Notre Dame vs. USC LIVE UPDATES: No. 1 Irish Face Max Wittek, Trojans With BCS Title Chance On Line

LIVE: Notre Dame vs. USC
SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 22: Members of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish defense line up against the offense of the University of Southern California Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on October 22, 2011 in South Bend, Indiana. USC defeated Notre Dame 31-17. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 22: Members of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish defense line up against the offense of the University of Southern California Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on October 22, 2011 in South Bend, Indiana. USC defeated Notre Dame 31-17. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

For Notre Dame, the task is simple: Win.

The No. 1 Fighting Irish will clinch a berth in the BCS national championship game by defeating USC in Los Angeles. Losses by Alabama, Kansas State and Oregon in recent weeks have cleared the path for the Irish. All they have to do is walk it.

Standing between Brian Kelly's 11-0 club and the BCS title game is USC. Bruised and battered, the 7-4 Trojans can write a memorable finish to a forgettable season by knocking off their archrivals before a raucous home crowd at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

If the preseason No. 1 upsets the current No. 1 ranked team in Week 13, then redshirt freshman quarterback Max Wittek will likely play a key role. Filling in for Matt Barkley, sidelined by a shoulder injury, Wittek will make his first collegiate start against Manti Te'o and the dominant Irish defense.

"We're going to win this ballgame," Wittek told ESPN 710 LA after learning that he'd be starting.

Can Wittek make good on his prediction and make the Irish the latest No. 1 team to fall? Or will Notre Dame clinch a spot in the national title game?

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