Notre Dame football vs. Cincinnati: 3 things we learned in Week 5

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Cincinnati Bearcats defensive lineman Malik Vann (42) sacks Notre Dame Football quarterback Drew Pyne (10) in the second half of the NCAA football game on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind. Cincinnati Bearcats defeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish 24-13.Cincinnati Bearcats At Notre Dame Fighting Irish 224 /

The Notre Dame football team suffered a devastating loss in Week 5, and here are three things we learned in the defeat inside Notre Dame Stadium.

It was a worst-case scenario for the Notre Dame football team, as they lost at home to the Cincinnati Bearcats in a top-10 matchup. The Irish needed a win in this game to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive, but in the end, the Bearcats proved to be the better team on both sides of the ball in this one.

With that said, here are some things we learned.

Notre Dame football vs. Cincinnati: 3 things we learned in Week 5

CFP hopes likely gone for the Irish

As we stated above, this was a big blow to the Irish’s hopes of being included in the College Football Playoff. Playing as an Independent, Notre Dame football cannot work their way back to a conference championship game, and their schedule the rest of the way is pretty light, which will hurt their chances even if they win out.

Notre Dame has struggled in nearly every matchup this season, and at this point, are not seen as a legitimate playoff contender. This would have been a huge win for them against a top-10 team, and likely would have bolstered their resume for the voters, but at this point, anything short of an undefeated regular season seriously damages their hopes.

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