Where Notre Dame ranks in Week 14 College Football Playoff rankings

Win your games and you shall move up in the only poll that matters. Notre Dame has been living by that mantra each week the College Football Playoff rankings have been announced, and it range true again Tuesday night.

The Fighting Irish are No. 5.

If the season ended now, Notre Dame would be the No. 7 seed in the CFP bracket hosting No. 10 seed SMU. The Irish are being jumped by projected conference champions Miami and Boise State, the No. 6 and No. 11 teams in the rankings but No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in the bracket, respectively.

Notre Dame has won nine games in a row and is coming off a 49-14 win over previously unbeaten and then-No. 19 Army. It was the second time this season the Irish gave an undefeated, ranked service academy its first loss of the season. They did it to Navy in the final week of October in a 51-14 drubbing.

Blowout wins have been the norm for head coach Marcus Freeman‘s team since an inexplicable Week 2 home loss to Northern Illinois. Notre Dame has won its last nine games by over 30 points per game. The Irish have the No. 1 point differential in college football.

The loss to NIU is what’s holding Notre Dame back from being ranked ahead of the one-loss teams from major conferences it still sits behind in the CFP rankings. That, and the only team currently ranked in the CFP poll that the Irish have defeated is No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3).

Week 14 College Football Playoff Rankings: Notre Dame No. 5

1. Oregon (11-0)
2. Ohio State (10-1)
3. Texas (10-1)
4. Penn State (10-1)
5. Notre Dame (10-1)

6. Miami (10-1)
7. Georgia (9-2)
8. Tennessee (9-2)
9. SMU (10-1)
10. Indiana (10-1)

11. Boise State (10-1)
12. Clemson (9-2)
13. Alabama (8-3)
14. Ole Miss (8-3)
15. South Carolina (8-3)

16. Arizona State (9-2)
17. Tulane (9-2)
18. Iowa State (9-2)
19. BYU (9-2)
20. Texas A&M (8-3)

21. Missouri (8-3)
22. UNLV (9-2)
23. Illinois (8-3)
24. Kansas State (8-3)
25. Colorado (8-3)

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