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Multiple prominent teams around the nation are sweating their College Football Playoff fate as the 2024 regular season draws to a close. For those on the bubble, there’s only one guaranteed game left to leave an impression.
Then there are the programs that feel like a virtual lock. A 12-team field does provide some margin for error, at least, especially in a year as chaotic as this one.
Notre Dame is one of those schools that has quietly worked its way back into a prime position. Many were quick to count the Fighting Irish out after a disastrous early season loss to Northern Illinois, which still stands as arguably the biggest upset of the entire year.
That must have lit a considerable blaze under coach Marcus Freeman and his program. Notre Dame has been one of the most dominant teams in the sport over the last couple of months. Eight of their nine wins since Sept. 7 have come by two possessions.
The Irish are riding a nine-game winning streak (tied for second-longest in the FBS) with an average margin of victory of 32.6 points per game. That includes two ranked wins against Army and Navy, and one quietly strong résumé-builder against a Georgia Tech team that beat Miami. Notre Dame currently leads the FBS with a +301 point differential on the year with the No. 10 strength of record, according to ESPN’s FPI metric.
Thanks to some major shuffling in Week 13 — notably Indiana’s loss to Ohio State — Notre Dame will almost certainly be a top-five team in Tuesday’s latest round of College Football Playoff Rankings. All that stands between the Irish and their third playoff appearance is a 6-5 USC team.
But does the result of Saturday’s rivalry game matter? One could argue that, given the evidence above, Notre Dame has already…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/is-notre-dame-a-college-football-playoff-lock-examining-fighting-irishs-outlook-as-2024-season-winds-down/
Author : Will Backus
Publish date : 2024-11-25 20:00:00
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