This is the final regular season weekend of the year in college football, and for Notre Dame, who travels to Stanford, the biggest question isn’t if it’ll make the College Football Playoff, but instead what seed will they receive.
Right now the Irish as sitting at No. 9, which would mean they’d be on the road in the first-round, a path that would be drastically different that last years. It can’t be understated how much last season’s home win over Indiana matters to the team, as it gave them the confidence they could play with anyone.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere is plenty that could happen between now and next weekend when the final CFP rankings are unveiled, and the staff here at Fighting Irish wire of Tim Healy, Dave Miller and Michael Chen take a guess if Notre Dame gets to play one more game this fall in South Bend.
Tim Healey
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) makes a heart sign after scoring a touchdown in the first half of a NCAA football game against Syracuse at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in South Bend.There's a path to the CFP -- win against Stanford and the status quo should hold. A path to a bye? Probably not -- too many teams would have to lose, and the CFP committee might not penalize teams that lose to a quality opponent in a conference championship game.
I'd love to see Notre Dame get a bye, and, while I am biased, I think Notre Dame is better than its record indicates, given that it took one of the best teams in the nation to the final play and also came back against Miami (FL). But outside of USC and Pitt, Notre Dame's schedule has been relatively easy, so it's hard to make the case for a bye. Going 1-1 in the first two games was the way to make that argument.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDave Miller
Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore returns an interception for a touchdown in the first half of a NCAA football game against Syracuse at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in South Bend.Notre Dame is playing as well as any team in the country right now, so the Fighting Irish do have a chance to be in the mix for a possible bye in the CFP. And ND is eligible to earn a first-round bye despite not being in a conference because for a change was made from previous seasons in which only the top conference champions received a bye.
But the reality is too many wonky things would probably need to occur for the Fighting Irish to enjoy an extra week off.
The 12-team playoff format now using a straight seeding system would have really benefitted an 11-1 Irish squad. But even with some chaos among SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 teams, snagging that fourth and final spot seems like a real reach.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMichael Chen
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates after a touchdown in the first half of a NCAA football game against Syracuse at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in South Bend.I have to think there is, especially with a few of the teams ahead of them having some tough games ahead of them. Unfortunately, there are just a few outcomes that will see Notre Dame hosting in the first-round.
There are plenty of hypotheticals that could be discussed, but the one team that the Irish should be watching the most is Oklahoma, who takes on LSU this weekend. If the Tigers are able to upset the Sooners, Notre Dame should be inside the top-8 and get the home-field advantage.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Roundtable: Can Notre Dame football get a CFP bye with a game left?
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