preview will record at 8:30 p.m. eastern on Monday from New Orleans. And you can join @Matt_Fortuna and myself on the show. All you need is a webcam and a free ticket via ShowUs. Click. Sign up. See you tomorrow. bit.ly/42cRzZ9

Worth noting from Notre Dame's Saturday morning practice. Rocco Spindler was back taking reps at right guard with the 1st-team offensive line. The senior missed the second half of the Indiana game with an undisclosed injury and was replaced by red-shirt freshman Sam Pendleton.

Xavier Watts has officially been named a consensus All-American, making him Notre Dame's first two-time consensus All-American since Aaron Taylor in 1992-93.

With Notre Dame's big moment finally here, where do the Irish need to win on Friday night to take the first step in a potential College Football Playoff run? Three keys, one prediction. www.nytimes.com/athletic/600...

🚨🎙️The Independent🎙️🚨 RETURN OF THE TUNA: The pod welcomes back Matt Fortuna as Tim Murray joins to preview Notre Dame-Indiana, talk Marcus Freeman's extension and recap Pete Bevacqua's bold push for a title. Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0Dlx...

Pete Bevacqua says both he and coach Marcus Freeman are "maniacally obsessed" with winning a national championship. Notes he wanted to get the extension done before the CFP. Adds Notre Dame is committed to maintaining its investment in assistant coach pay.

Pete Bevacqua said his expectations for the atmosphere for Notre Dame vs. Indiana are similar to the atmosphere for Notre Dame vs. Florida State in 1993, which he attended the fall after his graduation.

Pete Bevacqua asked about Marcus Freeman's contract extension, specifically if there's language pertaining to Ohio State or the NFL. "There are no carve outs"

Pete Bevacqua said the House Settlement is on Notre Dame's mind "constantly" Asked if ND will participate fully and how much will go to football. "We will absolutely meet the cap." Believes the cap will be $20.5 million. "A large portion of that will be dedicated to football."

Kicker Mitch Jeter hit 4-of-6 field goals, with both misses beyond 40 yards. One hit the upright. Also difficult to get a great read on his status, although Notre Dame insists he’s fine to kick versus Indiana.

Watched some of Jeremiyah Love, who took reps behind Jadarian Price (usually that’s the other way around). Hard to get a read on how healthy he is (or isn’t) in light work.

Media got a glimpse of Notre Dame practice on Monday. Of note, Charles Jagusah returned and took some light reps at left guard. CJ Carr remains limited. Didn’t participate in throwing beyond short toss in warmups. When the other three QBs threw outs and posts, Carr stood aside.

Every football season has an arc. But few of those arcs rise, fall and rise quite like Notre Dame's did. How Marcus Freeman put the pieces back together after the season's worst lost, a rebuilding job headed for the College Football Playoff. www.nytimes.com/athletic/599...

Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame have agreed to a new six-year contract that will make Freeman among the highest paid coaches in college football yet to win a national title. www.nytimes.com/athletic/599...

Marcus Freeman says "this is as close as he's been to where he was before he got hurt." on Mitch Jeter. Confident the Irish kicker is on the mend after a difficult November. Jeter has struggled since the hip/groin injury suffered against Stanford.

Marcus Freeman lists Howard Cross, Jeremiyah Love and Devyn Ford as "available" for Indiana.

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden is a Broyles Award finalist alongside ASU OC Marcus Arroyo, Tennessee DC Tim Banks, Indiana DC Bryant Haines and Texas DC Pete Kwiatkowski.

Marcus Freeman was named one of nine finalists for Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. Other finalists: Shane Beamer Curt Cignetti Spencer Danielson Kenny Dillingham Dan Lanning Rhett Lashlee Jeff Monken Kirby Smart

Notre Dame will open the College Football Playoff at home against Indiana, with the winner to face Georgia in the quarterfinals (likely the Sugar Bowl).

Calling my shot. Indiana at Notre Dame on Dec. 21. Winner faces Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

There’s no way the CFP committee can take Alabama over SMU after tonight. Come on, people.

Penn State giving a solid account of itself. Texas lost in overtime. That’s feels like enough where Notre Dame will be the No. 7 seed on Sunday … which probably means Indiana heading up US 31?

The winners of The Echoes from Notre Dame’s season-ending awards banquet.

Boise State is in. What does that mean for Notre Dame’s first round outlook? Glad you asked. Here’s a choose-your-own-adventure approach to figuring out who the Irish will host in the College Football Playoff based on championship weekend. www.nytimes.com/athletic/597...

