FOOTBALL

In college football, Notre Dame was the lone undefeated team left in college football.  All they needed was one more win to secure their spot in the National Championship Game in January.  But they would have to beat an unpredictable USC team in Southern California.  USC was without their star quarterback Matt Barkley, but of course they have another reserve phenom waiting in the wings in Max Wittek.  The game stayed close for most of the first half, despite some jitters from Wittek, but Notre Dame started to pull away in the second half.  USC had a shot to get back into it at the very end, where a touchdown would have put them within one score of taking the game.  But a ferocious goal line stand from Notre Dame stopped USC on all four downs and secured the Irish’s ticket to the Big Dance.  They will likely take on the winner of the SEC Championship between Alabama and Georgia.  Notre Dame 22, USC 13.

And in the NFL, the Buffalo Bills were hoping to keep their one game win streak alive.  They were hoping to extend that win streak to the end of the season and pick up a wild card birth.  After all, the NFL is all about who’s the hottest team headed into the playoffs.  Buffalo won last week against Miami, and were looking to pick up a win against Andrew Luck in Indianapolis.  But Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills couldn’t get anything going offensively.  Fortunately for the Bills, the Colts offense was rather stagnant as well.  Andrew Luck hit rookie T.Y. Hilton in the 3rd quarter to give the Colts a safe 20-6 lead, but then a rare Lee Smith sighting (a star receiver from the middle of the past decade) gave the Bills a touchdown to bring them within one score.  But the Bills defense couldn’t stop Luck, and the Colts pull out a victory.  This helps their OWN playoff agenda.  Indianapolis 20, Buffalo 13.

And in another NFL game, Cleveland had a nice day.  The Browns franchise has obviously been down for the past few years, and this season is no different, as they came into a game against Pittsburgh with a 2-8 record.  For the Steelers, the Browns are typically ticked off as a win prior to the season.  The Steelers organization always expects to beat them.  So when the Browns see a hobbled Steelers team coming to town, starting a very old veteran at quarterback in Charlie Batch — needlessly to say, the Dawg Pound salivates.  The Browns defense caused Batch to throw 3 interceptions, while the Browns star rookie Trent Richardson rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown. The game still came down to the wire, but, in the end, the Browns defense did enough to hold Pittsburgh and get the win against the hated Steelers.  For the record, this is always a big morale booster for the city of Cleveland.  Cleveland 20, Pittsburgh 14.