College Football Playoff bracket: Should Notre Dame be considered a lock?
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish trounced the Navy Midshipmen, 51-14, in what was arguably the most anticipated game of Saturday's college football slate. Navy was undefeated going into the contest, raising hopes for an underdog postseason bid. Notre Dame, itself one of the hottest teams in the country, put all that nonsense to bed.
Did most of us impartial viewers want Navy to win? Of course. Upsets are more fun, and having Navy in the College Football Playoff would've been a cool and unique twist. Unfortunately, there's a reason underdogs are underdogs — it's hard to beat the blue-chip program with five-star recruits out the wazoo.
Notre Dame advances to 7-1 on the season with what would be one of the most impressive resumes in college football if not for that solitary misstep in Week 2, when the Fighting Irish lost a 16-14 squeaker to Northern Illinois. Marcus Freeman is running a tight ship, unfortunately for Navy, and Notre Dame is mounting its postseason case with each passing week.
The Fighting Irish managed six offensive touchdowns on Saturday, including four on the ground. Jeremiyah Love was responsible for 102 yards and two scores on just 12 carries, while Riley Leonard coupled his standard passing output with 83 yards and a touchdown via the run.
Here's an updated look as the College Football Playoff bracket projections as things sit.
Projected College Football Playoff bracket after Notre Dame stomps Navy
- Oregon Ducks (Big Ten champion)
- Georgia Bulldogs (SEC champion)
- Miami Hurricanes (ACC champion)
- Iowa State Cyclones (Big 12 champion)
- Texas Longhorns
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- LSU Tigers
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Boise State Broncos (Mountain West champion)
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Tennessee Volunteers
Notre Dame has an easy schedule from this point forward. The final ranked opponent on the Fighting Irish's schedule is No. 23 Army in the penultimate week of the season. That feels like a win, unless the Black Knights can really stick it to Navy with an upset. Otherwise, it's Florida State, Virginia, and USC, three matchups with name brands and very little real competition. The Seminoles are in a tailspin, Virginia can't touch Notre Dame on paper, and USC has been floundering under Lincoln Riley.
That's not to say the Fighting Irish have this signed, sealed, and delivered. It's important to finish strong and maintain focus the rest of the way. It's fair to be a bit spooked by the team that lost to Northern Illinois, which is proof that Notre Dame can slip up. The selection committee is sure to hold the NIU loss against Notre Dame, but with a flawless record otherwise and a few clutch, ranked victories under their belt, the Fighting Irish should be able to overcome that early-season stumble.
The rest of the field is really a crapshoot at this point, all dependent on the outcomes of future matchups. We have a few real heavy-hitting games coming down the pipeline, such as Tennessee-UGA, Alabama-LSU, Ohio State-Penn State, and Clemson-Pitt, just to name a few. All will have profound implications on how this final 12-team field shakes out.
As things sit, however, few teams are in a more stable position than Notre Dame, assuming the Fighting Irish can take care of business against teams they should beat comfortably.
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