Notre Dame ranked ninth in ESPN’s Football Power Index

Is this a fair ranking?

Because there aren’t enough methods to rank college football’s best, ESPN has its Football Power Index. This is the outlet’s ratings and projections system which helps determine how the season likely is to go and who might qualify for the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame has clocked in at ninth with a rating of 18.4 as well as the ninth-best chance to win the national championship at 2%.

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Irish fans like to think of their team as their absolute best, but until the Irish  prove they can best the absolute best in college football, they will remain a tier below that group. Sure, a New Year’s Six bowl is a nice consolation prize for falling outside the final playoff rankings (at least through this year), but it’s not necessarily what anyone strives for these days. The pressure is on [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] to get the Irish to the next level, and we soon will see his progress in his second season.

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