No. 9 Notre Dame heads to California to take on the Stanford Cardinal, as the Irish look to punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive year.

This week should provide a test for the seemingly improved Notre Dame defense against an electric USC offense. Offensively, the Trojans are led by Head Coach and playcaller Lincoln Riley. The former Oklahoma HC has compiled a 31-15 record at USC since taking over in 2022, with no conference titles or playoff appearances on his resume. For these reasons, Riley entered this season in a bit of a hot seat. However, a 5-1 start and top-25 ranking have quieted his critics for now.

It is no secret that the Notre Dame defense has severely struggled to start the season, especially the secondary. Christian Gray is a big part of that secondary, and like the rest of his unit, Gray needs to improve quickly if Notre Dame wants to right their wrongs.

When Leonard Moore stepped onto campus in South Bend for his freshman year, the three-star cornerback was not showered with the...