Latest CFP rankings totally screw over Notre Dame in first-round matchup

A dream season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reached new heights when, on the road, they not only defeated the USC Trojans, but won by two scores, 49-35.

With that win, the Fighting Irish improved to 11-1 on the season and were bumped up to the No. 4 ranked team overall in the latest update from the committee. With how dominant they've been virtually all season, the high placement is certainly deserved.

You'd think that being ranked No. 4 overall would mean that Notre Dame would have a relatively easy first-round matchup in the College Football Playoff. Sure, they can't get a bye, given the fact that they aren't in a conference, but still - the No. 4 team would certainly have a sizable advantage over a much lower seed, right?

Well, not exactly.

Notre Dame fans will have a bone to pick with the latest CFP rankings

With how the bracket is shaping up based on the latest rankings, the Fighting Irish would face the No. 11-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide. Notre Dame's reward for having as great of a regular season as they did is to face Alabama in the first round?

What makes this even more frustrating is that the No. 5-seeded Georgia Bulldogs would face off against the No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers. Sure, the Hoosiers are a great team, but they didn't even stand a chance against Ohio State just a couple of weeks ago. Now, Notre Dame will likely have to face an Alabama team with several impressive wins on its resume.

The cherry on top here is that an argument can (and probably should) be made that Alabama shouldn't be ranked as highly as they are right now, given the fact that they've taken three losses. Yes, strength of schedule matters, and they have some impressive wins, but three losses are three losses. Should a three-loss team really make the CFP?

Notre Dame absolutely can beat Alabama, but having to deal with the Crimson Tide when a team like Georgia — ranked lower — gets Indiana, is absolutely frustrating.

Rankings can change by the time that the CFP actually gets underway, but if this stays where it is, the Fighting Irish might see its season end earlier than expected.