A Notre Dame Home Playoff Game in December?

Not only that, but as the College Football Playoff's No. 5 seed?

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, right, greets quarterback Kenny Minchey (8) during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

Notre Dame Stadium in late November is almost never a pleasant place to be for out-of-towners.

Frigid weather, wiping winds, typically gray skies, and rear ends frozen to stadium seats.

Now imagine that pushed back a few more weeks but with a College Football Playoff game on the line.

That's what College Football News (CFN) has happening in its first run of the College Football Playoff projections, but it comes with quite a couple of interesting notes.

CFN projects Notre Dame to earn the No. 5 seed to get that home game and play against No. 12 Memphis. Perhaps the most interesting catch is that the projection comes despite a prediction that Notre Dame will lose two regular season games.

-Notre Dame can’t get a top four seed since it can’t and won’t win a conference championship, but it’ll still find its way into the 5 spot despite starting the regular season with a loss at Texas A&M and finishing with a loss against a desperate USC. The win over Florida State- who’ll win the ACC Championship - will be enough to put the Irish high enough up in the final CFP rankings to get here.

Nov 19, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Heavy snow falls in the third quarter of the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Boston College Eagles at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

In playing Memphis, Notre Dame would obviously have a fantastic chance at moving to the quarterfinals.

It’ll be between Memphis and Boise State for the 12 seed. Memphis will suffer a forgivable early loss at Florida State, and it’ll get past a tough loss to USF. The difference will be in the timing. A late November loss at Wyoming will do in the Broncos.

Because this is the 5-12 matchup - and because it’ll be played in South Bend in late December - the game will be the first off the board on the big Saturday of College Football playoff first round matchups.

No, the committee doesn't do its rankings for TV, but it’s not like anyone will be sad at TNT if the Irish are first up.

Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman speaks to Kahanu Kia (43) and Devan Houstan (98) Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the annual Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. / MANDATORY CREDIT GREG SWIERCZ / USA TODAY NETWORK

Nick's Quick Take:

It's hard for me to see Notre Dame losing two games and getting the No. 5 seed. That of course is dependent on what happens in the rest of the nation, specifically the Big Ten and SEC.

Even with a win over an otherwise unbeaten Florida State team, the losses against Texas A&M and USC would very likely be "better losses" than what a one or two-loss team from either the Big Ten or SEC would likely have.

That said, I don't care if it's 10-2 or 12-0, just getting a home College Football Playoff game at Notre Dame Stadium would create as unique as environment as the famed stadium has ever seen.

—Enjoy free coverage of the Irish from Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI —

Notre Dame Football: 5 Things to Know for August 6, 2024

Fox Sports' Joel Klatt gives Notre Dame mad praise ahead of 2024 season


Notre Dame football debuts reworked offensive line following Charles Jagusah injury

Two Notre Dame stars named to Bruce Feldman's annual 'Freaks List'

Notre Dame's new 'four horsemen' backfield ahead of 2024 football season

Notre Dame Football in the NFL: 23 former Domers on AFC rosters this training camp