Notre Dame falls out of College Football Playoff top four

On paper it looks like Monmouth is in trouble here with Notre Dame looking tough. Last Saturday’s 19-16 win at Fenway Park against Boston College may have been ugly, but Notre Dame keeps surviving, winning that one despite committing five turnovers. Clemson has also clinched a spot in the ACC title game. Golson transferred to Florida State, and Zaire was the clear starter.

Perhaps he should have redshirted that freshman season, given how raw he was as a receiver? Duke is 7-2 ATS in its last nine road games and in the series against Wake Forest has covered in five of the last six meetings on the road.

Starting tight end Durham Smythe underwent knee and shoulder surgery in mid-September, ending his season, after tearing his MCL in Week 2 at Virginia. Everyone has to deal with attrition, especially at this point in the season. It also ranks as the fifth best rating in Notre Dame history.

Notre Dame ranks higher than Michigan State in SOR and GC, and it ranks ahead of Iowa in GC. Sophomore guard Trevon Bluiett averages 14.3 points and 9.5 rebounds and freshman guard Ed Sumner has scored 13 points per game.

After improving their record to 10-1 with a win over Boston College, Notre Dame is No. 4 in the CFP rankings.

Since 1976, Vancouver College has played for 16 B.C. championships and won three.

With the extensive list of injuries, merely surviving from week to week is impressive. But Prosise is doubtful with a high ankle sprain, and Stanford’s edge in the running game could be what ultimately puts them over the top on Saturday.

So why did Notre Dame drop?

Former ND track coach Joe Piane was hoping Brown would double up and become a two-sport Irish star, but Brown eventually pushed away one passion for another. He had just two catches all season, but the 50-yarder from Everett Golson at Oklahoma was one of the key offensive plays in a season in which the defense produced most of the headlines.

Notre Dame has recruited very well under Kelly, and it has plenty of dynamic athletes to get the ball to.

Overall, the group generally played well and, for the most part, bottled up BC runners.

It has been a long season for the Demon Deacons ever since they posted a promising 2-1 SU start. He averages nearly 12 points per game. The Irish have allowed their three opponents to hit 30 of 64 (.468) from downtown after Lowell made 10 of 25 treys Saturday.

With just four seconds remaining in the first quarter, Kizer found Amir Carlisle in the endzone for a touchdown pass right out in front of the Red Sox bullpen.

Coach Brian Kelly has seen Kizer showcase an ability to put bad plays and games behind him.

But the Irish historically were no strangers to playing on that holiday. Recruiting has paid off, and now all this talent is a bit more seasoned, in the second year of VanGorder’s system. He’s coming off the first 100-yard receiving game of his career, against the nation’s No. 1 defense, no less. Carlisle has seven for 94 yards. The record is 786 yards, set by Darius Walker in 2004.

Notre Dame was 8-0 and ranked November 5 in the nation going into the game, while the unranked Air Force Falcons were 6-3. The Hawks followed with an 11-point defeat to USC but bounced back for an 82-74 victory at Drexel last Saturday.

The Irish totaled more than 500 yards, 414 on the ground.

Good To Come From The RankingsThe newest rankings were not all bad news for Notre Dame from a big-picture standpoint. Russell, who is second on the team in tackles, will be missed against an offense that averages 36.8 points and boasts a Heisman Trophy candidate in running back Christian McCaffrey. Notre Dame slipped to No. 6 Tuesday in the College Football Playoff rankings.