Should Notre Dame be ranked ahead of Alabama?

Not that it means much at this point, but it’s a valid question. Notre Dame has the superior resume — and it’s not close.

At this point, we’re probably splitting hairs. That said, it’s December, and Notre Dame won’t be playing football for a couple of weeks. Splitting hairs is the name of the game this time of year.

Between scrolling through the most recent College Football Playoff rankings and listening to sports talk radio, it occurred to me that there’s really no reason that Alabama — currently ranked No. 12 — should be ranked ahead of Notre Dame — currently sitting at No. 15.

The rankings are supposed to be a combination of what each team has done and where they stand right now as a unit. Plugging both of those rules into the rubric, Alabama ahead of the Irish doesn’t make much sense.

In terms of losses, both teams have two. We are all-too-familiar with Notre Dame’s losses to Georgia and Michigan. Those teams are currently ranked No. 4 and No. 14 respectively. Aside from the score of the Michigan game, those aren’t really bad losses on paper. And both losses were on the road.

Alabama’s two losses came to LSU — the No. 2 team in the country, and Auburn — currently No. 11. In terms of the quality of those teams as opposed to the teams that beat the Irish, it’s close.

That said, both of Alabama’s losses were at home.

In terms of Strength of Schedule, Notre Dame has the clear edge. The Irish played nine Power 5 teams this season — and no FCS opponents. They have a record of 3-2 against teams currently ranked in the Top 25 of the College Football Playoff rankings. Eight of the 12 teams Notre Dame played will go bowling.

Alabama, meanwhile, played nine Power 5 teams and one FCS opponent. They are 0-2 against teams currently in the Top 25, and five of the 12 teams they’ve played are going bowling.

Factoring in all of that data and the fact that Alabama starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is on the shelf for the season, there’s no reason that the Irish shouldn’t be ahead of the Tide in the rankings. The fact that the Irish are not is going to have a detrimental effect on Notre Dame’s bowl selection.