Imagine me telling you in August that Notre Dame’s best win of the year would be Army, but that the Irish also went 11-1 with wins at Texas A&M, at USC and a 49-point win over Florida State.

Can you hear Marcus Freeman now? How Notre Dame’s head coach led the Irish to 10 straight wins and perhaps did something bigger than just make the College Football Playoff. www.nytimes.com/athletic/595...

Touchdown stands. What a moment for Christian Gray. The guy has had a season this afternoon against USC. Notre Dame 42 USC 28

Mitchell Evans from the Ohio State and Duke games last year has entered the Coliseum. Not a moment too soon. Touchdown, Notre Dame. Notre Dame 35 USC 21

Notre Dame answers USC's answer to Notre Dame. Six plays, five runs, one facemask penalty, 75 yards. Notre Dame 28 USC 21

Big-time answer by Notre Dame to start the second half. Irish right down the field with a Jadarian Price 36-yard touchdown to cap the 6-play, 75-yard drive. Just one third down conversion required. And no fourth down trickery. Notre Dame 21 USC 14

HALFTIME: Notre Dame 14 USC 14 Trojans enter the half with momentum and look like a team that's been in every game they've played. Irish look like a team that's blown away a lot of inferior competition and they're getting a real test today.

That might be as bad as Notre Dame's defense has looked on a possession all year. USC goes right down the field, capped by a Jayden Maiava touchdown pass in the final seconds of the second quarter. Christian Gray on the business end of it. Notre Dame 14 USC 14

Touchdown, Notre Dame. Great ball from Riley Leonard to Eli Raridon. The Middle 8 strikes again. Notre Dame now leading 118-0 on the season in the final four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half. Irish get the ball in 3rd. Notre Dame 14 USC 7

I've covered 20+ Notre Dame-USC games. I've seen some version of Jeremiyah Love playing for the Trojans a dozen times. Now Notre Dame has its own. Box office running back. Notre Dame 7 USC 0

Christian Gray is having a heck of a first quarter. What was Al Golden saying about how your defensive backs tackle is a window into your soul?

Watching pregame warmups, defensive tackle Howard Cross is participating. Hard to put a % on his health, but he’s at least getting some work.

Good morning

Notre Dame men's hoops falls 85-84 to Rutgers at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Princeton transfer Matt Allocco had an epic performance: 24 points, 10 rebounds (6-of-9 from 3). Markus Burton's apparent knee injury critical to whatever comes next for the Irish. Status TBD.

Mike Denbrock makes the list, although he’d be an outside the box hire in Chapel Hill.

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden is one of 65 nominees for the Broyles Award (top assistant coach). One would expect Golden to be one of the finalists next month. Mike Denbrock was a finalist last year before being hired back to Notre Dame.

I asked Mike Denbrock about the inspiration behind this play… “I was paying respect to the Four Horsemen … because of Yankee Stadium, the historic matchup, I wanted to have something down there that was a little different.” Said Notre Dame didn’t block it very well.

The Notre Dame Mailbag returns later this week for a Thanksgiving edition. Also, it's a Notre Dame-could-clinch-a-CFP-bid edition. Got a question? Hit the link. Post it. Talk soon... www.nytimes.com/athletic/594...

If you judged Marcus Freeman’s postgame press conference on demeanor, this was about as a matter-of-fact as possible. He’s spent as much time on stalling in the red zone (once), defensive penalties and field goal miscues as any success tonight.

FINAL Notre Dame 49 Army 14 A mismatch in every sense of the word as the Irish stage a defensive clinic against the option and let their game-breaking speed loose on the perimeter. Bottom line: Notre Dame will host a College Football Playoff game if it wins at USC next week.

Per my previous emails: Jeremiyah Love

HALF: Notre Dame 28 Army 7 Irish out-gaining the Black Knight 258-85. Notre Dame has 12 plays of 10+ yards. Army has none. No fuss tonight.

Hmmm, perimeter runs by the goal line when all your running backs are faster than all the defenders on the field. Makes too much sense not to try it. Jadarian Price in for a 2-yard score. Notre Dame 28 Army 7

This is a reminder that Notre Dame always, always, always has a massive talent advantage against the military academies. And if that doesn't show up, it's on the Notre Dame coaching staff. Irish staff doing just fine tonight.