Projected 2020 College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings for Week 14
By Zach Bigalke
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 9-0. won 31-17 at No. 19 North Carolina. player. 819. Notre Dame Fighting Irish. 2
Through the first two quarters, Notre Dame was on upset alert in their ACC showdown in Chapel Hill against No. 19 North Carolina. The Fighting Irish made all the right adjustments at the intermission, holding the Tar Heels to just 58 yards of offense in the second half as they ran away with a 31-17 victory. Brian Kelly’s team stayed among the dwindling ranks of the undefeated and will remain at No. 2 in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s Top 25 for another week.
Ian Book went 23-of-33 for 279 yards and a touchdown. Add on his 48 rushing yards, and Book singlehandedly accounted for more yardage than North Carolina put together as a team on Black Friday. Kyren Williams went off for 124 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and he was the recipient of Book’s passing score. A Tar Heels backfield that entered the game averaging more than 230 yards per game managed only 87 yards on the ground against the Irish defense.
With the win in Week 13, Notre Dame passed its toughest remaining hurdle in the regular season. Syracuse comes to South Bend in Week 14, with a December 12 makeup game at Wake Forest closing out the first conference slate in Irish history. All they need is to win one to lock in a position in the ACC championship game, but wins in both will keep them right behind Alabama in the College Football Playoff pecking order.