Notre Dame Gets Surprise Support From Former SEC Head Coach

Ed Orgeron is a legend at LSU, despite how things ended in 2021

Nov 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman (middle) leads the team onto the field to play the Pittsburgh Panthers at Acrisure Stadium. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

As the College Football Playoff gets started this weekend, Notre Dame is sitting at home getting ready for 2026. Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish were of course left out of the CFP as the final at large bids instead went to Alabama and Miami.

I've said from the moment it happened that I didn't have a problem with Miami being ranked above Notre Dame, although the committee's process to get there was clearly flawed. It was instead an Alabama issue that bothered me, considering the Crimson Tide initially jumped Notre Dame after what was an uninspiring victory at Auburn (5-7).

Now, a former national champion coach from the SEC is essentially saying the same thing.

Ed Orgeron Goes to Bat for Notre Dame

Not many people in the history of college football reak more of the SEC than former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron. The 2019 national championship winning coach also spent time as the head coach at Ole Miss during his career, and what may be best described as a cult-like following in that part of the country.

Orgeron recently sat down with Fox News and was asked about the College Football Playoff as well as new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin. Orgeron was quick to defend the case for Notre Dame to be in the postseason tournament instead of that final SEC team.

Nov 27, 2021; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron looks on during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

"I don't think a team with three losses ought to be playing for the national championship. Notre Dame should have got in ahead of Alabama," Orgeron told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

"The SEC was dominant. But now, the Big Ten, Big 12 are catching up. They've had the national champ a couple of years now. I don't know what's happened with the SEC and bias, all that stuff. Is there a chance that they have it? I'm not going to get into that. But I do know this — they're very strong," Orgeron added.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Takeaway

It hasn't gotten nearly the same publicity as Notre Dame's battle with the ACC the last couple of weeks, but Notre Dame's battle with ESPN and the SEC is clear.

While Notre Dame was talked down by the network for weeks on end, Alabama was placed ahead of the Irish in the rankings when the Crimson Tide clearly didn't do anything to merit such a move.

Former Alabama star running back Mark Ingram said as much a couple weeks ago while Orgeron decided to this week.

It's crystal clear to anyone that looks at things with the least bit of objectivity, but the more college football media I consume, the more rare that seems to get.