Notre Dame Football: Would the new CFP format be unfair to the Irish?
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame Football program is one of the elites, but in the new College Football Playoff format, they would get the short end of the stick.
When it comes to college football, Notre Dame Football is one of the elite, consistently performing at the highest level of the FBS. Unfortunately, despite being in two of the last three College Football Playoffs, the Irish have not made a real statement on the national stage.
In 2021, they plan on being back in the mix for the CFP, but there is a lot of work to do in terms of the roster. Quarterback Ian Book is gone, as is All-American linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, while eighty percent of the offensive line has to be replaced.
However, there is a ton of talent remaining, and they should be in the conversation of a possible CFP berth if the chips fall the right way. Recently, there has been talk of switching to a new format for the CFP, with 12 teams being involved, but the format makes it a bit unfair for the Irish.
Notre Dame Football not eligible for a top-4 seed
In this new format, only conference winners can receive a first-round bye, or a top-4 seed, making the Irish ineligible. Even ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, who has not been shy about his feeling in terms of the Irish, feels the new format is unfair for Notre Dame when speaking on Get UP! this past Friday,
"“Last year, they had a one-off. They joined the ACC on a one-year basis … I think it’s better for Notre Dame to be in a conference because there are too many obstacles. Playing at home is great, but there is still a lot of risk involved. In two years, think about this, Notre Dame plays Clemson and Ohio State. They can be undefeated having beaten two of the top four teams in the country, and they still have to play (a first round game). That’s ridiculous.”"
Based on the fact that the Irish do not play in a conference, they would have to play in the opening round, as they would be ineligible for a first-round bye, and a top-4 seed. They could literally play a tougher schedule than the likes of Clemson or Ohio State and still be at best a five-seed.
Playing Independent football has had many benefits for the Irish, but in this scenario, it would be an absolute nightmare. The Irish dominated the ACC during the regular season last season, and if this is the way the new CFP is going to be, they may want to entertain that down the road.