With losses to Georgia and Michigan, the Notre Dame college football team is looking down the barrel in this year’s College Football Playoff.
Considering the circumstances that surrounded the countless departures on defense and then the injuries leading up to Week 1 of the 2019 season, sitting at No. 16 doesn’t happen often for Brian Kelly. The first time the Fighting Irish have occupied such real estate was back in 1952. Since then, only eleven times (excluding preseason polls) has the program experienced a college football’s poll bottom percentile. Because of this, Notre Dame is expected to play in the Camping World Bowl against a conference who has had twists and turns almost all season long, the Big 12.
The two losses may have hurt Notre Dame’s chances of being on the inside-looking-out, but it’s not the only 7-2 team in the College Football Playoff Top 25.
No. 15 Wisconsin
Running back Jonathan Taylor and kicker Collin Larsh both have been the backbone of Wisconsin’s offense. The Badgers two losses come at the expense of Illinois and Ohio State – the latter’s defense who kept Taylor to only 52 yards rushing and forced Wisconsin’s pass game with Jack Coan. For the most part, its defense itself has remained in tact, blanking four opponents. Over the past three games specifically, it has given up over 21 points per contest. Remaining on Paul Chryst’s schedule is Nebraska, Mizzou and the eighth-ranked, row-the-boat-coach Fleck Minnesota Gophers.
No. 14 Michigan
Prior to playing Notre Dame, Michigan didn’t have the same swag against Wisconsin and Penn State. Both away games, Michigan coughed up the ball four times against the Badgers and were held scoreless for almost two full quarters against the Nittany Lions. At this point, it’s really Ohio State’s conference, but Michigan has somewhat regained its footing and lies only a couple of spots ahead of Notre Dame. The Wolverines haven’t played a game since Nov. 2 and that couldn’t come a moment too soon. Going forward, there lies a surprisingly trippy home stretch ahead with Michigan State, Indiana and The Game to round off the season.
No. 12 Auburn
Of the three teams on this list, Auburn has the toughest end-of-season schedule against No. 4 Georgia and No. 5 Alabama, who recently forfeited its No. 1 spot to LSU. Most significantly to Gus Malzahn’s team this year was a season opener win against then-No. 11 Oregon, followed by an eight point win against Texas A&M. Losses to Florida and LSU within three weeks of each other was likely the red flag for the committee, though no one hardly ever understands their deliberations and final decisions. On Nov. 23, there is a rehearsal game for Auburn before the Iron Bowl. Quarterback Bo Nix has been up and down with incompletions and a lack of targets. It’s a team that’s much like the SEC version of Wisconsin – depend on the run and a defense that’s just as effective against the run as well.
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