Notre Dame fans are still a little shocked after today’s final college football playoff rankings that pushed the Irish back to #11 and OUT of the playoff. There is still plenty of time to slam the committee,
scientologists, drug lords, and whoever else you want for this snubbing — but there is some business at hand.
What bowl game will Notre Dame go to?
While there still may be a bit of shock in my system as well, I pondered this scenario a few weeks ago and wrote down a few notes. Those notes, and today’s events have cemented my position on the matter.
NOTRE DAME SHOULD NOT GO TO A BOWL GAME
For the record, I have ALWAYS maintained that the Irish should never turn down a bowl invitation just because they didn’t get what they want. Even in 2009 I strongly advocated for Notre Dame to go bowling even after Charlie Weis was fired. There were a lot of positives involved with a bowl game and I felt it was stupid to sit at home.
2009 was a long time ago. In today’s CFB climate, the entire thing operates on an entirely different set of guiding principles. For a team like Notre Dame (or even Miami and Alabama had they been left out) it makes less sense to play in a meaningless bowl game than it once did.
Notre Dame is one of the best 10 teams in the nation — and some have even put them in a top 5 level with their talent and play. A Pop Tarts Bowl or a Gator Bowl or whatever would see even MORE of the Irish talent that took the field this year decide to opt out and not play.
Would it even be worth it to play CJ Carr in the game and risk injury for the upcoming season? What about Leonard Moore?
I know it flys in the face of the mantra of “any time and anywhere” but this situation could be brutal. The roster is one thing, and the optics are something else entirely. Notre Dame felt completely backstabbed by the committe. Do we expect them to just get up and be jolly and ready for the Pop Tarts Bowl? The optics of Notre Dame being the spoiled child that didn’t get what it wants would definitely be in play, but CFB is a business and the committee drove that HOME by ensuring the ACC didn’t get left out or an Alabama team that is on life support — all for the interests of their system and their conference structure.
I say screw it. Get to work on the roster management, winter workouts, and spring practice sessions and be done with this 2025 season. It’s not worth it.
