No. 2 Notre Dame is fighting for its College Football Playoff life on Saturday night, heading into a massive road showdown at No. 8 BYU. This isn’t just another game for the Fighting Irish, who are still chasing their first national championship since 1988, especially after getting snubbed from the CFP field last season with a 10-2 record.
Notre Dame’s Only Path: Dominate or Bust
A loss to the Cougars would seriously mess up Notre Dame’s postseason picture, no question. They still have Miami and SMU on the schedule, and dropping this one means their only ideal scenario is to win out completely. The good news for the Irish? They’re ranked No. 1 in the country in total defense through their first six games, giving up an insane 241.2 yards per game. That’s 25 yards less than North Dakota State, their next closest competitor! Coach Freeman knows what’s up, saying BYU is “on paper, the best opponent we’re going to see to date.” He’s loving the road game challenge, too, talking about it being “us against everybody” and how much the players, as competitors, “love it.” Look, if Notre Dame finishes inside the top 12 of the selection committee’s final rankings, they’re in. That’s a huge advantage, but they still have to earn it, and that starts now.
BYU’s Chance to Crash the Party
For No. 8 BYU, this home showdown is a massive opportunity to make a statement. This is the first time in program history BYU has hosted a top-10 matchup! The Cougars want the College Football Playoff selection committee to take a much closer look at them, one of the Big 12’s best, before the first rankings even drop. Last season, BYU went 11-2 and even made the Big 12 Championship, losing to Texas Tech, but still got left out of the final pairings because of their strength of schedule. A win over the Fighting Irish could change everything. We’re talking an 11-1 finish with a Notre Dame victory potentially pushing them ahead of other at-large contenders, maybe even from the SEC or Big Ten, who have fewer wins. Their best path to the CFP is winning the conference for a guaranteed bid, but a win Saturday is a massive “resume boost” towards a two-team Big 12 bracket.
This game means more for Notre Dame than it does for BYU, but don’t tell the Cougars that. Saturday night is going to be electric in Provo. Can No. 2 Notre Dame’s top-ranked defense hold off No. 8 BYU on their home turf and keep their national championship dream alive? Or will BYU pull off the upset and throw the CFP picture into absolute chaos? You better believe everyone’s watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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