Where Notre Dame Fighting Irish rank in Nov. 25 College Football Playoff rankings

Notre Dame might as well be Mel Gibson’s character in “Braveheart.”

“Hold!”

For the second consecutive week, the Fighting Irish held steady in the College Football Playoff rankings. They’re No. 9, again, where they rose up to two weeks ago and have remained in the two rankings releases thereafter. Considering Notre Dame is a two-loss team, it’s not too bad of a place to be.

The Irish (9-2) are the second-highest ranked two-loss team behind No. 8 Oklahoma (9-2). If the season ended now, Notre Dame would be on the road to face the Sooners in the first round of the playoff.

There is only one more midweek rankings show on Dec. 2 until the official selection show on Dec. 7, the Sunday after conference championship Saturday. That’s a weekend, of course, Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame will be at home watching games that could affect their CFP seeding. Or, CFP fate entirely.

That’s right; Notre Dame technically still does not control its own playoff destiny. There is a doomsday scenario that involves two Big 12 teams getting into the field and Alabama leapfrogging the Irish in the rankings that could keep Notre Dame out of the bracket. Michigan beating No. 1 Ohio State, again, would complicate things, too. That’d be a 10-2 Wolverines team with one of the best wins anyone’s had all year.

Still, is Notre Dame falling out of a playoff spot likely? Absolutely not. Is it possible? Absolutely. That’s the trouble Notre Dame invited into the end of the year conversation when the Irish could not win either of their two biggest games of the year against Miami and Texas A&M.

Those two teams are ranked, and the latter is almost assuredly a lock to get in. How good they’ve been has helped Notre Dame, but Miami having the same record and holding a head-to-head victory has brought on big-time online debates in recent weeks about the validity of the committee’s line of thinking in the way it’s treating the Irish and Hurricanes.

Here is a look at where Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Miami factor into the rankings in the full Nov. 25 College Football Playoff poll.

Nov. 25 College Football Playoff rankings: Notre Dame No. 9

1. Ohio State (11-0)
2. Indiana (11-0)
3. Texas A&M (11-0)
4. Georgia (10-1)
5. Texas Tech (10-1)

6. Oregon (10-1)
7. Ole Miss (10-1)
8. Oklahoma (9-2)
9. Notre Dame (9-2)
10. Alabama (9-2)

11. BYU (10-1)
12. Miami (9-2)
13. Utah (9-2)
14. Vanderbilt (9-2)
15. Michigan (9-2)

16. Texas (8-3)
17. USC (8-3)
18. Virginia (9-2)
19. Tennessee (8-3)
20. Arizona State (8-3)

21. SMU (8-3)
22. Pitt (8-3)
23. Georgia Tech (9-2)
24. Tulane (9-2)
25. Arizona (8-3)

If the College Football Playoff started today…

FIRST ROUND BYES
1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Georgia

FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (on home campus of higher seeded school)

No. 12 seed Tulane vs.
No. 5 seed Texas Tech

No. 11 seed Miami vs.
No. 6 seed Oregon

No. 10 seed Alabama vs.
No. 7 seed Ole Miss

No. 9 seed Notre Dame vs.
No. 8 seed Oklahoma