What happens if Notre Dame loses or wins against Stanford today, November 29?

Notre Dame enters the final week of the regular season to play Stanford today, November 29th, in a highly significant matchup. A win would move them closer to the College Football Playoff, but a loss could completely alter their postseason narrative.

The Fighting Irish will face Stanford not only as the No. 9 ranked team in the nation but also with an 86% probability (ESPN) of reaching this year’s 12-team College Football Playoff. Therefore, a victory against Stanford would significantly boost those chances.

However, if Notre Dame loses on the road against Stanford, things could get complicated. They would finish with a 10-3 record, which does not favor their playoff aspirations. Furthermore, they would then need to rely heavily on other results to avoid losing their chance to compete for the national title.

The final say rests with the CFP committee

It must be remembered that there is no guaranteed formula for Notre Dame given their current situation. Before the Stanford game, they were heavily dependent on Ohio State defeating Michigan to prevent another Big Ten team from entering the playoff picture, and the Buckeyes delivered.

Vanderbilt recently defeated Tennessee and improved their CFP chances, but they, too, must await the final decision from the committee. Miami is another team with a 10-2 record, and even BYU (11-1) is hoping to somehow be favored by the committee.

“You start thinking about the big picture and an uncertain future, that’s added pressure you don’t need,” Marcus Freeman told The Intelligencer about the CFP and the Stanford game, which the news outlet labeled a must-win scenario for Notre Dame. “This game is the Super Bowl. It can’t be lip service. Your actions have to follow that. If our actions do follow that, I’m confident we’ll be prepared for the opportunity Saturday.”