Notre Dame Gets a Clear Message From the College Football Playoff Committee

Committee cites the schedule

The committee placed Notre Dame at No. 11 on Tuesday, a sizable gap from its AP and coaches poll positions. The Irish were 7–1, but the committee said their victories did not compare with those of teams ranked higher.

Chairman Hunter Yurachek said Notre Dame had beaten one team with a .500 or better record. He also noted that the Irish lost their only game against a Top 25 opponent, BYU, on the road.

Notre Dame’s schedule has taken further hits as Wisconsin, North Carolina and SMU struggled. The article says those results could leave the teams the Irish beat outside the committee’s Top 25.

Miami looms as pivotal test

Yurachek said Notre Dame did not yet have a defining victory against a team ahead of it in the rankings. The article says the Irish need to beat Miami and avoid losses to Boston College, SMU and Syracuse. Under the current rankings, a 10–2 record could leave Notre Dame outside the playoff and bound for the Pop-Tarts Bowl, rather than the first round.

Expansion debate continues

Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua has supported expanding the playoff to 24 teams beginning in 2027. He has worked with other leaders and ESPN as discussions about the tournament’s future continue.

The article presents the committee’s rankings as a concrete example of why a larger field could matter to Notre Dame. Under this year’s selection rules, the current No. 11 position would guarantee the independent team a place in the 12-team field.

Last season, Notre Dame was the first team left out after losing head-to-head games against Miami and Texas A&M. Bevacqua criticized the ACC and commissioner Jim Phillips, and the program withdrew from its bowl game; the article says those relationships have since largely improved.