After clinching a 10-2 record, Marcus Freeman and his team finally had their hopes high on entering the playoffs. But it turns out the hopes are now hanging by a thin thread, and BYU holds the scissors. Even though the Cougars trail the Irish at No. 11 in the Week 14 playoff rankings, Notre Dame’s postseason outlook could collapse if BYU manages to swing the momentum in its favor in their upcoming matchup.

“A BYU upset of Texas Tech could put in both Big 12 teams, jeopardizing Notre Dame’s playoff spot,” Ross Dellenger said on X.

BYU’s win against Texas Tech would be a major blow to Notre Dame’s playoff hopes. It would likely force the selection committee to include two Big 12 teams in the expanded 12-team playoff. With a new format that guarantees conference champions a spot, BYU will enter the playoffs, and despite losing to No. 4 Texas Tech, they will still have a strong case for a large bid, as they are in the top 5.

Now, several factors can affect Notre Dame’s chances of going to the playoffs. First, Ole Miss, which is holding a 6th spot in Week 14 playoff ranks, is dealing with the sudden departure of head coach Lane Kiffin, and the committee might knock them off with the “availability of key players and coaches” criterion. So, only a BYU upset can save the Irish’s playoff hopes.

Notre Dame can make their case strong with a 10-win record and their close 40-41 loss to Texas A&M, but their loss against Miami puts them in a head-to-head loss. And their drop to No. 10 rank behind Alabama makes matters worse. But despite the scare, Marcus Freeman backed his team over the playoff stance.

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“Who are the best teams now? Not Week 1—now,” he told reporters following Saturday’s 49-20 win over Stanford. “It’s hard to argue we aren’t one of those teams. … You’re talking about a team that is playing as well as anyone right now. Won 10 straight games, all of them by double-digit points.”

Now, selection committee chairman Hunter Yutachek explains the entire situation.

“The head-to-head is one data point the committee will use,” Yurachek said. “It’s obviously easier to use when the teams are back-to-back [in the rankings] as opposed to when they’re separated by a team or two or three, as has been the case.”

So, if he goes by the history committee, he often does something out of the box that no one could predict. While Notre Dame does have a 10-win season, it all came against weaker teams, including Purdue, which is now at 2-10, and Syracuse, which is at 3-9. That means all their hopes rely completely on BYU’s loss. But until then, let’s see what Jeremiyah Love’s move is that is sending shockwaves among Notre Dame fans.

Jeremiyah Love’s cryptic post makes fans concerned

Notre Dame fans are in complete shock after running back Jeremiyah Love dropped a cryptic post on Instagram after their win against Stanford with a message that hinted at his departure.

“It’s been a blessing, ND,” Jeremiyah Love said on Instagram.

Now, fans started speculation about his NFL move or entering the transfer portal. Now, after his injury scare in the Stanford game, things became more confusing.

He took a hit to his ribs by a Stanford defender at the end of his run on Notre Dame’s second drive. On the first possession, Love already had a touchdown, which became his 18th scoring run of the season. After the hit, he went straight up into the medical tent and came back in the second half. Played for a few additional carries until Notre Dame came into a winning position. He ended the night with 66 yards on 14 carries with one touchdown.

“I felt good immediately after they looked at me and all that type of stuff,” Love told the media after the game. “Just had to build up back my confidence to go out there and hit or get hit. Confidence built back up and just felt good.”

Now, whether the post is because of his injury or his plans of leaving the team and bidding goodbye to Notre Dame is still not known, but even the thought of losing their Heisman favorite player is a big blow for all Irish fans.