Notre Dame’s CFP Ranking Analysis

**Two-Loss Notre Dame Cracks CFP Top 10, Sparking Debate Over Committee’s Metrics**

**IRVING, TX** – The inaugural College Football Playoff rankings of the 2023 season, unveiled on Tuesday, November 1st, immediately ignited a firestorm of discussion across the college football landscape. Among the most surprising placements was a two-loss Notre Dame Fighting Irish squad landing at a perplexing No. 10, raising questions about the committee’s evaluation criteria and the enduring influence of historical prestige.

Notre Dame’s inclusion in the top 10, ahead of other two-loss contenders like LSU (No. 14), Missouri (No. 12), and Utah (No. 18), drew particular scrutiny. While the Irish’s schedule boasts formidable opponents, their on-field performance in crucial contests has been inconsistent, leaving many analysts scratching their heads.

The Fighting Irish’s two defeats paint a complicated picture. Their first loss came in a hard-fought, last-second 17-14 home defeat against then-No. 6 Ohio State on September 23rd. While a narrow loss to a top-tier Buckeyes team is generally considered a “quality loss,” their subsequent 33-20 road defeat to Louisville on October 7th was a more decisive setback, one where the Irish offense struggled significantly.

“It certainly feels like the committee is placing a heavy emphasis on who Notre Dame *played* rather than how they *performed* in those pivotal games,” remarked ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit during the rankings reveal. “A loss is a loss, and the Louisville game, in particular, was not one of Notre Dame’s finer moments. Yet, here they are, firmly in the top 10.”

When examining Notre Dame’s resume, their best win so far is against a USC team that, despite boasting Heisman-winning quarterback Caleb Williams, has underperformed expectations this season, currently sitting at 7-2 and ranked No. 20. Other victories include relatively comfortable wins against Navy, NC State, Central Michigan, Duke, and Stanford, but lack the signature win expected of a top-10 team.

Reports from South Bend have highlighted persistent issues, particularly along the offensive line, which has struggled to provide consistent protection for graduate transfer quarterback Sam Hartman. Hartman, who had a strong start to the season, has not consistently delivered against stronger opponents, with his production dipping in the key losses. Against Ohio State, he managed only 176 yards passing, and against Louisville, he threw three interceptions.

Many observers suggest that the College Football Playoff committee might be inadvertently — or perhaps consciously — giving disproportionate weight to the Notre Dame brand name and their historical prestige, rather than their actual on-field resume for the 2023 season. The argument posits that the committee sees the potential of Notre Dame given their schedule and talent, overlooking current inconsistencies.

“The CFP committee claims to use a variety of metrics: strength of schedule, quality wins, quality losses, head-to-head results, and the ‘eye test,'” explained a former Power Five athletic director who wished to remain anonymous. “For Notre Dame, the ‘strength of schedule’ is clearly working in their favor, and perhaps the committee’s ‘eye test’ sees a team with high potential, even if it hasn’t always translated to dominant performances against elite competition.”

The Fighting Irish (6-2) still face a challenging road ahead that will undeniably test the validity of their current ranking. Key matchups include a home game against No. 15 Clemson on November 4th and a road trip to Stanford to close out the regular season. Their performance in these games will be crucial in determining whether the committee’s early faith in the two-loss Irish was justified or if the #10 ranking was indeed an overvaluation of potential and prestige.