What now?

As conversation heats up about who will, or at least who should make the four-team playoff the picture will only get more blurry as teams fall from the ranks of the unbeaten and the term quality loses will come into play.  With conference play pitting teams against each other unbeaten teams will diminish and top ten one loss teams will become two-lose teams which will disappear from the discussion.

Each week the outcomes of top ten teams will become more and more important.  Without question the Irish must continue to win to stay in the playoff picture.  With one lose Notre Dame will need some help and will need to have some teams lose over the next several weeks to end up in the final four.

While Notre Dame has a bye this week, there are a number of relevant games that could help the Irish stay near the top of the rankings and work their way back to the top.

#1 Mississippi State plays Kentucky.   It would not be the upset of the century if Kentucky won, but they won’t.   However the Bulldogs still have to play #4 Alabama and Ole Miss.

#2 Florida State plays Louisville.  Again t would not be the upset of the century, but it probably won’t be, FSU wins.  The rest of the regular season looks to favor the Seminoles running the table; however a trip up or a loss in the ACC Championship game may push them out.

#3 Ole Miss faces LSU.  Three weeks ago I would have never given LSU a chance, this week I give them one, a slim one.   They still have to play Mississippi State (someone has to lose) and then a potential SEC Championship.

#4 Alabama plays Tennessee.  Although the Volunteers kept it close early last week against Ole Miss before getting pounded I expect the pounding to begin a bitter sooner this week.   Like the Irish the Crimson Tide has one loss.  They still have #24 LSU, #1 Mississippi State, #5 Auburn  and if they are lucky an SEC Championship game to play to finish the season .  Good luck with all of that.

#5 Auburn plays South Carolina.  Although the Gamecocks are having an off year and some people think they are better than their record shows, I am not one of those people, the Tigers will roll.  Much like the teams ahead of them in the polls Auburn has a gauntlet in front of them where teams will knock each other off and out.  Auburn still has #3 Ole Miss, #9 Georgia and #4 Alabama on its schedule.  

#6 Oregon plays Cal.  Oregon will win.  Sorry it is that easy for them this weekend.  After that there are some teams that will give them more of an issue: Stanford, #19 Utah and Oregon State.  If the Ducks get through their regular season a Pac 12 Championship game will not be a slam dunk.

*#8 Michigan State (*#7 in the USA Today Poll) play Michigan.  Traditionally when these two teams play you can through the seasons records out the window, not this season.  It won’t be close Sparty wins, easily.   After this weekend only Ohio State and a Big Ten Championship game seemingly stand in their why of finishing with only one lose and being in contention form a playoff spot. 

Come down off the ledge.

I am not saying that Notre Dame should have won the game but they could have won the game.  I am not sure I could be comfortable with that statement in years past against elite competition.  During the final offensive series for the Irish there was a feeling of not only could we win this but we will.  In the past I think Irish fans would have though "how are we going to blow this?"  Never have I ever believed in moral victories but Saturday night came as close as I could believe in.

For those of you who are still upset with the pass interference call at the end of the game; it was a penalty, not necessarily a good call or event the right call but a justifiable and defendable one.  I always have a saying for situations like this; "win by 50 points and one call, bad play or mistake won't make a difference".

For the first time in a long time I truly believe we belong with the elite programs on the national stage.  As far as the "playoffs" Notre Dame may still be in it as in College football there are such things as quality losses.  Quite frankly I will be more than happy finishing the regular season with one lose and a win in a major bowl.

There is little doubt that Brian Kelly and crew are headed in the right direction.  Kelly has the Irish focused on The Process and even thought there is still work to do Notre Dame is legitimately back in the Nation Championship discussion.  Brian Kelly has a rule: win-celebrate, lose-morn but only for 24 hours then move on.  The tough thing now is we have a bye and two weeks to strew.

I want to tip my hat to Seminoles but a couple of things left a bad taste on my mouth.  First; after Golson throws away his last pass and FSU has one the game they get a personal foul penalty.  Next Jimbo Fisher has to tell his team to stay classes when talking to the press.  Really?  If you need to tell them that to me that assumes they either they do not have class to start with and or they don't already know better.   Also in his post game interview he went on about how his team does it right on and off the field, in and out of the classroom and with high character.  Like backing Winston i like that he backs his quarterback but he takes it overboard to the point where anyone who has a brain and knows the players and the program he should say he is proud of them and supports them and leave it at that because they are no angels, road scholars or citizens of the year.

I did not add any pictures to this post as they were all too painful to see.  But to end on a positive attitude (or at least as positive as we can be) and at lease lose with class here is a little something to help sooth the feelings.  That's life.