re: Will ND get in at 10-2 over a 9-3 SEC team this season?

Sure, but also, the original post I quoted said “10-2”. The only 2-loss power conference teams behind ND last year were BYU and Utah (Big 12) and Vandy (who got beat handedly by Bama and whose best win was probably Tennessee?).

ND should be eliminated from any CFP contention immediately with that schedule, no matter what their record is. They have been screwing other teams for years by playing patsies to build their w/l records, allowing them to jump other teams playing tougher schedules. . Every SEC school will be playing a minimum of four top twenty (top ten?) teams this fall. ND plays only one. And yes the ND bias is real. NBC is committed to broadcasting every home game of this bullshite schedule. They have to loudly proclaim ND is a great team to avoid a financial advertising bloodbath.

Kind of wild they don't play a team that finished above .500 until October 17th. 8 of their 12 opponents finished under .500 with 4 of them winning 3 or fewer games last year.

I know schedules are made in advance but woof. They're lucky the NIL era has been kind to Miami.

Yes, and declining the bowl bid should trigger the voters to rank them outside of the top 20.

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Yes, and declining the bowl bid should trigger the voters to rank them outside of the top 20.

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I was as critical of ND as anyone last year but I have no problem with them declining a bowl game. The non-CFP bowl games are glorified scrimmages filled with 2nd and 3rd stringers because of all of the opt outs for the draft and the portal. They’re meaningless.

If ND don’t get in last year with 2 close losses to playoff teams how would they get in with 2 losses with
Their schedule this year?

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ND has an easy schedule but if they are # 12 while an SEC team is # 11 at 9-3 ND would get the last playoff spot.

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No 9-3 teams will be ranked higher than a power 4 team.

Last season was unusual because both James Madison and Tulane made the CFP by being two of the 5 highest ranked conference champs, but neither was ranked in the top 12. Most seasons there are at least 4 conference champs ranked in the top 12. Last season a 9-5 Duke team, not even ranked in the top 25, won the ACC. With both Tulane and James Madison guaranteed slots, that left 10 other slots - the other 3 conference champs (all ranked in the top 4) and 7 highest ranked at large teams. Here were the final top 12 rankings.

Top 12

1. Indiana Hoosiers (13-0)
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1)
3. Georgia Bulldogs (12-1)
4. Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-1)
5. Oregon Ducks (11-1)
6. Ole Miss Rebels (11-1)
7. Texas A&M Aggies (11-1)
8. Oklahoma Sooners (10-2)
9. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-3)
10. Miami Hurricanes (10-2)
11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2)
12. BYU Cougars (11-2)

Notre Dame was 11th, the first team out last season. But… most seasons they would have been the last team in.

The committee ranked Alabama ahead of Notre Dame because they were not going to set the precedent of penalizing a SEC or Big 10 conference championship game participant by dropping them out of the playoffs.
Miami was ranked ahead of Notre Dame because they beat Notre Dame in the regular season - with the same 10-2 record the head to head should have been the tiebreaker.

Notre Dame and their fans caused so much of an uproar I can’t see them leaving a 10-2 Notre Dame out two seasons in a row if they do finish 10-2 again. Fair or not, they are also looking at maximizing revenues - and Notre Dame brings viewers.

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I doubt the SEC has as many 10-2 or better teams this season but ND is now guaranteed a playoff spot if top 12 I heard. ND has an easy schedule but if they are # 12 while an SEC team is # 11 at 9-3 ND would get the last playoff spot.

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ND would probably get in over a more accomplished SEC team because of Jesus. Many sportswriters, analysts, talking heads that sway opinion, and voters are Catholic.

Notre Dame is the team that Jesus supports and wishes to see do well.

Even more than all those advantages they enjoy, Jesus himself will likely, and has in the past, carved out spots for ND to succeed in football when they didn't really deserve it.

They don't have a replica of his image towering over their home field just for theatrics. It is there because Jesus is actually a Notre Dame fan. Ask any ND fan and they will tell you the same.

If it comes down to Notre Dame vs. some team without religion or, even worse, a bunch of players on a team who are Baptist or Methodist or Presbyterian, Jesus and the powers that be are going to favor the Catholics every single time.