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3 Reasons to Bet Against Notre Dame in Playoffs

3 Reasons to Bet Against Notre Dame in Playoffs

Written by on November 23, 2018

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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are so close to the College Football Playoff that their legion of fans should already be counting how much money they’ll need to make the trip. Notre Dame must beat USC, their biggest rivals, on Saturday, Nov. 24. But after the Irish beat the Trojans, they can rest assured that the Selection Committee will offer them a bid to play in either one of the CFP Semifinals, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, or the Capital One Orange Bowl, both on Dec. 29.

Notre Dame’s a lock to make it to the College Football Playoff. They head to Los Angeles a -11 road favorite. Unless USC pulls off one of the more shocking upsets of the season, Notre Dame should get the nod. However, once they get the bid, they might find things tough. The other likely 3 participants will be Michigan, who’s much better than when Notre Dame beat them in Week 1, Alabama and Clemson.

The Irish could be a bet against. Check out 3 reasons why.

3 Reasons to Bet Against Notre Dame in Playoffs

1. The Irish’s Schedule Left Something to be Desired

Yes, the Fighting Irish beat the Michigan Wolverines, but let’s not get crazy. That was way back in Week 1 while since then Notre Dame hasn’t played good teams. It’s been a down year for Stanford, Virginia Tech, and Florida State.

Northwestern did win the Big Ten West, but the Wildcats are 7-4 before their final 2 games. We could end up watching a Big Ten Championship between Michigan and 7-4 Northwestern. A loss there and a 7-6 Northwestern might get the nod to play in the Rose Bowl or some other New Year’s Day game.

Syracuse? They lost their starting quarterback while driving to Notre Dame’s goal line. That victory wasn’t any more impressive than any of Notre Dame’s other wins this season.

 2. Inactivity Could be an Issue

If the Irish beat USC, they must wait over a month before battling their opponent in one of the College Football Playoff Semifinals. That’s a long time to only practice before the biggest game of the season.

Brian Kelly’s a master at preparing his team. The Irish will definitely be mentally prepared. They might not be physically prepared because it’s hard to be physically prepared just by practicing. Getting hit on game days is different than taking shots during practices.

3. Notre Dame’s Defense is Soft Against the Run

The Fighting Irish have a great defense, but it ranks 38th in college football against the rush. Opponents, not even good opponents, average 137 yards on the ground versus Notre Dame. The Irish will have trouble stopping Clemson, Michigan, or Alabama if any of those 3 teams make it from running the football.

Even if a squad like Ohio State or Oklahoma gets in, Notre Dame’s defense could be in trouble. Both those teams are also great at rushing the football. The Irish can’t stop the rum, which means they might have already lost the National Championship before playing in the College Football Playoff Semifinals.