Notre Dame football clinched their ticket to the 12-team College Football Playoff this past Saturday, defeating rival USC 49-35 on the road. Anytime you can beat your rival, it’s a big deal. Add in the context of locking down a postseason opportunity to win a National Championship,

USC basically doubled the season averages Notre Dame allowed in first downs (16.4 per game) and yards per carry (3.74). Scoring was essentially tripled (13.6 points per game). And yet, Notre Dame still won the game with defense when Christian Gray and Xavier Watts went back-to-back with pick-sixes that covered 199 yards.

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) scores on a 1-yard touchdown run against Southern California Trojans safety Akili Arnold (0) in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images