For a team that looked so shaky to begin the year, it amazes me that there are so many plausible (though remote) paths to making the playoffs.
Starting with the premises that ND will be #8 in the forthcoming CFB poll, and that only one of the three B1G teams ranked ahead of them will finish the regular season with only one loss after cannibalizing one another, that would get ND up to #6.
Then it would take two other losses for ND to make it in, but I can think of at least four possible ways the two losses could happen.
1. Alabama wins the SEC west, but loses to Georgia in the SEC championship.
2. Oregon loses to Utah, or in the Pac 12 Championship game. Either one would do the trick.
3. All of three the B1G teams fall behind ND, because (referring to #1, above) the only remaining B1G East team with 1 regular season loss loses to Wisconsin in the B1G Championship Game.
4. Cincinnati loses to Houston in the AAC Championship game, and just for good measure.....
5. Oklahoma and Oklahoma St split their regular season and Big 12 Championship games (this is just a bonus, and a hedge against either OK or OK St. jumping ND).
If any 2 of the first 4 things listed happens, as incredible as this seems to me, ND would be in. If three of four of them happen, ND could be a #3 seed. And try to wrap your head around this: if all five of them happen, ND could even find itself the #2 seed.
Mind blowing......
Starting with the premises that ND will be #8 in the forthcoming CFB poll, and that only one of the three B1G teams ranked ahead of them will finish the regular season with only one loss after cannibalizing one another, that would get ND up to #6.
Then it would take two other losses for ND to make it in, but I can think of at least four possible ways the two losses could happen.
1. Alabama wins the SEC west, but loses to Georgia in the SEC championship.
2. Oregon loses to Utah, or in the Pac 12 Championship game. Either one would do the trick.
3. All of three the B1G teams fall behind ND, because (referring to #1, above) the only remaining B1G East team with 1 regular season loss loses to Wisconsin in the B1G Championship Game.
4. Cincinnati loses to Houston in the AAC Championship game, and just for good measure.....
5. Oklahoma and Oklahoma St split their regular season and Big 12 Championship games (this is just a bonus, and a hedge against either OK or OK St. jumping ND).
If any 2 of the first 4 things listed happens, as incredible as this seems to me, ND would be in. If three of four of them happen, ND could be a #3 seed. And try to wrap your head around this: if all five of them happen, ND could even find itself the #2 seed.
Mind blowing......
