Notre Dame football vs. the Cincinnati Bearcats is a Playoff Game
Cincinnati and Notre Dame football meet in South Bend on Saturday in what can be seen as a midseason Playoff game, where the loser is out.
A lot of Notre Dame football fans have been talking down Cincinnati. That segment of the fanbase is convinced that because of conference affiliation, the Bearcats must be inferior. They think there is no chance that a dominant defensive line and four-year starter at quarterback on a top-10 ranked team could beat the Irish.
It’s rich that some Notre Dame football fans still feel this way, especially since Florida State nearly beat Notre Dame and Toledo should have. This game is more important than those games, though. That’s because this is a Week 5 Playoff game for both teams.
The winner still has a shot at the Playoff. The loser is going to be hoping for a New Year’s Six Bowl.
In the four-team College Football Playoff model, the Irish need to go undefeated to make the Playoff. That’s the deal with the devil that Notre Dame football made to stay Independent. No conference, no losses.
Notre Dame football playing a Playoff Game in Week 5
This is also why Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick has been leading the charge for a 12-team format. This would leave about six at-large spots, with six conference champions making the Playoff. That way, the Irish can remain Independent while making the Playoff with a regular-season loss. Any smaller of a format and Notre Dame likely still need to go unbeaten.
Cincinnati, meanwhile, is thought to be one of the few Group of Five teams who has any shot of making the Playoff. Debate whether or not that’s true on your own. However, by going to a New Year’s Six bowl, playing in the top G5 conference, and getting two road games against preseason top-25 teams, Cincinnati is set up to be a part of the discussion.
This game against Notre Dame is incredibly important to that goal, and a top-10 matchup in South Bend is the biggest regular-season game in Cincinnati Bearcats history.
So, even without the coaching staffs being interwoven and these two programs being incredibly similar in their structure and all the other great storylines to this game, this game is vital. The winner still has a hope of making the College Football Playoff. The loser, meanwhile, is eliminated and needs to go back and realign their season goals.
For Cincinnati, that means winning the AAC and finishing the season as the top-ranked G5 team. That could be tough, with teams like Coastal Carolina and UTSA looking like threats to run the table. Meanwhile, the Irish are going to have to be nearly perfect to make and win a New Year’s Six game with a loss to Cincinnati.
So, respect the opponent. This is a Playoff game in Week 5.