Notre Dame football has a chance to make history in Playoff era against BYU originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a golden opportunity to reach the top of the college football rankings for the first time in the College Football Playoff era. But one major obstacle stands in the Fighting Irish's way, which is a road win over No. 8 BYU.
With the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs suffering a stunning 27-24 loss to unranked Auburn, the door has swung wide open for No. 2 Notre Dame to claim the top spot on Sunday. All the Irish have to do is take care of business against a highly ranked BYU team on its home turf. Easier said than done.
Georgia's collapse was the kind of defeat that can haunt a team for the rest of the season. The Bulldogs were tied 24-24 with Auburn and driving for what appeared to be a potential game-winning score with about a minute remaining. Instead, Georgia turned the ball over, giving the Tigers an opportunity to pull off an unforgettable upset. Auburn then connected on a walk-off field goal to seal the 27-24 victory.
Alex McPherson kicked a game-winning 34-yard field goal as time expired and Auburn, led by quarterback Byrum Brown's dominant running game, upset Georgia. For a team sitting at No. 1 in the country, the ending was brutal.
It’s the second straight week the top team in the AP Top 25 lost to an unranked foe after then-No. 1 Texas fell to Oklahoma last Saturday. Georgia had control of its destiny, only to hand the game away in the closing moments. Now, the Bulldogs must deal with the consequences, while Notre Dame prepares to capitalize.
The Fighting Irish have not held the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll since November 2012, when Brian Kelly led the program through an undefeated regular season. The lrish also reached No. 1 in the BCS standings that November, before eventually falling to Alabama in the national championship game.
The Irish must prove they deserve the top spot 14 years later. Georgia opened the door. Notre Dame must walk through it.
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