PITTSBURGH — No. 9 Notre Dame bolstered its College Football Playoff resume with Saturday’s 37-15 blowout win at No. 22 Pitt.
The Irish (8-2) jumped out to an early 14-0 lead with a 56-yard, highlight-reel run by Heisman Trophy contender Jeremiyah Love and, moments later, a 49-yard interception return by Tae Johnson. Notre Dame cruised from there, nearly doubling Pitt’s yardage.
The Panthers (7-3) lost for the first time since freshman Mason Heintschel became the team’s starting quarterback, but remain in the ACC title race with two games to play. Our immediate takeaways:
Notre Dame makes its CFP defense with conviction
Considering the discourse around Notre Dame during the past week, whether that was the “join a conference” crowd or those questioning the Irish’s schedule, Saturday represented a chance to make a closing argument. And Notre Dame made its point going away, keeping Pitt at arm’s length from the start, ultimately notching a comfortable Top 25 win on the road and improving its Playoff odds to 98 percent.
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