Notre Dame Penciled Into College Football Playoff With Four Games Left; Irish #3 in NCAA’s CFP Poll Based on Strength of Schedule

U.S. Map, adapted from image at usda.gov

Reality imitates overhype in the NCAA’s inaugural College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings of 2017, with Notre Dame penciled into the playoff at the #3 spot. Georgia, source of Notre Dame’s sole loss, is at #1, in part because of their 1-point win over Notre Dame. The committee chairman reportedly credited Georgia and Notre Dame’s strength of schedule as factors in

» Read more

IRISH NEWSLINK Blue and Gold Illustrated: “Notre Dame Focuses On Playing Better, Not Bowl Talk”

File Photo of Word of Life Stone Mural Mosaic, Featuring Christ with Arms Upraised, On the Hesburgh Memorial Library at Notre Dame

“Today, Notre Dame is 4-6 — and yet there were inquiries during head coach Brian Kelly’s weekly press conference about whether the team would be receptive to going to a bowl game, even with a possible 5-7 record. … ‘I haven’t given it much thought, to be honest with you,’ replied Kelly when asked if the school would play in

» Read more

IRISH NEWSLINK Chicago Tribune: “Five things #NotreDame must do in second half to qualify for bowl game”

File Photo of Word of Life Stone Mural Mosaic, Featuring Christ with Arms Upraised, On the Hesburgh Memorial Library at Notre Dame

#NotreDame began the season with College #Football Playoff aspirations. Now the Irish just hope to qualify for any bowl game. Arguably the most disappointing team in the country, Notre Dame (2-5) needs to win four of its final five games to become bowl eligible.  

» Read more

IRISH NEWSWATCH: “Notre Dame’s bowl hopes in jeopardy after water-logged loss to Wolfpack” – Sporting News

Football on Turf Near Yard Marker

… Notre Dame (2-4) might not make the postseason. The Irish will likely be underdogs in their three remaining home games against Stanford, Miami (Fla.) and Virginia Tech. They have neutral site games against Navy and Army. The regular-season finale at USC could be a battle for bowl eligibility for both teams. We don’t see Notre Dame lowering itself to

» Read more

IRISH NEWSWATCH: “Why Notre Dame might not make a bowl this season” – Fox Sports

File Photo of Football on Turf with Yardlines

Notre Dame is now 2-4 on the season after a 10-3 loss to North Carolina State in the middle of a hurricane …. While the game itself was a sloppy mess and the contest probably shouldn’t have been played, the result will still stand. … Now, the Irish need to play to make a bowl game. … Notre Dame has

» Read more

IRISH NEWSWATCH: “College Football: Council adjusts bowl selection process” – NCAA 6.29.16

File Photo of Football on Turf with Yardlines

Even if Notre Dame (2-4) does not end up crossing the 6-6 threshold, if the Irish can muster three more wins, they might be able to invoke their high graduation rate to go to a bowl game with a 5-7 record. (From NCAA.com, June 29, 2016:) … all bowl-eligible teams with 6-6 records must be selected for a bowl game

» Read more

[PDF] IRISH NEWSLINK: “2016-17 NCAA Postseason Bowl Handbook”

Football Next to Football Field

“Insufficient Number of Deserving Teams … if an insufficient number of institutions meet the definition of  a  “deserving  team”  to  participate  in  postseason bowl  games  in  a  particular  year,  an  institution  that  meets  a condition set forth below shall be eligible to be selected to participate in such a bowl game. …. 5. An  institution  that  finished  its  season  with 

» Read more