Is Notre Dame's spot in CFP safe? Who gets fourth playoff bye?
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If the College Football Playoff committee loved Notre Dame after a win against Pittsburgh, imagine how much they salivated while the Fighting Irish stripped the varnish off the Syracuse Orange.
We can argue about head-to-head until Notre Dame’s helmets lose their shine, but this committee loves its eye test, and the Irish ace that metric. So long as the Irish cream Stanford — and, why wouldn’t they? — I cannot imagine the committee rejecting 10-2 Notre Dame from the playoff.
Because, every time Miami wins, the better that three-point road loss to the Hurricanes looks. And if there’s one thing this committee likes as much as its subjective eye test, it’s “good losses.”
Come Selection Sunday, I think the question shifts from whether the Irish are in the field, to whether they’re going to be seeded high enough to host a first-round game.
Who’s getting the fourth CFP bye?
Although it won’t command as much attention or stir up as many hot takes as the Notre Dame-Miami debate, I’m interested in what the committee will do with the final first-round bye, especially if Georgia finishes 11-1 but does not reach the SEC Championship game.
Let’s map this out. Ohio State and Indiana are positioned to snag first-round byes, and Texas A&M would get one if it wins the SEC.
Georgia needs help to reach the SEC Championship. If chalk prevails within the SEC during Thanksgiving week, the Bulldogs would finish in third in the standings, with their only blemish being a three-point loss to Alabama.
Would that be enough for a first-round bye? Texas Tech demands a word, if it wins the Big 12 Championship.
I’m not opposed to Georgia garnering consideration. If Notre Dame can be considered for a bye without competing in a conference, then why shouldn’t the SEC’s third-place team be considered?
However, Texas Tech could give the committee an opportunity to reward another conference champion. The Red Raiders also grade well on the eye test.
Georgia probably will stay ranked ahead of the Red Raiders in these next rankings, but that could flip if Texas Tech excels on championship weekend, while Georgia rests at home.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College Football Playoff has Notre Dame in, but what about fourth bye?
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