Notre Dame capped off an incredible 10-2 season on Sunday morning. Now their playoff fate is in the hands of the committee. But to be more frank, it’s in the hands of Texas Tech and Georgia heading into conference championship weekend. The college football playoff committee will certainly have its hands full. As there are six schools fighting for what essentially are two open spots in the playoffs.
My Playoff Picture (As Of 12/01/25)
Locks
- Indiana
- Ohio State
- Georgia
- Texas Tech
- Ole Miss
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
Win and In
- Tulane/North Texas
- BYU
- Alabama
- Virginia
Needs Help
- Miami
- Texas
- Vanderbilt
- James Madison
- UNLV/Boise State
- Notre Dame
Congrats on your ACC title… Enjoy the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
- Duke
Let’s Face Reality, Irish Fans.
Listen… take it from someone who CRIED for a solid hour or two post OSU loss last year. I want nothing more than a playoff appearance and a shot at redemption. The thought of an ND national title practically brings me to tears as I write this. But the harsh reality is… this team is not jumping Oklahoma, Ole Miss, or anyone else. Notre Dame’s playoff hopes solely depend on the result of the Big 12 and SEC championship games.
The conspiracy theories about Ole Miss falling because of Lane Kiffin aren’t happening. Notre Dame is not jumping Oklahoma out of nowhere either, because the Sooners have a better resume then ND does. So stop daydreaming otherwise you are setting yourself up for massive disappointment Tuesday night.
The current CFP format has its negatives, and this is one of them for a team not in a conference. Sometimes there is just not enough room in the elevator, and the Irish are hoping just to slip in before the doors slam shut. Pull up numbers, cite money and TV ratings, and say, “But it’s Notre Dame,” all you want. IT DOES NOT MATTER because if BYU and Alabama win their respective conferences, Notre Dame is #13. A 10-2 season wasted, a generational RB wasted, and a long offseason ahead are 120 minutes of football away.
“But The Numbers Say”
The numbers say Notre Dame is a top 5-10 team in the country. While that may be true, unfortunately the current landscape can still cause issues. You would think ten straight wins would lock you into the 12-team playoff, but you still need help, and it’s frustrating. That is likely the mindset of everyone in South Bend and beyond at the moment. Believe me, I get it. I’m racking my brain over countless scenarios, but the only one that matters is that one of Alabama or BYU falls on Saturday afternoon.
You can point to the double-digit wins, the resume, the improvement, and everything else. That is fantastic for the at-large bids, but it could all be for nothing by the time OSU and Indiana kick off. In reality, you have several teams who stake a claim for the final two at-large bids, like Texas, Vanderbilt, Utah, Miami, and BYU if they lose. A lot of questions will be answered on Tuesday when the penultimate rankings come out.
The Irish Deserve It
Notre Dame is a better team than Duke, Virginia, James Madison, Tulane, North Texas, and BYU in my honest opinion. So yes, the Fighting Irish absolutely deserve a spot in the playoffs. But the next five days will show if being deserving of something is enough. Truthfully, my motivation to watch any more college football this season will nosedive if Notre Dame isn’t a playoff team.
So we all need to do our part and say our prayers, light our candles, and hell, maybe even build a replica grotto in our backyards at this point. Whatever it takes short of selling our souls, although I’d probably consider it if I was promised a title win. In my heart I know this is a playoff team, but I’ve accepted the harsh reality. Even if we deserve it, it may not happen.
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