5 reasons Notre Dame makes the 2019 College Football Playoff

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ORLANDO, FL – JANUARY 01: Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Julian Love (27) during the first half of the Citrus Bowl game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the LSU Tigers on January 01, 2018, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL. Notre Dame leads 3-0 at half. (Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

3. Julian Love

No team is going to make it to the College Football Playoff if they can’t defend the pass at a high level. The presence of Julian Love on the Notre Dame roster gives them a chance to put a shutdown corner on the field for every snap.

He may not have all the measurables NFL teams are looking for in a cornerback, but he’s an excellent college player. Most importantly, he’s one of the most productive defensive backs in the NCAA. He was second last season in passes defended behind only Iowa star Josh Jackson.

Love might actually need to be even better in 2018 to help pick up the slack for his teammates. There are a lot of quality players on the Irish defense, but there aren’t many guys who make disruptive plays on a regular basis. If Love can step up and turn some of those defended passes into interceptions, it could make this unit a lot more dangerous for opposing offenses.

Love playing at a high level can also free up his teammates to take more risks. In theory, that will help Notre Dame make more plays. Their coaches can feel liberated to bring more players on the blitz and they can shade their safeties to the other side of the field. Love isn’t going to blossom into an NFL star, but he could turn into a hero at Notre Dame.

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