It wasn’t popular early, but the 7th seed could end up being the perfect spot for a Notre Dame playoff run
Most Notre Dame football fans dreamed of the 5th seed in the college football playoffs, and for very good reason. When the Irish were ultimately given the 7th seed, and a first round matchup with the Indiana Hoosiers, many were underwhelmed and disappointed. The dream was to get an SEC school up to South Bend […]
Most Notre Dame football fans dreamed of the 5th seed in the college football playoffs, and for very good reason. When the Irish were ultimately given the 7th seed, and a first round matchup with the Indiana Hoosiers, many were underwhelmed and disappointed. The dream was to get an SEC school up to South Bend for a home playoff game, holding that home field advantage and ridding the stigma around the Irish program and their inability to beat the best in college football.
Instead, they are pressed into a unique battle for the state of Indiana, and a potential second round matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs on the road if they advance. If Notre Dame did happen to lose to Indiana, it would be a big black eye for the program against a school known for basketball. An away game with Georgia also isn’t the most advantageous matchup for a deep playoff run either, at least typically.
When you really think about it, this path might be one of the most ideal scenarios for Notre Dame in the long run. It begins with that matchup against the Hoosiers. While Indiana is having a historic season, on paper, Notre Dame has the clear advantage from a talent perspective. They also get Curt Cignetti and his team at home, so you can bet the fans are going to be buzzing in that elective environment.
If the Irish are able to advance, then that matchup with Georgia is sure to be an interesting one, but a battle that the Irish will have a strong chance in. If there was ever a year to get Georgia in the playoffs, this is probably the one. They are not the team of dominance we have seen in recent seasons, and are now down to their backup quarterback. It is a very beatable team.
If Notre Dame were able to make it to the semifinals from there, they would be matched up against one of Boise State, Penn State, or SMU. That is another winnable game regardless of which of the three that they draw. There is a good chance that the Irish would be a betting favorite against any of those squads.
This whole scenario is purely hypothetical, and Notre Dame must do their best not to look too far ahead. As fans and analysts, it’s hard not to get excited about the prospects of the Irish making some noise in the playoffs. They are a good team, and seem to be peaking at the right times. The path is very clear, at least compared to when the final bracket was initially released.
Head coach Marcus Freeman seems to have instilled some swagger and toughness into this team we haven’t seen in quite some time. We will see just how much this team has adopted that personality in a little over a week.
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