Notre Dame Football controls its destiny entering Week 9 in playoff mode

The 2024 Notre Dame football season has been a rollercoaster, marked by ups and downs and losing players left and right to injury, but anchored by resilience. Despite battling significant injuries to key players, the Fighting Irish have maintained a strong position and are still very much in the conversation for the College Football Playoff.

The season’s lone blemish so far has been a disappointing loss to Northern Illinois, but Notre Dame has otherwise handled business effectively, showing grit and determination—even when people have questioned their strength of schedule and, at times, quarterback play. Some of the weekly chaos and unexpected outcomes from the season have also helped.

The resilience of Notre Dame Football after tough losses

While the Irish’s loss to Northern Illinois was a tough pill to swallow, they’ve proven they can rebound from adversity. The rest of their schedule has been more challenging than initially anticipated, with teams like a tough MAC opponent in Miami (OH), a team that always gives the Irish trouble in Louisville, and Georgia Tech, a team exceeding preseason expectations.

The Irish still face undefeated Navy (next week), Army, and finish at USC, which, regardless of being on the road, won’t be a walk in the park. They also host Florida State and Virginia. Although the Seminoles are arguably having one of their worst seasons in recent program memory, the Cavaliers and Seminoles shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially for an Irish team that is essentially in “playoff mode” from here on out.

Notre Dame Football's playoff mode: A reality check

What’s clear now, entering the second half of the season, is that Notre Dame is essentially in playoff mode. With one loss already on the books, they can’t afford another slip-up if they hope to make the College Football Playoff. Not having a conference game at the end of the season—essentially playing one less game than other CFB playoff contenders—makes each game that much more important.

According to ESPN’s FPI rankings, the Fighting Irish saw their odds of winning out in the regular season increase from 34.2% to 41.1%, ranking first nationally after this past weekend. Their chances of making the playoffs now stand at 56.1%. Fortunately for the Irish, what looked like an easy season to start may turn out to be tougher than expected—which should benefit the Irish in the eyes of the committee if they can win out. Each remaining game on the schedule feels like an elimination contest, with no room for error.

That’s the reality of a one-loss team in the playoff hunt: the pressure is immense, and every game is critical. If the Irish can navigate these games unscathed, they’ll have a compelling case for the playoff committee, especially with a quality schedule filled with strong opponents.

The path ahead for Notre Dame Football

The 2024 Notre Dame football season has been marked by unexpected challenges and a higher degree of difficulty than initially expected, but the team remains in control of its fate. Every game from here on out is crucial, and as the Irish enter the second half of the season, they are playing for their playoff lives.

The pressure is high, but the opportunity is there for the taking. If Notre Dame football can continue to win their remaining games, they will have done all they can to convince the playoff committee to extend an invite.