Notre Dame a College Football Playoff Lock at 10–2, Says Insider

Notre Dame (3-2) is trying to, for the second time in as many years, rattle off a double-digit winning streak in order to make the College Football Playoff.

Last season it was 10-straight wins to close the regular season, most of them in convincing fashion, that set Notre Dame up for a playoff berth and consiquential run.

This year, Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame are looking for a bit of that same magic. Instead, though, this year Notre Dame began 0-2, didn't have a marquee victory over Texas A&M, but also doesn't have a brutal loss like Northern Illinois had in 2024.

Assuming Notre Dame wins out, which still can't be guaranteed, is it a shoo-in for a playoff berth?

Josh Pate Weighs In On Notre Dame's Playoff Chances at 10-2

There is a strong possibility that Notre Dame can win 10 games this year, and none of those victories would come against ranked opponents. Even in that case, Josh Pate of On3 and ESPN sees no way Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish would be left out of the dance.

Pate was on Always College Football with former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy and was adamant about Notre Dame's playoff chances, assuming it wins 10 games.

“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.

“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.”

Life is Easier for Pretty People, Such as Notre Dame

While cases will be made that a potential three-loss Big Ten or SEC team should get in over a two-loss Notre Dame team, one fact remains.

Notre Dame is still Notre Dame. I'm not saying that to be arrogant, I'm saying that as someone who is aware.

Few teams draw interest like Notre Dame does, and the fact it went on a run to the national championship game last year only adds to that.

I won't go as far as Pate to say I don't see a world where 10-2 Notre Dame doesn't get in, because I think there are certain ways things could fall that would make it difficult. I will say, though, that if there are multiple teams with seemingly equal cases, it's hard to imagine Notre Dame gets passed over.