It was some combination of religion, a grudge involving Knute Rockne and a rival, and maybe the simple time-honored notion that some people just don’t like Notre Dame.

Chip Trayanum's 1-yard TD run with a second left to give No. 6 Ohio State a 17-14 victory at No. 9 Notre Dame.

This is not exactly a winning weekend upcoming of NFL football.

Bryant Young straddled the classic football divide between discipline and ferocity more adeptly than just about any player of his generation.

Spencer Sanders accounted for 496 yards and threw three of his four touchdown passes to Tay Martin, and No. 9 Oklahoma State overcame a 21-point deficit to beat No. 5 Notre Dame 37-35 in the Fiesta Bowl.

Urban Meyer's first NFL season is also his first taste of real football since the end of the 2018 season.

(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)ARLINGTON, Texas – A truly untraditional Rose Bowl setting, a very common result for Alabama in the College Football Playoff. 4 Notre Dame in a CFP semifinal Rose Bowl played inside about 1,400 miles from Pasadena, California. “I don't think there’s anything quite like the Rose Bowl, the tradition, the setting, the mountains. 3 Ohio State, which beat Clemson 49-28 in the other CFP semifinal at the Sugar Bowl on Friday night. PERFECT AT COWS HOMEAlabama is 5-0 at AT&T Stadium, with a pair of convincing CFP semifinal wins there.

President Donald Trump congratulates Olympic gold medalist and former University of Iowa wrestling coach Dan Gable after awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump presented the nation’s highest civilian honor to Dan Gable, a renowned wrestler and coach from Iowa who won a gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Gable was a champion wrestler at Iowa State University, compiling a 117-1 record and winning two NCAA titles. Gable would go on to an incredibly successful coaching career at the University of Iowa, where his teams won 15 NCAA titles. “No one has done more to promote wrestling in America than Dan Gable,” Trump said.

“Let them steal Georgia again, you’ll never be able to look yourself in the mirror,” Trump told rallygoers. The Jan. 5 Senate runoffs in Georgia will determine the balance of power in Washington after Biden takes office. Democrats need a Georgia sweep to force a 50-50 Senate and position Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking vote. Trump continued to reiterate his unsubstantiated claims of fraud, despite his own administration assessing the election to have been conducted without any major issues. Chants of “Fight for Trump” drowned out the two senators as they briefly spoke to the crowd.

Heidi Stirrup, an ally of top Trump adviser Stephen Miller, was quietly installed at the Justice Department as a White House liaison a few months ago. The Justice Department declined to comment. Trump shot back at Barr on Thursday, saying the Justice Department “hasn’t looked very hard" and calling it a disappointment. “They should be looking at all of this fraud,” Trump said. The Trump administration has been working to have liaisons report directly to the White House instead of the agencies where they work.

Former football coach Lou Holtz smiles after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump, in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Thursday called Lou Holtz "one of the greatest coaches in American history” as he honored the college football Hall of Famer and political ally with the nation's highest civilian honor. “He’s really a life teacher," said Trump, noting the respect and loyalty Holtz earned from the many players he mentored. Holtz is one of several sports figures Trump has awarded the Medal of Freedom during his time office. “I’m even prouder to receive it from President Donald Trump," said Holtz, who added that Trump was the "greatest president in my lifetime”A graduate of Kent State, Holtz also served seven years as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves.

2 Notre Dame overcame an early deficit to roll to a 45-31 victory over Boston College on Saturday. Ben Skowronek caught all three of Book’s TD passes, but also had one of three Notre Dame fumbles on the day. Th Eagles hung tough in the first half, recovering a pair of Notre Dame fumbles, but they scored only six points of the miscues. It was recovered by Notre Dame defensive end Daelin Hayes on the Eagles 49 with 2:05 left in the quarter. Boston College: The Eagles had moments they can build on, much like they did when they took Clemson to the brink last month.

Notre Dame and coach Brian Kelly have agreed to a contract extension that runs through the 2024 season. Kelly is entering his 11th season as Notre Dame coach, and 30th season as a head coach in college football. “We are pleased to be able to have Brian lead our football program for the foreseeable future,” Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a statement. Kelly is approaching Lou Holtz’s Notre Dame record for most games coached in program history. He has already matched Holtz with five double-digit victory seasons at Notre Dame.

In this image from video, Lou Holtz speaks from Orlando, Fla., during the third night of the Republican National Convention on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020.. (Courtesy of the Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Committee via AP)WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Friday he intends to give the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, to longtime football coach Lou Holtz. Holtz spent 34 years coaching both college and professional football teams and is perhaps best known for an 11-season stint as Notre Dame's head coach. Holtz ended his career at the University of South Carolina, where he was head coach for six seasons from 1999-2004. Holtz was among those who spoke at last weeks Republican National Convention. In his remarks, Holtz called Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden a Catholic in name only. Biden is a practicing Catholic.