It’s no question that every year analysts, fans, and of course the golden-dome naysayers debate on whether the Notre Dame football program truly deserves to be considered for a top spot in the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings. Given that this year’s CFP structure will no longer feature automatic top-four seeding for the four highest-ranked conference champions, it’s difficult to say whether this new development helps or hurts the Fighting Irish’s playoff chances.
As the team remains one of the last Independent programs across the entire country, there are various nuances that come with the new playoff model that stand to potentially benefit, or potentially limit Notre Dame’s opportunity for a high seed in the 2026 CFP.
Pros of the new model and whether it really helps Notre Dame football get into the playoffs
Notre Dame has received backlash from opposing coaches who argue that Notre Dame’s independence gives them an advantage in terms of their overall record at the end of the season. And they’re not entirely wrong. We’ve seen it time and time again — a team with an undefeated or near-perfect record is unseated from their top-four ranking following a crushing loss in their respective conference championship.
Notre Dame stands to avoid this entirely. They will only have to play their regular season schedule (and more than likely win every game) to earn a top-four seed in the 2026 CFP. In widely competitive athletic conferences like the SEC, or the newly revamped Big Ten, Notre Dame’s likely playoff opponents are subject to losing their seed if they were to stumble in the conference championship matchup.
In the previous format, which was used in the 2025 CFP, Notre Dame was completely ineligible for a first-round bye due to its lack of conference affiliation. In this new format, and to the dismay of the Notre Dame haters, the golden domers are now eligible to earn a first-round bye and a second round home playoff game if they were to win out and receive a rank in the top four across college football.
Cons of the new model and how it hurts the irish
We see this almost every year. Notre Dame will have to completely and unanimously prove their worth by eliminating every opponent from their schedule without faltering at any point. Though the Fighting Irish made an appearance at the 2024 National Championship, they’re credibility was brought into question following a mid-season mishap against the Northern Illinois Huskies.
Additionally, without a conference championship to play for, the Irish don’t retain the privilege of possibly earning an automatic bid, which will be given to the four highest-ranked conference champions at the close of the 2025 season.
While we regularly see two and even three-loss programs from Power Five conferences sneak their way into the highest playoff standings, Notre Dame football will have to be near-perfect on the gridiron this Fall to even possibly compete for one of the highest seeds. And there’s no guarantee for them that they’ll make it to the playoffs as being a higher-ranked conference champion.