Seven-place drop may not end Notre Dame playoff hopes; Deadspin says don't write off the Irish

A ranking drop draws attention

The first-round College Football Playoff rankings drew attention to Notre Dame’s seven-spot slide from Sunday’s AP Poll. Media pundits largely reached the same conclusion: a loss to Miami this week would eliminate the Irish from playoff contention.

The article’s view is that Notre Dame’s playoff chances could remain alive even with a loss. It also questions how far the team might fall after losing to what it calls the consensus best team in the nation.

Metrics offer a possible case

Notre Dame’s resume lacks impressive wins, but several measures still rate the team highly. It stands 11th in SOR, first in FPI and sixth in Game control. The article also notes that Notre Dame is -7 against the number-one team in the country. It says the Irish could add a win over a solid SMU team and potentially climb back into the top 12 by season’s end.

Ranking remains a concern

Notre Dame is currently placed above several two-loss Big Ten and SEC teams that have ranked wins on their resumes. That comparison raises questions about whether the Irish’s current position is too high.

A further loss in a major game could hurt Notre Dame’s standing, though the article does not predict exactly how much it would drop. Its playoff argument rests on the team’s metrics and a possible late-season rise.