Notre Dame has clear path to be in CFP conversation all season

Due to Notre Dame's desire to hold onto its independent status, the Fighting Irish do not have the benefit of being able to earn an automatic bid into the revamped College Football Playoff by winning a conference title. 

However, after opening the 2024 season with a big win on the road over Texas A&M, Notre Dame does in fact have a clear path to a playoff birth. 

On Saturday night, Notre Dame eventually pulled away from the Aggies, who entered the game with a preseason No. 20 ranking thanks to the Associated Press, en route to a 23-13 victory. It wasn't always pretty — quarterback Riley Leonard only threw for 158 yards — but Marcus Freeman's team did what they had to do to pull off the staple win. 

And with one win over a team ranked already under Notre Dame's belt, it's possible the Irish advance from their preseason No. 7 ranking to into the top five in both the AP and Coaches Poll. 

The win also sets up some serious runway for Notre Dame to stay undefeated for a while. Upsets can always happen, but conventional wisdom suggests the Irish won't be truly challenged until the end of the season. 

In fact, Notre Dame has two Group of 5 opponents coming up in its next three matchups. Next up is Northern Illinois, followed by Purdue and then Miami (Ohio). And even though Purdue is out of the Big Ten, not much is expected out of the Boilermakers this season. 

Following that stretch is a date with Louisville at Notre Dame Stadium and then the first bye week. From that point on, Notre Dame will play programs who have struggled in recent years — Stanford, Georgia Tech and Navy. Unless Georgia Tech has another major upset in them — the Yellow Jackets defeated Florida State in Dublin, Ireland in Week 0, that's another favorable stretch for Notre Dame. 

Speaking of Florida State, the Seminoles will visit South Bend, Indiana on Nov. 9, followed by games against Virginia and Army before a marquee matchup against rival USC.  

Nothing is ever a guarantee, and Notre Dame has certainly endured an upset loss in the past, but smart money suggests the Irish will be favored in every game the rest of the way prior to closing the season at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The showdown with USC might even be able to be labeled with that quintessential college football phrase of a "quality loss" if Notre Dame were to fall at the hands of the Trojans.  

Some may argue an easy schedule could become a detractor for the College Football Playoff committee when discussing Notre Dame. But no matter what happens throughout the rest of the country, it's going to be extremely difficult to not award an undefeated, or even a one-loss, Notre Dame team a chance to play for a national title. 

And let's be honest, including the Irish brand would bring an extra buzz to the College Football Playoff, especially in its debut season of an expanded 12-team field. 

So even though some questioned Notre Dame's decision to not join a conference, mostly because it eliminates the possibility of being a high seed, the rest of the 2024 schedule could still set up the Irish to get in nonetheless.