Notre Dame Football: Making the case for Irish in 2019 CFB Playoff
By Jacob Wilson
Why Notre Dame won’t make the College Football Playoff
Per expert analysis and odds-makers, the Irish’s chances of making the playoff at this point in the season are favorable. According to the ESPN broadcasting team in Notre Dame’s matchup with Virginia Tech, their particular algorithm gave the Irish a 66 percent chance of making the playoff. However, odds mean little in the game of football.
Despite the lack of top 25 talent left on the schedule, Kelly’s performance against opponents in the second half of the season is concerning. The Irish have fallen victim to late-season eliminations under Kelly’s tenure with Notre Dame, and there is valid concern that Kelly will falter again in 2018.
Many consider the Irish’s matchup with Syracuse to be the one of greatest concern. In what will be a continuation of the Shamrock series, Notre Dame will travel to the Orange’s home state of New York for a neutral-site game at Yankee Stadium. With only two true home games remaining, the possibility of another late-season stumble remains.
The Irish have enjoyed starting the season with four of six games at home. Given the state of the team in their wins over Ball State and Vanderbilt, home field advantage was almost a necessity. However, the Irish will now face Navy in San Diego, Syracuse in New York, and Northwestern and USC at their respective stadiums. These matchups are all winnable, but one slip-up could doom the Irish.