Notre Dame’s Playoff Hopes Now Depend on One Week 15 Game

Notre Dame finished the regular season with a strong 10-2 record, but their playoff dreams are now in serious danger. Surprisingly, everything may come down to what BYU does in Week 15.

Notre Dame is still ahead of BYU in the Week 14 playoff rankings, but that may not matter. If BYU upsets Texas Tech, things could take a sharp turn for the Irish. As reporter Ross Dellenger wrote on X, a BYU win could open the door for two Big 12 teams to make the new 12-team playoff. That would push Notre Dame out.

With the new format, every conference champion gets an automatic spot. If BYU wins the Big 12, they are in no matter what. And even though they lost to Texas Tech earlier this year, BYU’s top-five ranking gives them a good chance at an at-large spot too. That scenario puts Notre Dame on the outside looking in.

Notre Dame still has a few things going for them. Ole Miss sits at No. 6, but the team suddenly lost head coach Lane Kiffin. The committee sometimes drops teams when important coaches or players are unavailable. If Ole Miss falls in the rankings, Notre Dame may benefit. But without that help, a BYU loss is basically their only chance.

The resume of Notre Dame is good and bad. The Texas A&M team beat them by a single point and this serves to show that they are able to compete with other strong teams. However, they are hurt having lost to Miami due to the head to head outcome. It is also difficult as the player also falls to No. 10 behind Alabama. Despite the challenges, the coach of the club Marcus Freeman remains optimistic about his team receiving a ticket.

Selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek added more uncertainty. He said head-to-head results matter most when teams are close together in the rankings. This year, several teams are stacked tightly, which makes the committee’s final decision harder to predict.

Notre Dame’s weak schedule is another issue. Their wins include teams like 2-10 Purdue and 3-9 Syracuse, which doesn’t help their case. Because of all this, Notre Dame now needs BYU to lose to keep their playoff hopes alive.

On top of the playoff drama, fans are also worried about star running back Jeremiyah Love. After the Stanford win, he posted a short message on Instagram saying, “It’s been a blessing, ND,” and fans immediately panicked. Some think he’s leaving for the NFL. Others think he may enter the transfer portal.

Love also scared fans during the game when he took a hard hit to the ribs. He went into the medical tent but later returned and finished with 66 rushing yards and a touchdown.

It’s still unclear whether his message was about the injury or a hint that he may leave the team. But with playoff worries and now possible roster changes, Notre Dame fans are facing a stressful week.

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