Now Notre Dame waits.
The Fighting Irish will find out next Sunday if they’ll play at home in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
They all but clinched an at-large spot with their win at Southern California on Saturday and, combined with Ohio State’s loss, strengthened their position to be a host team Dec. 20 or 21.
Their 49-35 win at USC, made possible by 99- and 100-yard interception returns for touchdowns late in the game, helped the Irish move up to No. 4 in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday. It’s their highest ranking in four years.
They were No. 5 in last week’s CFP rankings and, after Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Michigan, should move up a spot when the new rankings come out Tuesday night.
Coach Marcus Freeman and his players like to use their 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois as the starting point for measuring their progress.
“To see where we were 84 days ago to where we are now, it’s a testament to the trust and the decisions that those guys in that locker room and the coaching staff and everybody that helps have made,” Freeman said. “This is what it’s all about, man. It’s a journey, and you can’t let the highest of highs and lowest of lows deter you from what you need to do to reach your goals.”
Since that dumbfounding September day they’ve won 10 straight games, tied with Boise State for second-longest streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision. No. 1 Oregon has won 13 in a row.
Turnover margin, besides wins, is one of the ways Notre Dame tracks progress. Leonard threw two interceptions against NIU and the Huskies converted both into field goals, including the game-winner in the final minute.
Leonard has been picked off just three times in the last 10 games, and Notre Dame is second in the nation in turnover margin at plus-1.33 per game. The Irish also are one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, at just under 40 points per game, and have a top-10 defense.
“Sometimes you’ve got to lose to gain and make a big jump,” Freeman said. “I told our players Monday after that (NIU) game that this will be the greatest thing that ever happened to this football team if we learn from it and continue to use it. It’s hard to say that. The greatest thing that happened to this program this season was a loss, because it taught us what it takes to have success.”
The Top 25
No. 19 UNLV
The Rebels’ hopes of earning the Group of Five playoff spot have been revived thanks to Tulane losing to Memphis. UNLV has won four straight since its 29-24 home loss to Boise State, and the Rebels get a rematch in Friday’s Mountain West title game. UNLV was the third-highest G5 team in last week’s CFP rankings, behind Boise State and Tulane.