Texas Does Notre Dame a Huge Favor by Beating Vanderbilt

Notre Dame didn't kickoff against Boston College until slightly after 3:30 p.m. ET but received good news from what happened in Vanderbilt's trip to Texas.

The ninth-ranked Commodores fell behind on the first play from scrimmage at Texas and trailed the entire afternoon against the Longhorns. Texas dominated the game for three quarters, taking a 34-10 lead to the fourth quarter.

That's when Vanderbilt stormed back, scoring 21-straight points in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, a failed onside kick after scoring with just over 30 seconds left kept Vanderbilt from pulling the massive comeback.

Texas Does Notre Dame Huge Favor

The Texas win over Vanderbilt ends up being a huge help to Notre Dame.

First off, it hands Vanderbilt a second loss on the year. That's the same amount of losses that Notre Dame has, and with a trip to Tennessee still to come, winning out certainly isn't a given for the Commodores.

Vanderbilt's Remaining Schedule:

November 8: vs. Auburn
November 22: vs. Kentucky
November 29: at Tennessee

Auburn could be a tough contest but it being in Nashville certain helps Vanderbilt's chances. Kentucky is winless in the SEC, but that game at Tennessee the final week of the regular season could very possibly serve as a College Football Playoff elimination game considering how things currently stand.

Impact on Texas as College Football Playoff Contender:

Texas survives to be a College Football Playoff threat for another week, but it still feels like that third loss is almost certainly coming. Texas has next week off before a trip to Georgia on November 15, and if you paid any attention last year, Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs certainly had Texas' number.

Texas Remaining Schedule:

Texas has just three regular season games left, but two of them are difficult SEC road trips. After having next week off it will conclude the regular season as follows:

November 15: at Georgia
November 22: vs. Arkansas
November 29: at Texas A&M

Seeing as Texas has lost twice on the road so far this year against Ohio State and Florida, leaving Austin hasn't been a good thing for the Longhorns. You can convince me that winning one of those games against Georgia and Texas A&M is possible, but both of them?

I'm not guaranteeing it, but it'd be beyond a shock to see Texas walk into both Athens and College Station and pull-out victories.

What it Means for Notre Dame:

Notre Dame appears to be in good shape regarding the playoff, and this result only helps that. Vanderbilt's second loss while having no wins over and currently ranked teams, leaves plenty of holes in the resume.

If Vanderbilt can lose to Tennessee down the road, it'll only help Notre Dame while Texas will need an entirely unforeseen run in order to avoid a third loss. Add it together and it's great news for Notre Dame's playoff chances.