Weekend Worries: Notre Dame and The College Football Playoff
- Liam Farrell
- 2 minutes ago
- 4 min read
No. 10 Notre Dame is sitting in an uncomfortable position on conference championship weekend not only because of their poor play to start the season, but also because of the CFP committee's lack of logic.
Photo by The Irish Tribune
Notre Dame has already completed its résumé, finishing the year on a 10-game winning streak with every single victory being double-digit triumphs. Last Saturday, the Irish seemed to solidify their upward trend with a 29-point win over Stanford, yet the College Football Playoff committee disagreed.
Instead of rewarding the Irish's four-touchdown victory on the road during Rivalry Week, the decision was made to have Notre Dame fall a spot behind Alabama, whose seven-point win over Auburn was unconvincing at best. When asked about the change in the ranking, Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek claimed the Tide's 17-point first half lead and "gutsy" call on 4th down after giving up the aforementioned lead were enough to have Alabama leapfrog the Irish.
Make it make sense.
If the CFP committee acted with logic over spontaneity, the whole process would receive far less discourse. If the committee didn't overreact to Miami's loss at SMU or the Tide's loss against Oklahoma, then there would be no one up in arms about their rise that has been backed without a true understandable reason.
This weekend ultimately should boil down to two conference championship games for the Fighting Irish: The Big 12 and the SEC. Let's quickly break down the outcomes for these games.
BYU Wins, Alabama Wins
Verdict: OUT
Realistically, this would be the worst-case scenario for Notre Dame. A BYU win would have the Cougars get an automatic bid and skyrocket up the standings, which the same could be said about Alabama. Neither Texas Tech nor Georgia would fall out of the rankings, and Oklahoma would be the last team in the field.
BYU Wins, Georgia Wins
Verdict: OUT
Any BYU win would be the death sentence for Notre Dame's college football hopes. If this situation was presented before Tuesday night, the Irish might've felt comfortable cracking the playoff under these circumstances. Yet, with Alabama's ascension over Notre Dame on Tuesday, the committee safeguarded the Tide. Barring an absolute blowout, Alabama would still be safely in the field. The Tide would simply fall behind BYU who would assume the No. 9 spot in the rankings with the Crimson Tide falling to No. 10.
Texas Tech Wins, Georgia Wins
Verdict: IN
This is the most favorable outcome, and the one Notre Dame fans need to be rooting for. A BYU loss would kick the Cougars to the curb in terms of making the playoffs, while an Alabama loss would certainly, at least, have them fall a spot behind Notre Dame. If the committee were to keep Alabama in the same position but drop BYU, it would be a ludicrous decision despite the fact that the Tide would've already had a matchup win against its conference champion foe. In the end, this is the outcome that has highest likelihood for Notre Dame to be in the playoff.
Texas Tech Wins, Alabama Wins
Verdict: CHAOS
This outcome would make for the most stressful watch come Sunday morning/afternoon. If the scenarios of these two conference games were to unfold exactly like they did in the regular season, a sizable Texas Tech win and a close Crimson Tide victory, how would the committee address the last spot?
Logic would point to the fact that if on Tuesday, Team A is ranked higher than Team B, and two teams DO NOT PLAY a single down of football between that night and Sunday night, then the higher ranked team would remain in that position. How can the feeling of those two teams be manipulated if neither one had the opportunity to show something different from the last time the committee voted on Tuesday night?
The most sensible answer would be it should be impossible for Miami to be moved ahead of Notre Dame because neither team did anything this Saturday to change that outcome. Miami and Notre Dame have been in the same competitive pool for the last three weeks, and the people in Grapevine, Texas, have come to the consistent conclusion that Notre Dame is the better team. Yet, this finding is based on the assumed fact that the CFP committee would act in a logical manner, which is a trait they have yet to display.
Ultimately, Miami and Notre Dame are both capable of winning a national championship. It is a shame this discussion has come to an either/or rather than both teams making it in and having the opportunity to display their talent. The 12-team playoff is still in its infancy, and there are certainly corrections that need to be made, but the committee acting without reason has been the biggest red flag throughout this process.
Want the latest intel on Notre Dame football? Subscribe to Tribune+ and get access to recruiting and team intel from The Irish Tribune team, as well as access to our intel community, exclusive app, and more Notre Dame content: Subscribe here to support our independent journalism.
Follow The Irish Tribune on social media:
Follow @LiamFarrell_IT on X
Liked this story? Subscribe to our mailing list and get every story in your inbox.
Check out our Irish partners:
TMPR Sports - Use code "IrishTribune20" to get $20 off your officially-licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle here!
