Notre Dame’s CFP fate gets a sealed no-nonsense opinion from national analyst Josh Pate. And let’s just say, Marcus Freeman is now pretty much relaxed with his strong 3-2 record so far. Those two early losses, one heartbreaker against Texas A&M in a 41-40 shootout and a narrow 27-24 defeat at Miami, had fans biting their nails. But the Irish bounced back with authority. The last three-game winning streak has not only boosted morale but also put Notre Dame right back into the playoff conversation.

Sure, the conversation about their tough schedule does it all, but we also have Josh Pate to clear the remaining doubts surrounding the Irish. “I don’t think there’s much of any world where a 10-2 Notre Dame is left out,” Pate said to Greg McElroy in the ESPN College Football Show. “Let’s say legitimately there are no ranked wins, whatever that means, on Notre Dame’s schedule come season’s end. If they’re 10 and two, I’m telling you, as sure as the sun will rise on selection Sunday, what the talking points will be, and they will work.” 

By season’s end, those two losses would likely be to strong teams like Texas A&M and Miami. So it stands as quality losses, not blowouts. First, the overhaul to the CFP format has removed the traditional restriction that first-round byes are reserved for conference champions. Now, Notre Dame, a team without a conference title game, can snag a top-four seed and secure that coveted bye. This fresh setup means Notre Dame could win a national title playing just 15 games, while every other contender fights through 16 or 17. Analysts aren’t shy about calling this advantage “absolute garbage.”

Secondly, they have a solid squad. Freshman quarterback C.J. Carr has been a revelation. He completed 1280 passing yards with 11 Tds with only 2 interceptions. He is already leading all freshmen nationally in passing efficiency (177.8), yards per attempt (10.8), and yards per game (256). On top of that, his supporting cast is one of the nation’s best rushing duos, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Both of them combined have 800 yards with 13 TDs. Defensively, Notre Dame’s improvements have been key, too. The Irish defense held Boise State to just 7 points in their recent win.

Plus, their tough schedule is the obvious reason that makes them the CFP board’s favourite, as per Josh Pate. “Notre Dame is absolutely going to get in there, and my question is going to be if you’ve got nine and three SEC teams or a Big 10 team against that 10-2 Notre Dame,” Pate said. “If it really did come down to that for a 12 spot, can you imagine you’re going to be up there at that desk in Bristol, Connecticut, and it’s going to be very contentious. It’s going to be very uncomfortable. So, you’d better go ahead and get those sleeves rolled up, my friend, cuz this conversation is coming. So, you need to just plant your flag already.”

What makes their schedule so hard? Think top rivals like USC, Boston College, Pitt, and Stanford still to come, plus road games at tough venues. Their biggest test is the home battle with USC on October 18, which could be a playoff preview. Win that battle, and the Irish could be cruising toward a 10-2 finish, which is generally playoff-worthy.

Marcus Freeman’s risky experiment with CJ Carr

Marcus Freeman is getting a little creative with his star QB, CJ Carr. Against Boise State, Carr completed 15 of 23 passes with two touchdowns. Freeman unleashed the intriguing idea of involving Carr in the wildcat formation. So now the wildcat formation flips the usual script. In this, instead of the QB taking the snap, the running back does. At Notre Dame, that means the ball would typically go to RB Jeremiyah Love.

Carr would line up as a wide receiver. Freeman suggested maybe throwing the ball to Carr in this setup to really keep defenses guessing. “At some point if we have to throw the ball to CJ Carr, then maybe we got to do that to get people to respect him,” he said. And when a coach sees his QB as a “special player,” as Freeman does, you know he’s cooking up something clever.

Now, Carr isn’t just a pocket passer. In high school at Saline, Michigan, he was a dual-threat QB with serious running skills. He accumulated 312 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground in his final two years. This year, he was more of a passer. Getting him involved in a wildcat could unlock that multifaceted talent in a new way altogether.