College Football Playoff Projection: Where Notre Dame, Texas, and Wake Forest Stand

Why do I feel like Notre Dame is about to get jumped in the College Football Playoff rankings?

It dominated every aspect in Saturday's 41-7 victory over Boston College and moved to 9-1, just two wins away from returning to the College Football Playoff for the second time in the last three seasons.

But after how things ended Saturday night in college football, and seeing how these things have gone with the CFP rankings to date, I get the feeling Notre Dame is about to drop.

Notre Dame Routs Boston College

Notre Dame dominated not only the scoreboard against Boston College, but the box score as well. It held Boston College to just 136 total yards all afternoon while putting up exactly 500 yards of offense itself.

No, Boston College isn't a world beater, but beating No. 1 Miami last week was the resume-building win Notre Dame clearly needed.

Win out, and it'll be in the College Football Playoff, but what seed will it end up being?

Texas Stuns LSU in Final Seconds

Last night was a truly exciting finish between Texas and LSU in Baton Rouge. I say it was exciting because it was, Arch Manning guided a last-second drive to win it for the Longhorns, handing Lane Kiffin the fourth loss of his debut season at LSU.

However, it wasn't a well-played game. It was two big-time teams in terms of names, but there were as many self-inflicted mistakes as there were truly great plays in the contest.

However, seeing how these things go, and Texas now having a fifth-ranked win, even though Missouri had no business still being ranked, I am preparing myself for Texas to jump Notre Dame in the rankings on Tuesday.

No, I didn't say it was fair, I'm just saying what I feel is going to happen.

Yes, Texas has two losses. So does Alabama. And Texas has better wins than Alabama, yet the Crimson TIde sit No. 3.

Prepare yourselves, Notre Dame fans. That's all I'm saying.

Nick Shepkowski's Projected College Football Playoff Rankings for November 17

25. LSU
24. Auburn
23. Arizona
22. Boise State
21. Louisville

Losses in the bottom third of the last rankings make this week very difficult to try and figure out who actually gets ranked, but LSU remaining in is key for a part to come later on. LSU has four losses, but be prepared to hear about how it played Texas down to the final seconds - just like it did Kentucky, Ole Miss...well, you get the point.

20. Louisville
19. Florida
18. Ohio State
17. USC
16. Kentucky

Florida soars back up after getting a win at Kentucky, but Florida having one more conference loss keeps it behind the Wildcats. Yes, USC lost, but what it did to Ohio State two weeks ago can't be forgotten.

15. Oregon
14. Ole Miss (pending result at Oklahoma on Sunday)
13. Iowa
12. Wake Forest
11. Texas Tech

Wake Forest moves up after its impressive showing in dominating SMU. It will need help to get into the playoff, though, unless if can beat Miami in the likely ACC Championship game. There just aren't a ton of challenging games remaining for teams ranked ahead of it.

As for Iowa, it has just two losses but its best win is at Washington?

10. BYU
9. Indiana
8. Tennessee
7. Miami
6. Notre Dame

Why do you schedule Notre Dame if you're a Power Four team? See BYU. It's not a CFP team if you sub out its win over the Irish for a middle-tier Power Four squad. Can Indiana move back up after beating a ranked team? Perhaps, USC isn't exactly a world-beater in USC. Notre Dame's schedule gets held against it as it falls this week.

5. Texas
4. UCLA
3. Alabama
2. Utah
1. Georgia

I let my feelings about Texas be known, but I've seen how this committee works in recent years and I'll be truly surprised if it doesn't pass Notre Dame next rankings.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thoughts

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Notre Dame might fall, but when you look at it, that wouldn't necissarily be a bad thing for the Fighting Irish.

The bracket would then go as follows (obviously there is a lot of football left to be played):

First Round Byes

1. Georgia
2. Utah
3. Alabama
4. UCLA

First Round Matchups

5. Texas vs. 12. Boise State
6. Notre Dame vs. 11. Texas Tech
7. Miami vs. 10. BYU
8. Tennessee vs. 9. Indiana

Second Round Matchups

1. Georgia vs. 9. Indiana
4. UCLA vs. 5. Texas

3. Alabama vs. 6. Notre Dame
2. Utah vs. 7. Miami

Semi-Final Matchups

1. Georgia vs. 5. Texas
6. Notre Dame vs. 7 Miami

National Championship

1. Georgia vs. 6 Notre Dame

Notre Dame would be on the other side of the bracket than Georgia, and not have to face it until the national championship, as long as it were able to get there.

That's not to say Notre Dame can't beat Georgia in any round, but don't overthink things, take the easier path in a playoff if possible, and falling behind Texas this week could certainly set that up for the Fighting Irish.

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