Notre Dame is 3-2 and still ranked, so ESPN’s Josh Pate doesn’t think it’s a Hail Mary that the Fighting Irish can make the College Football Playoff if they win out.
During a recent appearance on Always College Football with Greg McElroy, Pate outlined his reasoning for why No. 16 Notre Dame still has a shot even with no ranked opponents left on its schedule.
“I’m really interested in this Notre Dame conversation because I’m telling you, I don’t think there’s much of any world where a 10-2 Notre Dame is left out,” Pate said.
Pate explained that hypothetical 9-3 SEC or Big Ten teams won’t look as lofty juxtaposed against Notre Dame’s 10-game winning streak and rising roster.
“I know what the counter arguments are…Let’s say legitimately there are no ranked wins on Notre Dame’s schedule come season’s end…If you were to invert their schedule, if we had played Miami later, if we had played those teams later, where our new quarterback was more seasoned and in tune with the offense, it would’ve been a different story,” Pate said. “You can’t prove it counterfactual, which is the brilliance in that strategy.”
Notre Dame is 1 of the biggest brands in college football who constantly draw high ratings. So it wouldn’t be shocking for the Fighting Irish to get rewarded by the committee if they hold up their end of the bargain.
The next step in that process comes on Saturday against visiting NC State (3:30 p.m. ET/Peacock).
"I don't think there's much of any world where a 10-2 Notre Dame is left out."@JoshPateCFB thinks that if @NDFootball goes 10-2, they're in the CFP no matter what #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/zGpqX6OZnT
— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) October 8, 2025Josh Pate: Notre Dame can make CFP even without a ranked win Saturday Down South.
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