College Sports

Notre Dame Faces Uphill Battle to Get Into College Football Playoffs After Devastating Loss

After their loss to Northern Illinois, the Fighting Irish might need the teams in front of them to lose games to move up in the rankings.
Notre Dame Faces Uphill Battle to Get Into College Football Playoffs After Devastating Loss
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman looks to the scoreboard during an NCAA college football game against Northern Illinois in South Bend, Ind, on Sept. 7, 2024. Michael Caterina/AP Photo
Todd Karpovich
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Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said his team got too caught up in their hype in the loss to Northern Illinois—one of the biggest upsets in program history.

The Fighting Irish entered the game 28.5-point favorites but lost 16–14 on Sept. 7. The loss dropped Notre Dame from No. 5 in the AP poll to No. 18 this week, and the Fighting Irish now face an uphill battle to make the College Football Playoff, which expanded to a 12-team format this season.
Todd Karpovich
Todd Karpovich
Author
In addition to the Epoch Times, Todd Karpovich is a freelance contributor to the Associated Press, The Sporting News, Baltimore Sun, and PressBox, among other media outlets nationwide, including the Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, and Chicago Tribune. He is the author or co-author of six non-fiction books.