The SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum has had enough of the Notre Dame CFP talk after Saturday’s loss to Ohio State.
Appearing on the “Matt Barrie Show,” the ESPN commentator dismissed the notion that the Fighting Irish are a serious contender in 2023. Telling Barrie, “Notre Dame’s not getting back in this thing.”
He’s [Marcus Freeman] such a good coach and he’s come so close. And I’m not making excuses before I go in for the kill because it was a colossal error. … And Notre Dame fans can say — one tweeted at me today and said, ‘We still have Duke.’ Well, that’s great. Congratulations. Go down to Durham and revel in ‘GameDay,’ but don’t spit Duke to me. Please. I think Clemson’s on the schedule.
Finebaum went on to say that Notre Dame’s pretension as a CFB power may be its undoing when it comes being a serious player in playoff discussions.
Notre Dame’s not getting back in this thing. You can’t lose a home game, and you also can’t be Notre Dame and have the arrogance of that institution and say, ‘We don’t need a conference.’ Well, how nice would a conference be right now if you were in the ACC and you would have a shot at perhaps Florida State at the end of the year to get you back in.
Concluding:
It won’t matter next year, but it will matter this year. And Notre Dame, start looking to Tempe or somewhere else for a nice bowl trip, and you’ll get it and you deserve it, but you’re not going to the Playoff.
Freeman and the Irish fell to the Buckeyes by a field goal in a hard fought game vs. OSU in primetime. Notre Dame will likely have to win out to even have a chance at being a fringe playoff team if things fall their way.