How Duke’s upset over Virginia will shake up the CFP race
Could Duke derail the playoff race with an upset? The Before The Snap team analyzes factors that can shift rankings and open new avenues for candidates.
Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff dreams were shockingly dashed on Sunday, Dec. 7, when the Fighting Irish were removed from the 12-team field.
It wasn’t just the end of the team’s playoff hopes. It was also the end of the season.
Notre Dame withdrew its name from bowl consideration, and the program announced the decision in a statement.
“We would like to thank our families and fans for their support and look forward to bringing South Bend its 12th national title in 2026,” said a statement signed by the 2025 Notre Dame Football Team.
The Fighting Irish finished the season with a 10-2 record and ended the regular season on a 10-game winning streak. One of those two losses, a 27-24 loss to Miami in Week 1, was a disaster for the 10-2 Hurricanes, who clinched the final at-large playoff berth.
The decision to place Notre Dame behind Miami and Alabama was met with no shortage of backlash, with Fighting Irish athletic director Pete Bevacqua telling ESPN’s Jen Rada that the team felt like the rug had been pulled out from under them and calling the playoff selection committee’s weekly rankings ahead of the final selection a “travesty.”
While players have declined to participate in bowl games over the past decade, especially as the playoffs have become less important, it is rare for an entire team to decline the opportunity to play in a bowl game. Notre Dame wasn’t the only school to do this this season; Iowa State and Kansas State also did the same (and were fined the same $500,000 by the Big 12 for their actions).
However, unlike the Fighting Irish, the Cyclones and Wildcats have made coaching changes.
Naturally, Notre Dame’s decision sparked some heated opinions. Here’s a sample of what fans and media members are saying on social media.
