Marcus Freeman isn’t backing down anytime soon. With Miami staying put in the competition, owning the head-to-head win, Freeman is pushing back hard to make their case strong. With both teams holding 10-2 records, data points shouldn’t be the only thing deciding their fate. And Freeman’s comparison of tough losses made it clear.

“Look at the entire resume. You look at us with 10 and two and losses to currently the number seven and number 12 teams in college football rankings by a combined four points, and they were the first two games of the season,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said. “And you look at Miami with 10 and two really good football teams, but their two losses are two unranked teams in the middle of the season or in early November, and so I just don’t believe you can eliminate a team based on one data point, right?”

Now, Notre Dame’s playoff hopes were sitting squarely on BYU’s loss, as a win would have given them a direct spot, while even with a loss, Texas Tech would have entered the game with an at-large bid. However, with Miami in the mix, things look shaky. Look, Miami and Notre Dame are both 10-2 teams, and the Irish have lost against them before, so in that case, they lost the head-to-head competition, which might make their chances of getting into the CFP hard.

But let’s not forget Miami’s two losses against unranked teams, Louisville and SMU, might give Notre Dame an edge. Notre Dame’s losses came against opponents that had a strong record of 21-3, whereas Miami’s opponents had a weaker combined 16-8 record. So, Marcus Freeman’s plea makes sense. This stark difference came in despite having a similar strength of schedule. Notre Dame’s opponents together have a 75–68 record, while Miami’s is at 75–69.

Notre Dame’s resume makes one of the strongest playoff arguments this season after dominating opponents for 10 straight games. Only Ohio State and Indiana have shown similar week-to-week power. In their winning streak, they have outscored their opponents by almost 30 points, and they are the team with both a top 15 scoring offense and scoring defense. This shows their consistency.

Their only losses came against Texas A&M and Miami, but both are strong teams compared to others who are ranked ahead of them. BYU has struggled big time against Texas Tech, losing to them twice. Even Alabama lost to Florida State in the opener, and now they have lost to Georgia in the championship game. So, if Bama stays out, Notre Dame might get a shot this year.

But even if they don’t, at least they are already putting in the work for the future.

Marcus Freeman’s 2026 class achieves a major milestone

Notre Dame made a major recruiting statement on the first day of the 2026 early signing period by taking in all 27 of its commitments. They are the only team in the league that finished the signing period without a single decommitment. They are now giving tough competition to Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia, and Alabama in keeping their players close.

This turning point came when Notre Dame replaced GM Chad Bowden with former Detroit Lions staffer Mike Martin. After that, Marcus Freeman’s team adopted a more professional approach to recruiting.

Now add to that Freeman’s technique of building lasting relationships, and you have a perfect combination. One of their major wins remains in keeping five-star tight end Ian Premer on the team. He is a complete package for the team, as he has experience in multiple positions like QB, safety, and punt returner.

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Then there’s four-star offensive tackle Charlie Thom, who’s the most fascinating player of the 2026 class. This 6’6”, 270-pound lineman denied offers from Penn State and Michigan State to stay committed to the Irish. That’s the magic of Freeman.

Now that the future is already in line, let’s wait and see if Notre Dame is able to make their present better by entering the playoffs or not.