USC run defense desperately needs to stop the bleeding

Beating good teams is always difficult. That goes without saying. In order for USC, however, to be able to reenter into the national discussions in college football, they will need to find a way to have an increased presence in the run game on defense on a more consistent basis.

This is particularly true in the Big Ten. As the first half against Notre Dame came to a close, though, the Independent rival showed why many are not yet sold on the Trojans as things stand now.

Jeremiyah Love had 134 yards on 10 carries, which was good for 13.4 yards per attempt during the opening two quarters. This included a monstrous 63-yard gain and a touchdown from the Notre Dame running back from 12 yards out.

There is certainly not any shame in allowing someone with Love's pedigree or ability to have a good game. He is one of the top backs in the nation after all.

The issue is how easy the task looked for the Fighting Irish unit as a whole.

For Love to go untouched for as long as he often did and for the Trojan offensive line to lose the battle with relative ease is something that is concerning.

USC certainly has the players who are good enough to be able to make a stand and to turn things around. They will need to. So long as Notre Dame is able to run the ball at will and function as a multidimensional offense, the game script will continue to fit perfectly into the hands of the Fighting Irish.