It wasn't easy, it wasn't always fun, but at the end of the day it was worth it as Notre Dame (11-1) survived an absolute battle with USC and is now headed to the first 12-team College Football Playoff. I'm not sure anyone saw the shootout unfolding that ...

No. 5 Notre Dame punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff with a 49-35 victory over Southern California for its 10th consecutive win

Christian Gray 's 99-yard pick-6 with 3:39 remaining clinched No. 5 Notre Dame 's 49-35 win over USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday. With the victory, the Fighting Irish have locked up a spot in the College Football Playoff.

LOS ANGELES — Christian Gray returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown with 3:39 to play, Xavier Watts returned another interception 100 yards for a score with 1:18 left, and No. 5 Notre Dame punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff with its 10th consecutive victory, 49-35 over Southern California on Saturday.

For the first time since late September - forever in a college football season - No. 5 Notre Dame found itself up against it against rival USC

Notre Dame is in the College Football Playoff after closing the regular season with a 49-35 victory over USC. It's great whenever the Irish defeat the Trojans, especially on the road, but this one carried extra meaning for the aforementioned reason.

The stage was set for another great battle between Notre Dame and USC, and after a four quarter battle the Irish did what was needed and earned the victory. Notre Dame and USC battled it out for the Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy, but the Irish won it with a 49-35 victory. The win secures a spot for Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff.

No. 5 Notre Dame will travel to Southern California on Saturday to face USC on CBS. This matchup will mark the 95th all-time meeting between the historic programs. Notre Dame and USC have played each other every season in football since 1926, except during World War ll (1943-45) and the COVID-19 shortened season in 2020.

Notre Dame (11-1) pulled ahead by two touchdowns late in the third quarter when Riley Leonard connected with Mitchell Evans for a 23-yard score. It was the second of Leonard's two touchdown passes on a 17-of-23, 155-yard day, and his third score overall after a 2-yard end-zone rush earlier in the third quarter broke a 21-21 tie.