College Football 2019: Top 5 games with playoff implications in Week 5

2. No. 18 Virginia at No. 10 Notre Dame (Sept. 28 at 3:30 p.m. ET – NBC)

In one of just two ranked matchups this weekend, the other being USC at Washington, Virginia will try to complete the two-step crushing process of Notre Dame’s playoff hopes and continue what could be its own.

Yes, after Notre Dame lost to Georgia last weekend it appears the Irish are still somehow alive for a playoff bid. It depends on what you believe is the committee’s criteria for selecting teams. If it’s to analyze who has the ‘best loss’ then Notre Dame could win out and perhaps make the field of four. If you’re like me and believe the committee will examine other more impressive aspects of a potential national champion instead of who they didn’t beat, then Notre Dame has some serious work to do.

Either way, a loss here for the Irish would surely drop them from the running once and for all.

The Irish were massive underdogs to Georgia last weekend, so the close game won’t say so much about them as it does the underachieving Bulldogs. That’s just the way it goes sometimes. If Georgia is truly a national title contender, then Notre Dame played a heck of a game against a tough opponent in a raucous environment and therefore shouldn’t have any problem taking care of business against Virginia.

Finding out the answer to that question is exactly why this game is here. With the Irish not being in a conference, they have a real chance to play spoiler (again) for a conference champion and block a playoff bid. We’re going to find out a lot about Notre Dame and Virginia, too, this weekend when we see how the Irish bounce back from the road loss to Georgia.