Updated College Football Playoff bracket after Notre Dame ousts Georgia, sets semis

It had to feel like the only talking point that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish leading up to their Sugar Bowl CFP quarterfinal matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs was if Gunner Stockton could shock the world and beat them. What often felt excluded from that conversation, however, was whether or not Notre Dame was simply built for the College Football Playoff. And it turns out, they might just be.

The Fighting Irish made it clear almost instantly that they were going to make life hell for Stockton as the Georgia quarterback made his first start. And while Riley Leonard and Jeremiyah Love faced their own challenges when they were on offense against the Georgia defense, they made plays when it mattered most and got some help from every phase.

When it was all said and done, Notre Dame only needed 23 points and secured the 23-10 win that moves them forward into the College Football Playoff semifinals, specifically heading to the Orange Bowl and now needing just two wins for a national championship.

More importantly overall, though, the semifinals for the College Football Playoff bracket are now set, so let's see where we stand, what matchups are to come and more.

Updated CFP bracket after Notre Dame wins Sugar Bowl

Let's also take a look at the remaining CFP schedule now that the bracket and matchups for the semifinals, the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl, are now set and only four teams remain alive for the dream of a national championship

Through no fault of their own, it felt like Notre Dame was almost being discredited because they beat Indiana in the First Round of the College Football Playoff. Yes, the Hoosiers were among the worst teams to make the 12-team field but, at the same time, that shouldn't discount the dominance the Fighting Irish put forth in that game. Georgia certainly learned that the hard way.

But the test now for Notre Dame will get much tougher moving forward. Penn State looms in the Orange Bowl, a CFP semifinal for a shot to play in the National Championship Game. The Nittany Lions have a budding star at quarterback in Drew Allar, which will be a stark contrast from facing Stockton, but also a 1-2 punch in the backfield with Kaytron Allen and Nicolas Singleton along with a fierce defense, one that's looking more and more like it might get superstar Abdul Carter back for the Orange Bowl.

Then, on the other side of the bracket, we're looking at perhaps the two most talented teams remaining in the Playoff. Ohio State looks as if it's finally living up to its potential at the perfect time after shellacking both Tennessee and top-seeded Oregon, but Texas may not have played at its full capacity yet in the CFP and is still alive, which is a scary proposition.

All this is to say, winning a national championship isn't going to be a cakewalk for Notre Dame. At the same time, though, one of the familiar refrains of March Madness is "survive and advance" in order to win a title. The Fighting Irish have done more than survive but, more importantly, they're still advancing and are still alive in the College Football Playoff.