LOS ANGELES — Given what happened across the country on a sloppy Rivalry Week in college football, USC fans can be pardoned if their attention wasn’t fully on the field on Saturday as the Trojans took on the No. 15 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

On a day when No. 2 Ohio State, No. 5 LSU, and No. 8 Clemson all lost, the Trojans took care of business in a big way against the Irish, with quarterback Caleb Williams putting on yet another Heisman-worthy performance and Lincoln Riley sealing an 11-win debut regular season.

USC had full control for almost the entire game against the Irish, going up 7-0 less than five minutes into the game, extending the lead with a first-quarter field goal, and allowing Notre Dame to get no closer than three points the rest of the game.

Scoring a second straight win over a top-20 opponent after beating the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl last Saturday, the Trojans appear headed to their first College Football Playoff if they can close out either Utah or Washington in the Pac-12 title game in Las Vegas next Friday.

But for now, here are three takeaways from USC’s 38-27 win over Notre Dame.

Caleb Williams puts up the Heisman pose

No, literally, he put up the Heisman pose.

With just the Pac-12 title game to go, it won’t be too long until he poses for real.

C.J. Stroud and Ohio State’s loss to Michigan on Saturday puts Williams in the driver’s seat for USC’s first Heisman Trophy since 2004 (Matt Leinart, if you don’t count the vacated trophy won by Reggie Bush in 2005).

But in many ways, Williams put himself in position with a brilliant second half of the season.

Starting with USC’s 43-42 loss at Utah in Week 7 — the Trojans’ lone loss of the year, and not a bad one — Williams had five touchdowns or more in four straight games and seven total touchdowns over his past two games, including four in the Trojans’ win over Notre Dame on Saturday.

Williams finished 18-for-22 passing for 232 yards and a score through the air against the Fighting Irish while adding nine runs for 35 yards and three scores on the ground.

He was chased all over the field by an active Notre Dame defense that couldn’t quite catch him. The elusive dual-threat quarterback probably escaped 10-plus sacks on Saturday.

USC defense toughens up

The Trojans came out swinging offensively, but they were more measured in their defensive approach. Yet they were no less effective.

USC held Notre Dame to 19 offensive yards until a 30-yard completion from Pyne to Audric Estime with 30 seconds left in the first quarter, the Trojans had a key fourth-down stand on fourth-and-1 from their own 28-yard-line early in the second quarter.

Pyne went on to complete 23 of his 26 passes for 318 yards and a score scores, including eight completions for 98 yards and two scores to tight end Michael Mayer.

Like others this season, Notre Dame was able to move the ball, but USC took the football away before damage was done.

Austin Jones continues to star for the Trojans

Cast into the role of backup behind the steady and productive Travis Dye, USC running back Austin Jones could have sulked when his number was not called often midway through the season. The former Stanford back had one last year to shine this year, and he chose to play a bit part with the Trojans this year — until Dye was lost for the season with a leg injury in Week 11, that is.

In the last two weeks, Jones has proven his impact.

Last Saturday against the Bruins, Jones had 120 yards and 2 scores on 21 carries in his most extensive action of the season. Against Notre Dame on Saturday, Jones was even better, rushing for 154 yards on 25 carries in the win.