Stanford Eliminated Notre Dame From College Football Playoff

A facemask penalty against Notre Dame’s Isaac Rochell moved the ball 15 yards to the Cardinal 43.

Senior kicker Conrad Ukropina (above) nailed a no-doubter from 45 yards as time expired to make sure that Stanford’s seniors wouldn’t walk off the field for the final time with the bitter taste of defeat in their mouths. It was Kizer who couldn’t convert a potential game-tying 2-point conversion at Clemson with seven seconds remaining, so this felt like a script rewrite of that painful ending.

It’s hard to criticize the Irish for their one loss this year, considering all the injuries Notre Dame has endured in 2015.

But you know what?

The loss hurts. Let’s be real.

So would either the Cardinal or the Buckeyes enter the top four if Clemson or Alabama loses?

BANGED-UP IRISH: An injury-filled season for Notre Dame claimed a few more players.

Maybe I’m delusional and naive, but I think they can do this, and I think there might even occur enough chaos to get them into the College Football Playoff. The No. 6 Irish (playoff rankings) and No. 9 Cardinal need help to reach the semifinals, but Saturday’s loser has no chance… He now has 157 carries on the year for 1,029 yards. Nick Saban’s defense has turned it up to championship level.

For Notre Dame, it’s a disappointing end to what was a remarkable season. Yes, it’s officially OK to refer to coach Bob Stoops as “Big Game Bob” again.

There’s no more question about what kind of player Stanford has in Hogan.

Three Big Ten teams followed with Iowa at No. 4, Michigan State No. 5 and Ohio State No. 6. The field would clearly comprise the Tigers, the Tide, the Big Ten champion and Oklahoma.

Asked what he would say on Stanford’s behalf to influence the playoff committee, Hogan responded, “Because we went 8-1 in the toughest conference in America”.

“I challenge anybody to find a better two-minute quarterback in the nation than what Kevin has done this year”, said Shaw, later noting: “We weren’t trying to score a touchdown, we were just trying to get in field goal range”. ClemsonLast Week: No. 1… When the Gamecocks scored a touchdown and tacked on a two-point conversion early in the fourth quarter in Columbia, it was a 28-25 ballgame and all bets were off – we had another angry Palmetto Bowl on our hands.

One spot in the playoff is going to the Big Ten, there’s no two ways about it. “Perfect way to finish the season”.

Week: USC 40, No. 22 UCLA 21. Coach Kevin Sumlin’s vaunted attack fizzled this season, with Texas A&M scoring only one touchdown in each of its final three SEC games (Auburn, Vanderbilt, LSU) and managing only one offensive TD in two other league games (Alabama, Ole Miss).

Weak: Maryland 46, Rutgers 41. They were, you could easily argue, the better team on the field in all 12 games and cost themselves 2 games through, hopefully, correctable mistakes.

“Right before the fourth quarter happened, I brought our defense together”, Martinez said. They’ve brought so much to our little part of the sports landscape, have they not?

In his final home game, fifth-year senior Hogan completed 17 of 21 passes for 269 yards and four touchdowns. Notre Dame has 11 touchdowns of at least 50 yards…

Nate Sudfeld, QB, Indiana: Winning is relative, and Sudfeld led the Hoosiers to what was, for them, a giant 54-36 victory at Purdue. Assumption’s Marc Monks threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns, and Deonte Harris piled up 250 all-purpose yards.

Up: No. 14 North Carolina.

Path to the Playoff: Beat No. 13 Florida State today and Alabama in the SEC championship.

Down: That Harbaugh magic. Notre Dame Fighting Irish rank at 45 for 179.0 road rushing yards where as Stanford Cardinal rank at 24 for allowing 110.5 rushing yards at home. A sad way to go out. Dog the Florida offense all you want, but that was still a win in The Swamp over the No. 12 team in the country. But Alabama’s Henry has the thing all but locked up. They were smiling as though it was no big deal.