Michael Irvin’s concern about Notre Dame and the College Football Playoff is real enough, but it leaves out the part that makes the whole thing more complicated.
The matchup between Notre Dame and Miami later this fall is almost certainly going to decide who reaches the College Football Playoff. The only way it probably doesn’t is if the loser has just that one defeat all season. That’s the scenario that has Irvin, a former Hurricane legend, most uneasy.
Last year, the final CFP spot looked like it was coming down to Notre Dame or Miami, and the Hurricanes got the nod after winning the head-to-head meeting earlier in the season. This time, though, even if Mario Cristobal’s team hands Marcus Freeman’s group its only loss, there is not the same guarantee that Miami would jump the Irish.
That’s because Notre Dame now has a top-12 safety net under the CFP’s updated rules. If the Irish finish 12th or better in the final rankings, they are in.
The revised setup also gives automatic bids to the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions, along with the highest-ranked champion from the group of 6 conferences. A year ago, Notre Dame was left out while a lower-ranked conference champion got in through the automatic-bid system.
Irvin addressed that change on a recent podcast and said it bothers him, especially when it comes to Notre Dame.
"I'm worried about this promise to ND, as long as they're top 12, they're in," Irvin said. "That means if Miami is ranked high, we've got to make sure they win that game. And I'm worried about that."
But that complaint skips over something important: Miami still has a path. If the Hurricanes win the ACC, they can get into the playoff even if they lose every non-conference game. The same basic protection exists for the champions of the Big 12, Big Ten and SEC, plus the top-ranked Group of 6 champion.
So the issue isn’t really that Notre Dame got a special break and everyone else got nothing. It’s that the CFP created a system meant to protect conference champions and, at the same time, keep Notre Dame from being punished simply because it isn’t in a league. After last season’s mess, when the committee seemed to have Marcus Freeman’s team on the inside track before yanking it away, that safeguard looks a lot more like balance than favoritism.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Just Saw An Old Defensive End Twist Help LSU Fast
A Louisiana judges temporary restraining order has sent another ripple through college football, and LSU was quick to take advantage. The ruling allowed 16 players to return to college football and re-enter the transfer portal, giving the Tigers a pathway to add Notre Dame transfer Junior Tuihalamaka as they continue reshaping a defensive line that already has seen major turnover this offseason.
From Notre Dames perspective, the move is another reminder of how fluid the roster market has become, especially when a player with experience and versatility suddenly becomes available again. LSU has already fortified that front with help from Ole Miss and Tennessee, along with incoming freshmen, and Tuihalamaka gives the Tigers another piece to sort into the mix while the wider legal backdrop keeps creating unexpected openings. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Could Be Facing A Defensive Line Decision It Wanted To Avoid
Notre Dames late-summer roster picture has picked up another layer of uncertainty on the defensive line, with Junior Tuihalamakas camp indicating the former Irish lineman intends to enter the transfer portal even though he has not officially done so. His path back to campus has already taken a detour, after a temporary restraining order allowed him and other players to return for a final college season and he received special approval to explore that option.
The Irish have discussed the possibility of bringing Tuihalamaka back, but the situation does not appear settled, and that hesitation could end up shaping his next move. For a program that would prefer clarity in the trenches before camp fully takes hold, the unresolved status of a veteran lineman is the sort of roster decision Notre Dame has been trying to avoid. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Freemans Quincy Porter Update Keeps Pressure On Notre Dame Receivers
Quincy Porters return remains a little farther down the road for Notre Dame, even as the Irish move into the final stretch of their preseason work. The sophomore wideout underwent a minor procedure Aug. 21 to help his recovery from offseason surgery on his left patellar tendon, and Marcus Freeman said Porter is still a few weeks away from getting back, though he is improving. Porter has taken part in some drills, but in recent practices he has mostly been working on the side as Notre Dame gets ready for its season opener.
For a receiver group trying to settle roles and build rhythm, every rep matters, and Porters absence keeps the competition open a little longer. Freemans update suggests there is progress, but also a reminder that this is still a recovery process rather than a quick return, leaving Notre Dame to manage its depth chart while one of its younger pass-catchers works his way back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]