Notre Dame Football: Making the case for Irish in 2019 CFB Playoff
By Jacob Wilson
Why Notre Dame will make the College Football Playoff
Out of every team in the top ten, Notre Dame has one the easiest remaining schedules. With wins over Michigan, Stanford, and Virginia Tech in their pocket, the Irish are in prime position to finish the regular season with a 12-0 record. While their remaining schedule is by no means a cake walk, it’s about all you can ask for when winning out will likely land you in the playoff.
The Irish have a matchup with Pitt before following up a Week 8 bye with consecutive matchups against Navy, Northwestern, Florida State, Syracuse, and USC. Of these six teams, none rank higher than 58th in opponent points per game. Syracuse will be the biggest offensive threat, but there’s a great falloff after the Orange as all but one remaining team average under 30 PPG.
The biggest concern for the Irish should be establishing and maintaining a dynamic offensive approach. Notre Dame was on the ropes when the run game faltered against Virginia Tech, but the offense was able to take off alongside Dexter Williams. The Seminoles currently boast the strongest run defense on the Irish’s schedule, but that can be attributed to an exploitable secondary.
As with any team, the Irish’s success will often be a direct representation of their quarterback’s play. Book has been more than impressive statistically, but what was most encouraging was his resilience following a string of ineffective drives against the Hokies. There’s no telling what this schedule will bring, but Book backed by a strong defense has the Irish as favorites in every game.