Notre Dame put itself in a great position to host a College Football Playoff game on Saturday evening by defeating USC, 49-35. It was a must-win game for the Irish in Los Angeles and Marcus Freeman's squad got it done in emphatic fashion in the fourth quarter,

Quarterback Riley Leonard #13 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish dives into the end zone to score a touchdown against USC Trojans during the second half at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 30,

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame punched their ticket to the postseason with a 49-35 victory over USC (6-6) on Saturday. In a rivalry-week thriller, the Irish (11-1) utilized two late pick-sixes within a crucial three-minute stretch of the fourth quarter to ice the win over their longtime arch-rival at the Los Angeles Coliseum.