Do you trust Notre Dame football to make playoff? Depends who you ask

Do you trust Notre Dame football to create playoff? Depends who you ask If Notre Dame loses to Miami next month, its playoff hopes go into the hands of the committee.

Key points

• Well, Notre Dame's performance in a 28-24 loss at Brigham Young created some doubt.
• The College Football Unfiltered crew breaks down the loss Notre Dame had over the weekend and how it affects the Big12 conference as a whole.
• Marcus Freeman's stated goal for this Notre Dame season was for the Fighting Irish to "leave no doubt."
• The Major 12 or the ACC becoming a two-bid league would complicate matters for Notre Dame, even so.
• Toppmeyer: Arch Manning is a Texas difficulty, and Steve Sarkisian is last to see it.

In practice, the College Football Unfiltered crew breaks down the loss Notre Dame had over the weekend and how it affects the Big12 conference as a whole.

In other words, don't leave your playoff fate in the hands of an unreliable selection committee.

Are the Irish a playoff team? That's a fair question to ask after this loss that included some controversial and downright botched officiating.

NCAA Re-Rank 1-138: Ohio State back at No. 1 after wild Week 7.

Analysis: Michigan knows what it has in Bryce Underwood. It's time to move on.

On this edition of "College Football Unfiltered, " a USA TODAY Sports podcast presented by Sports Seriously, host Blake Toppmeyer and his colleagues Paul Myerberg and Matt Hayes break down the chaos of Week 7, and they assess the shockwaves of Notre Dame's loss in Provo, Utah.

Notre Dame is sitting fine for the playoff for now with just one loss, but the Irish host No. 1 Miami in November. Listen to full College Football Unfiltered podcast episode below.

Is Notre Dame's game vs Miami a must-win game for the Irish?

Hayes: What has Notre Dame done to deserve the benefit of the doubt from the committee? Who has Notre Dame beaten in either of the past two seasons? Yes, the Miami game should be considered a must-win game for Notre Dame. Otherwise, it could be sitting at 10-2, and who will it have beaten? Just look at the schedule. Notre Dame's best win so far came against Bill Belichick's North Carolina Tar Heels. Is that supposed to impress me?

Myerberg: The Irish need to beat Miami. If they don't, then it's not just plausible, it's probable they won't have the resume to secure in the playoff. Notre Dame could be 10-2 with losses to the two best teams on its schedule, including a head-to-head loss to Miami. When Notre Dame was the first-team-out of the playoff, that sounds a lot like last year.

Toppmeyer: Remember, guys, the playoff rules changed before this season. Notre Dame would automatically obtain a bid if it's ranked in the top 12 of the final CFP rankings on Selection Sunday. The Irish didn't obtain a bid last year, even though they were ranked No. 11. In practice, the rules won't allow that to happen again this year. Notre Dame would be vulnerable at 10-2, but I still think the Irish can finish in the top 12 and create the playoff with a competitive loss to Miami.

Meanwhile, the Major 12 or the ACC becoming a two-bid league would complicate matters for Notre Dame, even so. If the Irish lose to Miami, they need BYU to win the Major 12 and Miami to win the ACC. Then, Notre Dame could say its only losses are to a pair of Power Four champions.

Toppmeyer: Arch Manning is a Texas difficulty, and Steve Sarkisian is last to see it. Playoff predictor: Upsets turn CFP rankings into beautiful havoc. Which top-10 loss came as the biggest surprise last weekend?

Myerberg: It has to be No. 1 Georgia losing to unranked Auburn, right? On a day full of surprises, that came as the biggest.

Hayes: Correct, losses like that just don't happen to Kirby Smart's teams. Of all the wild losses last weekend, I think that was the weirdest of all, especially considering how the Bulldogs lost: They were outmuscled.

Toppmeyer: Georgia losing to Auburn for the first time since 2017 was indeed shocking, but I'd additionally consider Alabama losing at Tennessee as another possibility for most surprising loss by a top-10 team. Since this is now three wins in a row for Tennessee against Alabama at Neyland Stadium, maybe, I shouldn't have been surprised. But, Alabama had earned so much credibility by dominating Mississippi State and going toe-to-toe with Georgia that I admit I didn't expect Tennessee's utter domination. So much for Keelon Russell's Heisman campaign. Tennessee's defense tore that idea asunder.

Where to listen to College Football Unfiltered.

Be sure to check out USA TODAY Sports' " College Football Unfiltered" podcast, hosted by columnist Blake Toppmeyer. You can stream episodes on YouTube or download via Apple podcasts, Spotify or iHeart. Cohosts Matt Hayes, Paul Myerberg and John Brice cover college football for USA TODAY Sports. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

In short, do you trust Notre Dame football to make playoff? Depends who you is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.