Sunday, October 19, 2014

The Case For And Against Notre Dame in the Playoff



The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are ranked number seven in the AP poll today after the heartbreaking loss to Florida State last night. The Irish were in the game all the way to the final whistle and won the game before the touchdown was called back for offensive pass interference. So, here is the case of the one loss Irish to be in the Inaugural College Football Playoff. The key to this scenario of the Irish making the playoff, is if they win out, win every one of their remaining games. They, in my opinion will make the playoff, or should make the playoff. The Irish have had a bottom heavy schedule this year, starting with Florida State last night, the rest of their schedule includes trips to Tempe to play the Arizona State Sun Devils and to the LA Coliseum to face off against the USC Trojans. The computers are out, no more one deserving one loss teams being left out, humans are in. If Notre Dame finishes the year 11-1, they will make the college football playoff because even in losing to arguably the best team in the country with the best quarterback in the country in Jameis Winston, they hung in the entire game and executed perfectly. If I was on the selection committee I would put the Irish in because, they did not get blown out as everybody expected they played tough, football for all four quarters, only losing by three. The three of the six teams ahead of them have one loss, given they play in the top five conferences and Notre Dame is an independent, they have the advantage, that should not be against Notre Dame. In my opinion the case against Notre Dame of they have not played anybody yet, is false every team they have played this year omitting Syracuse, Rice, and North Carolina were good teams this year or were supposed to be good teams this year and started the land slide after the loss to Notre Dame. People can make the argument that they barely beat UNC and Stanford, those are valid arguments but in my mind a win is a win; of course it is more impressive to blow out a big name team like a Stanford and get a really big win. However, that is not the way it works sometimes; sometimes the best teams are the ones, that just win, not putting up a lot of points but wins. If the college football playoff was eight teams instead of four the Irish would be a lock and everybody would be saying that, however, it is four, so people have to view it as the best four teams in the country that the selection committee sees. I think the Irish will be in that top four because, they will take this upcoming bye week and get back to business, win out and play well in all those games. Everett Golson played really well in the loss throwing three touchdowns and only two interceptions, (one on the final play of the game). For some reason I can't shake the feeling that this will be like the 2007 New York Giants and the Patriots that year. With the Giants losing a nail bitter to the Patriots and then coming back to win the Super Bowl. In many ways the differences between the two events outweigh the similarities, but the best team in football and then coming back to play them in the playoffs and winning it all. The Irish have not even made the playoff yet, and might not even make it so to compare them to a team that won the Super Bowl is ridiculous but the losing to the best team in a tight game makes me feel this way.  For all these reasons if Notre Dame wins out the selection committee will put Notre Dame into the playoff.


The Case Against Notre Dame Into the Playoff

The case against Notre Dame into the playoff is the one loss. The only team in the top four is Alabama, whose one loss is against the number three team in the country Ole Miss. Notre Dame would also not make the playoff because they are not in one of the power five conferences. The selection committee would also not put ND into the playoff because of their one loss. If every other team in the top four has only one loss to an SEC team or another team in the top four the Irish won’t make it. There is also the selection committee’s possible bias against ND, would make Notre Dame miss out on the playoff. Stanford's loss this weekend also hurts Notre Dame's chances, as they now have three losses. Another way Notre Dame would not make the playoff if they lose another game. If they lose another game and finish 10-2, they have virtually no chance to make the playoff. 


Prediction:







My prediction is that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will win out finishing 11-1 and making the inaugural college football playoff.