Notre Dame football faces playoff questions after road loss at BYU

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team dropped two spots to number four in the national rankings following a road loss to BYU in Provo, Utah. CBS Sports and FOX Sports reported on the loss, while FTMQ News reported earlier that unbeaten BYU defeated then second ranked Notre Dame 28 to 24 on Saturday. The loss ended a 16-game winning streak for Notre Dame, as reported earlier by FTMQ News. [3][4][13]

The defeat has created new uncertainty around the playoff chances for Notre Dame. CBS Sports reported that the Fighting Irish missed out on their first of three playoff resume-building opportunities this season. Quarterback CJ Carr struggled downfield against the BYU defense, according to CBS Sports, leaving Notre Dame with little room for error heading into a November 7 game against top-ranked Miami. [2][3]

Marcus Freeman is the 30th head football coach at the University of Notre Dame, having previously served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the team in 2021. Fox News reported that Freeman holds a 49-13 overall record as head coach of Notre Dame since taking over at the end of the 2021 season. Fox News noted that Freeman holds a 44-11 regular season record, which includes five wins against ranked opponents. [1][11]

Notre Dame achieved an 11-1 regular season finish in 2024 before losing in the national championship game to Ohio State, Fox News reported. USA Today reported that Freeman declined to blame Big 12 officiating after the loss to BYU. Notre Dame now has two remaining games against opponents ranked in the top 25 this season, according to CBS Sports. [1][3][7]