Thoughts on Notre Dame and the CFP after Championship Saturday

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Thoughts on Notre Dame and the CFP after Championship Saturday

It was a Championship Saturday in college football that Notre Dame wanted to see, with every team losing that it needed to help the College Football Playoff cause.

The early games went exactly how the Irish wanted them too, with Texas Tech and Georgia winning, keeping two teams ranked over them away from a conference title. While it does seem like Indiana defeating Ohio State is a wash, considering both teams were locks to make the playoff.

There was plenty to be happy about for Notre Dame and here are my top three thoughts for the Irish following Championship Saturday.

Texas Tech beating BYU was huge

Texas Tech players Lee Hunter (left) and Jacob Rodriguez (back) celebrate Romello Height's fumble recover against BYU during the Big 12 Conference championship football game, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2025, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

I think it’s safe to say that when looking at the resume between Notre Dame and BYU, that it’s the Blue and Gold with the advantage. If the loss to the Red Raiders was a bit closer, you could say that they’d have an argument, but after what we saw on Saturday, it is clear they shouldn’t be view in that top tier. I think that the Irish have the edge over BYU.

Alabama losing in that fashion to Georgia helps

Dec 6, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs tight end Oscar Delp (4) holds the SEC Championship trophy after the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the 2025 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Three-losses is going to be hard to overcome, with plenty of two-loss teams sitting out there. Sure, the last one did happen in a conference championship game, but like BYU, Alabama just wasn’t competitive against Georgia. Their lone score was in the fourth quarter when the game was virtually already decided. This situation is quality of losses and this one along with Oklahoma’s weren’t terrible, but the season-opener against Florida State was. I think that’s what pushes Alabama out of the playoff.

Notre Dame should be in and the Heisman…

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Alberto Mendoza (16) celebrates following the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. Ohio State lost 13-10.

Miami has an argument, they did beat the Irish and finished with the same record. However, when you look at the eye test, it’s pretty clear that Notre Dame has been improving on both sides of the ball, especially on defense. The committee likes to reward teams that are peaking at the right time, and that’s exactly what the Irish are doing. Remember, CJ Carr was making his first collegiate start, and Chris Ash as working out the some issues as the new defensive coordinator. There is a confidence about this team, one that we saw last year, and Alabama, Miami nor BYU can say that. In my eyes, I think it’ll be hard for the committee to keep Notre Dame out of the 12-team field.

Now about the Heisman Trophy, I think the Jeremiyah Love has a legit chance at winning it. Sure Fernando Mendoza led Indiana to an upset win over Ohio State and Julian Sayin, but neither quarterback really played all that well. After all, it was a 13-10 final, so it’s not like the either of them filled up the box score. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out, but at this point, Love should be making a trip to New York later this month.

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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Thoughts on Notre Dame football & the CFP after Championship Saturday

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