How Notre Dame Can Make The College Football Playoff
Oct 18, 2014; Tallahassee, FL, USA; The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Leprechaun waves a flag after a touchdown in the third quarter against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Less than a week removed from the first College Football Playoff rankings, many all already up in arms with the committee’s selection.
With the SEC West taking three of the four spots, the committee has come under fire for their selections. Throughout the week, the committee members have repeatedly given the same answer when regarding their decision to put Notre Dame (6-1) at 10th. It is all about the body of work.
The committee’s argument is valid, Notre Dame’s strength of schedule is currently ranked 22nd while Auburn, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss, are all in the top eight. It doesn’t matter who you lose to, it matters who you beat.
Notre Dame does not have a win against a team currently ranked in the top-25. Committee member Jeff Long said that if it weren’t for Notre Dame’s “good loss” to Florida State their ranking would be much longer. The Irish’s game against Florida State was their first road game of the season; they have played out of South Bend twice. The Irish played Syracuse in MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, as well as Purdue in Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Irish’s marquee win was against Stanford, who at the time was 14th in the nation, however their inconsistent play has seen them drop out of the top-25. However Notre Dame can still make the playoff, they just need help, and a lot of it. This weekend the Irish face Navy, which won’t help their cause, however next week they travel to Tempe, to play 14th ranked Arizona State. A win in Tempe would impress the committee, something Notre Dame desperately needs. The Irish’s final three games are against Northwestern and currently 25th ranked Louisville in South Bend, before traveling to Los Angeles for their regular season finale against USC.
However with no conference championship game, Notre Dame is going to be a game beyond many of the teams they are trying to jump. There is hope though. Ole Miss and Mississippi State will meet in the Egg Bowl, Alabama and Auburn still have the Iron Bowl, and TCU and Kansas State will meet each other as well. That gives the Irish an opportunity to possibly jump a two-loss team.
Oregon host Stanford this weekend and have dropped their last two to the Cardinal. Next week the Ducks travel to Salt Lake City for a game with Utah, who upset UCLA earlier this year. The Ducks also have to battle in-state rivals Oregon State in the Civil War to close out the regular season. Oregon also may play in a conference championship game, if they make it.
The last team ahead of Notre Dame is Michigan State. The 8th ranked Spartans have a bye this week, which gives them extra time to prepare for Ohio State next week. However they follow that with weaker games against Rutgers and Maryland, before finishing the season at Penn State.
If the Irish run the table and finish at 11-1, they will need multiple two-loss teams if they want any hope of making the inaugural College Football Playoff. With only four spots available, it will be very difficult for Notre Dame to make it with their schedule. Quality wins against Louisville as well as on the road against ASU and USC will build their case, however the Irish are still in desperate need of help.