Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (13) throws the ball during a NCAA college football game against Virginia at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 8 Notre Dame won. No. 7 Tennessee and No. 6 BYU lost. Unless a two-loss Southeastern Conference team jumps the Irish — which seems unlikely, given how it’s treated two-loss SEC teams in the past two weeks — second-year head coach Marcus Freeman‘s team should be in line to host a first-round College Football Playoff game.

Notre Dame football came out with a 35 to 14 victory over the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday. It was an impressive performance considering that the Irish were far from perfect. The offense was lackluster,