Notre Dame put a bow on its regular season Saturday, posting its last statement for a bid in the College Football Playoff. With the Irish currently ranked No. 9 by the CFP Committee, the questions remain: Will the Irish hold their place through conference championship week, and do they deserve a spot at all?
After its 49-20 drubbing of Stanford, I can certainly say the team has grown since the first two weeks of the season, and I believe the Irish are more than ready for the playoff. My answer is yes.
I won’t lie: I had my doubts at the beginning of the season. I watched from the press box as Texas A&M kicked an extra point to seal a 41-40 loss and bump the Irish down to 0-2 on the season. At that point, the future looked grim for a CFP berth.
Even so, its losses were tantalizingly close. Notre Dame only lost by four points combined, which is impressive given the youth of freshman quarterback CJ Carr and the disorganized defense.
Carr flashed sparks of greatness in those early bouts, going 39 of 62 passing and maturing fast. Junior running back Jeremiyah Love hit the ground running, with 127 rushing yards between the two games, despite limitations placed on him by Irish staff. Junior running back Jadarian Price joined the fun, adding 113 rushing yards of his own and two touchdowns.
The Irish put themselves in the same position they were in last year: win out for a shot, but drop one more game and forget any shot at a national championship.
Notre Dame began the climb against Purdue, crushing the Boilermakers 56-30. Against Arkansas, the Irish defense found their rhythm, holding a solid Razorback offense to just 13 points.
One week later, they would match up against Boise State, which brought a strong defense. The Irish managed to break through with 28 points, and the Irish defense showed off another complete game, allowing just one touchdown. Carr’s passing game stayed strong at 15 for 23. Love finished the game with 103 rushing yards and one touchdown, and Price finished with 83 rushing yards and a touchdown as well.
Rival USC was the next challenge, looking strong in a win over ranked Michigan. While the two teams battled back and forth, Notre Dame came out on top, 34-24. Love finished with his best game so far, totaling 228 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Price finished with 87 yards and a touchdown.
One shocker was the last home game, when the Irish obliterated Syracuse 70-7. This not only challenged records but broke them, as the team scored 35 points in the first quarter, the most ever in a first quarter at Notre Dame. Those points included a 21-point assist by the Irish defense, as senior safety Jalen Stroman, junior safety Luke Talich and sophomore cornerback Leonard Moore notched touchdowns off two interceptions and a punt return.
Over the course of the season, Notre Dame not only displayed dedication to the game and to the team but also its ability to work hard on both sides of the ball and incorporate as many players as possible to the cause. Like last season, the team has grown immensely since its September losses, and that growth should only continue through the playoffs.
The final rankings and playoff schedule will be announced Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.
