Notre Dame Football deserves a top-five spot this week

STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 27: Austin Jones #20 of the Stanford Cardinal runs in for a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half at Stanford Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 27: Austin Jones #20 of the Stanford Cardinal runs in for a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half at Stanford Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football team is in a really nice spot right now. They are 11-1 after a big win in the final week of the season over Stanford. It was a 45-14 blowout that came after a 55-0 win over Georgia Tech.

They were ranked number six by the College Football Playoff committee last week with Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Cincinnati, and Michigan ranked ahead of them. One of those teams, Cincinnati, is Notre Dame’s only loss on the season and they have won seven games since.

Notre Dame got some help this week. For one, Michigan defeated Ohio State during rivalry week which should send the Buckeyes right out of contention. Michigan will certainly move up but that should bring Notre Dame into the top five. The committee might not drop Ohio State as far as six but they should. Notre Dame is far more deserving of this top-five spot.

Cincinnati is a really good football team. There is, however, a lot of controversy with their status right now because of the fact that they are not a power five school. No group of five school has ever made it into the College Football Playoff or even come close.

If they were to lose to Houston in their championship game, that might help Notre Dame get into the playoffs but it would also knock their strength of schedule down a notch because of the fact that they are the only team to beat them.

There is a path for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to make the College Football Playoff.

If Notre Dame is ranked five this week, they should be rooting for Georgia in the SEC Championship over Alabama. A two-loss Alabama team probably doesn’t get in over a one-loss Notre Dame team. This is a year where not having a conference is tough for the Irish. They are idle until bowl season and they hope it is a playoff game.

They have to sit back and wait but being in the top-five is the key. If the committee puts them there, then you would think that they have a chance to make it if one or two things fall their way next weekend during the conference championship games.

The Irish deserve credit for even being in this position. They were not very good early in the season but changed the way that they play in order to adjust to what they need. Now, they are a lucky weekend away from being in the playoff once again. As mentioned before, if they are in the top five this week, there is a chance that they are in the top four next week.

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