Notre Dame Football: 3 takeaways from big win over USC in Week 7
2. Notre Dame’s playoff chances weaken
Despite a strong win over a rival, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s chances to make the College Football Playoff have gotten worse after Week 7. Because Notre Dame is an Independent, they are unable to compete for a conference championship, of which the playoff committee suggests is of value in their rankings.
Therefore, a one-loss Irish is team is de facto at a disadvantage than every other one-loss team in the country.
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In Week 7, the Georgia Bulldogs, the only team to beat Notre Dame, lost at home to South Carolina. That means miracles and mayhem are going to have to ensue for Notre Dame to re-enter the playoff discussion.
What does this mean for Notre Dame? Should they join a conference in order to avoid this inevitable dilemma in future years? Still, the answer remains no. As a team rooted deep in tradition, the Irish should stay Independent. This will allow them the flexibility to play against teams like USC, Michigan, Boston College, and Navy without significant scheduling issues. Additionally, they can benefit from playing who they want, when they want.