So far, Notre Dame football's playoff chances are so, so good. The Irish got good news on Friday night when Boise State blew out UNLV in the Mountain West Conference Title Game. While that was a minor win for the Irish, a blowout loss by BYU to Texas Tech cleared a path for Marcus Freeman and his crew to make the College Football Playoff.
Nothing is certain, and it's almost impossible to know what the College Football Playoff committee is thinking, mainly because it's chair has said lots of silly things. However, what is known is that the Cougars are not heading to the playoffs.
Notre Dame football looks to benefit in CFP with BYU loss
Had BYU won the Big 12 title game, they and Texas Tech would be in the CFP and that would likely have meant Notre Dame was out. Adding hope to the situation is the fact that the odds seem to indicate the Irish will join Alabama as an at-large team while Miami will miss the playoffs altogether.
Earlier this week, ESPN's All-State Playoff Predictor put Notre Dame at a 58% chance of making it in as the last at-large bid. Behind them, Virginia sits at 55% and Miami has a paltry 11% chance of making it in.
Updated for Saturday's action, Notre Dame has an 85% chance of making the College Football Playoff if BYU lost. That has now come to pass, and while it's far from official, it looks like excellent news for Fighting Irish fans. If Georgia could help ND out and stomp on Alabama in the SEC championship, that would be a bonus.