In college football these days it’s all about being ranked in the top four by the time the regular season comes to an end.
How you get there doesn’t matter nearly as much as the simple fact you do and that you earn the College Football Playoff berth with it.
Notre Dame has earned a berth to the CFP twice to date and if things fall right, could earn a third this season.
However, tough tasks await as a few of the best programs in all of the college football appear on Notre Dame’s schedule this fall.
Chip Patterson of CBS Sports released his 1-131 preseason college football poll and he had Notre Dame just outside that all-important top four as they ranked sixth.
Perhaps just as importantly, two Notre Dame opponents for 2022 were ranked ahead of the Irish as Clemson checked in fifth and Ohio State second.
Patterson put USC 12th, BYU just outside the top 25 at 26, and then no 2022 Notre Dame opponents appeared again until North Carolina checks in at 46.
55. Boston College 71. Stanford 75. Cal 76. Marshall 89. Syracuse 103. Navy 116. UNLV
It’s very top-heavy as you can tell but plenty manageable at the same time.
Even with a loss at Ohio State to open the year Notre Dame’s talent should be good enough to win 10 games if not more this regular season.
And if it’s more then the powers that be will have a hard time keeping
Notre Dame out of the CFP with an 11-1 mark against the likes of Ohio State, Clemson, USC, and BYU.