The Fighting Irish have set ambitious ambitions for the 2024 season.
It’s an exciting time to be a college football fan, and Notre Dame football supporters are especially looking forward to the season. The Fighting Irish have high hopes this season of making the College Football Playoff, which has been extended to 12 teams.
We are almost there. Another long college football offseason is almost over, as the calendar now reads August, with the first games beginning on August 24th. Every college football fan is looking forward to the new season. College football fever is rampant around the country as the season approaches, but this offseason has been a little easier than previous thanks to the new EA Sports NCAA 25 video game, which was released in mid-July.
First and foremost, there will be certain rule changes in college football this year that some fans may dislike. Perhaps the most significant alteration is the insertion of a two-minute warning, similar to that used in the NFL. If you’re like most college football fans, you’re sick of the commercials that run during games. The two-minute warning is just another method for TV networks to add another pause to the action.
There are more changes, though, and while more supporters like them, some still dislike them. College football will look very different next year due to the expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams and league restructuring. What California schools compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference? Yes, things are changing.
Conference realignment has made things appear very different. The power five is no longer a thing, as the Pac-12 is effectively defunct. Except for Oregon State and Washington State, every team moved on to a new conference. These two teams have scheduling affiliations with the Mountain West, but they are not members of the conference.
Every other Pac-12 school had a new home. The Big 12 now includes Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Arizona State. Oregon, Oregon State, USC, and UCLA have joined the Big Ten. Finally, California and Stanford joined the ACC (which makes a lot of sense).
The SEC represents the other significant change in conference format. Oklahoma and Texas are both leaving the Big 12 to join the SEC. The Big Ten and the SEC both have strong teams, and some believe that two great conferences are on the horizon.
This season, 12 teams will advance to the College Football Playoff, rather than just four. For nearly a month, the College Football Playoff will take place. Some people oppose the large expansion, but there will be more major college football games, which is difficult to be furious about.
Overall, this will be one of the most significant college football seasons in history. The game is evolving, and this marks the beginning of a new age.
Notre Dame football has the national championship on their mind
Notre Dame football has had great expectations in recent years but has failed to qualify for the College Football Playoff. This will be year three of Marcus Freeman’s tenure in South Bend, and the Fighting Irish are hoping to take the next step this season. Years one and two could have been far worse, but they could also have been a lot better. Given how the 2022 season began, finishing 9-4 felt like a victory. A home loss to Marshall early in the year was catastrophic, but the Fighting Irish rallied.
Last season, however, was quite the contrary. After a strong start to the season, Notre Dame football’s 10-3 end was rather disappointing. The Fighting Irish got out to a strong start and were one play away from defeating Ohio State at home early in the season. They were unable to complete the task, and the defeat undoubtedly dampened their spirits.
The College Football Playoff has expanded to 12 teams, and Notre Dame football is expected to make it there. Because of the way the playoff is set up with conference champions, the Fighting Irish will not receive a bye in the CFP, but at this point, their sole goal is to get in and then win.
Notre Dame is undoubtedly a contender this year, and they should have a strong team, but there is one factor that will make winning the championship even more difficult than it already is.
Lack of conference
This is not a weakness with the Notre Dame football players, but it is nonetheless something that is holding the program back, as seen by the new College Football Playoff. The Fighting Irish must attend a conference, and this is why:
Notre Dame might finish 12-0 this season and be ranked first in the country heading into the College Football Playoff, but four other teams would receive first-round byes instead of them. The College Football Playoff committee has historically favored conference champions, and under the new arrangement, the four conference champions from power conferences will have a significant advantage in the playoff.
The four highest-ranked conference champions receive a bye in the first round of the CFP, therefore Notre Dame might be ranked first in the country but does not have a conference championship to compete in. Despite their #1 rating, the Fighting Irish would automatically drop to the #5 seed in the playoffs, and they would need to win four straight games to win the championship instead of three.
With the four-team playoff structure, Notre Dame football did not suffer from not being in a league, but not receiving a bye is a huge disadvantage. Winning four straight games is far more difficult than three, and there is less time for the players to recuperate. This is absolutely something to keep an eye on as the playoffs approach, and it will make things more difficult for the Fighting Irish.
