Are Notre Dame's playoff hopes already dashed?

After a huge Week 1 win on the road at Texas A&M, Notre Dame seemed to have conquered arguably its biggest hurdle of 2024, and appeared to be on an easy road between here and USC on November 30th.

Then the Fighting Irish inexplicably lost to Northern Illinois on Saturday by a score of 16-14.

Riley Leonard's struggles against the Huskies were emblematic of the team's struggles. He finished 20-of-32 for just 163 yards and two touchdowns.

It's worth pointing out, Leonard's not off to a good start this season. Even in that victory in College Station, he was just 18-of-30 for 158 yards, and he's yet to throw a passing touchdown in 2024.

So, with a giant question mark at quarterback and a schedule that doesn't provide much opportunity for quality wins, what do Notre Dame's playoff chances look like?

From a purely logistical perspective, their chances are still good. The Irish only have to play their way into the top 12 to get in, and despite a weak schedule, matchups with USC and Louisville provide just enough merit for Notre Dame to earn a playoff spot with convincing wins.

From an eye test, however, it's difficult to be as optimistic. To be frank, the Irish passing game is bad. Maybe Leonard will find his rhythm in this offense, but through two games, there is a long way to go in that department.

When Notre Dame heads to Los Angeles, they'll be in serious trouble if they play the way they did on Saturday. It could even get ugly if USC plays the way they did against LSU last week.

Notre Dame can be a playoff team, but two weeks into the season, they certainly don't look like one.

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