Notre Dame reigns atop college football again
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The postgame roars from Notre Dame's locker room echoed right through the Coliseum's thick cement walls and metal beams Saturday night, moving around the 89-year-old arena like a long-absent force of nature.
After decades away, the Fighting Irish are back on top of college football - unmatched atop the rankings, unblemished in the standings, and unequivocally ready to try to end a 24-year national championship drought.
No. 1 Notre Dame (12-0) beat Southern California 22-13 to complete its first unbeaten regular season since 1988, that last championship year. It capped a year of historic dominance for the Irish defense and Heisman contender Manti Te'o.
The Irish have six weeks to prepare for the BCS title game on Jan. 7, but coach Brian Kelly's restoration of the Notre Dame mystique should linger much longer.