Notre Dame Football: 5 Most Likely Bowl Scenarios After the Loss to Northern Illinois

Now what for the Fighting Irish when it comes to bowl projections and where they might go?

Pete Fiutak | Sep 9, 2024

Notre Dame corner back Benjamin Morrison (20) walks with his team during warm ups before a NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Northern Illinois at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in South Bend. / Michael Clubb / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish

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3. Notre Dame Bowl Projection at 10-2 - and a loss at USC

So here's the real problem with the loss to Northern Illinois.

Had the Irish lost tastefully at Texas A&M to start the season and then beat Northern Illinois, there would be far more of a free pass. They were underdogs against the Aggies.

At that point, a 10-2 record would probably be enough to get into the expanded College Football Playoff, partially because it's Notre Dame. Now, because of the horrible loss to Northern Illinois, the Irish have to do something splashy, and there isn't enough water left in the pool to do a cannonball.

Florida State isn't any good, and beating Louisville and Georgia Tech wouldn't get anything more than an eyebrow raise. Basically, any win from here on - even if the Irish annihilate everyone over the next nine games - doesn't really matter if there isn't a win in LA.

The College Football Playoff committee LOVES momentum teams and hates drama and concerns - hello, 2023 Florida State, but that's for another day. So if the Irish go 10-2 and lose at USC, they can still get in if there aren't other 10-2 options, but the committee would likely go with another 10-2 team from a Power 4 conference - or a 10-3 team that lost its conference championship - over Notre Dame, so ...

Notre Dame Bowl Projection at 10-2 with a loss at USC: TaxSlayer Gator vs Missouri

NEXT: No. 2 Notre Dame Bowl Projection at 10-2 ... and a win at USC

Published Sep 9, 2024|Modified Sep 9, 2024

PETE FIUTAK