AP Top 25 Extra Points: No. 4 Irish still draw on lessons learned from humbling loss to N. Illinois

Now Notre Dame waits.

The Fighting Irish will find out next Sunday if they'll play at home in the first round of the College Football Playoff. They all but clinched an at-large spot with their win at Southern California on Saturday and, combined with Ohio State's loss, strengthened their position to be a host team Dec. 20 or 21.

Their 49-35 win at USC, made possible by 99- and 100-yard interception returns for touchdowns late in the game, helped the Irish move up to No. 4 in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday. It's their highest ranking in four years. They were No. 5 in last week's CFP rankings and, after Ohio State's 13-10 loss to Michigan, should move up a spot when the new rankings come out Tuesday night.

Coach Marcus Freeman and his players like to use their 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois as the starting point for measuring their progress.