Where Could the Irish Land? ESPN's Playoff Predictor Shows Latest Possibilities
With Notre Dame's monumental 31-24 victory over #1 Miami this past Saturday, many critics consider the Irish's 2026 Playoff spot a lock. Let's dive into the possible opponents the Irish might face in the 2026-2027 College Football Playoffs using ESPN's All-State Playoff Predictor.
Photo by Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
First Round BYE and Quarterfinal Matchup
If the Irish handle business accordingly (i.e., win out), they have a 99% chance of making the playoffs, with a 70% chance of receiving a first-round BYE. ESPN currently has Notre Dame facing off against the first round of competition between #7 Wake Forest and #10 Oregon. The Playoff Predictor has the Oregon Ducks to upset the Demon Deacons to move on. As of 11/13, the Ducks sit at 6-3, with losses to Oklahoma State, UCLA, and Illinois. The three losses are less damning compared to the quality wins for the Ducks over then #12 USC, #20 Northwestern, and a blowout of #12 Ohio State last week. If Oregon handles business in the coming weeks against Michigan, Michigan State, and Washington, this playoff scenario becomes realistic. However, ESPN's Predictor has the Irish beating the Ducks to move on to the semifinals against an all-too-familiar foe.
Semifinals: The Catholics and Convicts Meet Again
After defeating the Ducks, the Irish would move on to face off against the winner of BYU and Miami, two teams the Irish have already played this season. Luckily for the Irish, ESPN selected Miami as the victor, meaning a second iteration of the Catholics vs. Convicts rivalry might be possible this year. Miami suffered its lone loss so far this season at the hands of the Irish, which dropped the Hurricanes down to #7, six spots behind where they were prior to last Saturday's game. The 'Canes are also expected to win out over Duke, Virginia Tech and Boston College to close the year. Although Malachi Toney might be back for Miami, ESPN's Playoff Predictor still places the winner of this game as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Irish will move on to face off against Georgia in this hypothetical playoff scenario.
College Football National Championship
As the Irish defeat the Hurricanes to clinch the second national championship spot in three years, a juggernaut of an opponent stands in the way of Freeman's quest to end the title drought. At the opposite end of the bracket, the Kirby Smart-led Georgia Bulldogs dominated the likes of Ole Miss and Indiana to clinch the other spot to compete for the title. The Dawgs have dominated their SEC schedule so far, with wins over #6 Alabama, #17 Florida, and #10 Ole Miss. If the Bulldogs handle business against #22 Missouri, #17 South Carolina, and Georgia Tech, then they will also be in championship contention. Right now, ESPN has Georgia as the frontrunner in the current playoff rankings, and the Playoff Predictor refuses to defer from the outlook, as the ESPN All-State Playoff Predictor has the Georgia Bulldogs beating Notre Dame for the first title since 2022 in Athens.
Conclusion
As entertaining as the computer predictions were to look at, it's important to remember that the games still must be played. This is nothing but an estimated guess from a prediction model. I would bet my hard-earned money on the result of this prediction looking nothing like the real-life result. Nevertheless, it was satisfying to see the Irish go as far as they did. Only time will tell if Marcus Freeman and C.J. Carr can bring the first national championship since 1988 home to South Bend.
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