Notre Dame football faces off against a familiar foe in the latest College Football playoff projection
We are just a few days away from the first ever 12-team playoff rankings for the 2024 college football season. The committee will be busy evaluating the top teams around the country, breaking down their victories, resume, and putting together that first initial ranking for after this weekend’s action. It will be extremely interesting to […]
We are just a few days away from the first ever 12-team playoff rankings for the 2024 college football season. The committee will be busy evaluating the top teams around the country, breaking down their victories, resume, and putting together that first initial ranking for after this weekend’s action. It will be extremely interesting to see how that list shakes out.
A to Z Sports put out their final rankings projection before the big day. That ranking did include Notre Dame, who ended up securing the No. 8 seed in the field. They are slated to face off in the first round against the (9) Clemson Tigers, but it doesn’t go the Irish way in the projections.
Here is how that contest shook out according to A to Z.
#9 Clemson at #8 Notre Dame
Clemson's offense proves far too efficient for Notre Dame to match.
Notre Dame's dynamic duo of Riley Leonard and Jeremiyah Love has created quite the force on offense for the Fighting Irish. They both now have over 530 rushing yards on the season and a combined 20 rushing touchdowns. Their success mixed with the Irish' improving pass rush makes them a real playoff contender, but the lack of a passing game is worrisome.
Meanwhile, Clemson's rushing attack has proven to be nearly as good, but Cade Klubnik's newfound near elite passing ability has given the Tigers a huge boost all year long. Clemson has been able to score at will this season against everyone but Georgia in Week 1. It's likely Clemson takes an early lead and Notre Dame can't hold pace or catch up due to their passing game limitations.
Over the last few years, Notre Dame has developed a bit of a rivalry against Clemson, and Irish fans would be very excited for that opening game. Those two programs have faced off four times since 2020, and have split those for a 2-2 overall record.
While Clemson won this lost recent matchup 31-23 last season, the Irish have actually won each of the last games at home. In this hypothetical, Notre Dame would get home field advantage, and that would be huge. It could be the ultimate decider.
While Clemson has found their stride in the passing game in recent weeks, they still have similar core beliefs as a football team, winning up front. This would be a very physical matchup, and the winner would more than likely be the team who controls the line of scrimmage and can run the football more efficiently.
