Notre Dame's unbeaten start to the season came to an end Saturday, with the No. 2 Fighting Irish suffering a shocking 28-24 loss to No. 8 BYU in Provo. Notre Dame entered the game as heavy favorites and 6-0 on the season, riding a 16-game winning streak dating back to last season. But the Cougars exposed some serious weaknesses to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the year.
BYU took a 21-10 lead into halftime before Notre Dame fought back to go ahead 24-21 in the fourth quarter. However, quarterback Bear Bachmeier led a late scoring drive, throwing a six-yard touchdown to Walker Lyons with just under two minutes left. The Cougars then stopped the Irish near the goal line to seal the win.
The game wasn't entirely clear, though. The Big 12 later admitted officials incorrectly ended the game despite one second remaining on the clock, meaning Notre Dame should have had another play. But nothing can change the result, and the Irish now need to turn things around as they head into the second half of the season.
After the loss, CBS Sports' analyst Richard Johnson issued a blunt warning to Notre Dame and their upcoming schedule.
"There is no margin of error for Notre Dame," Johnson said. "November 7th, either you win it and you continue your playoff pace, or you lose it, and you will be deciding if you're going to sit out the Pop-Tarts Bowl again. Like, they have to beat Miami. The margin of error is now gone. It's just as simple as that. That's what happens when you get to pick most of your schedule."
"They chose a schedule that does not necessarily test them, outside of these two games that they have with Miami and that they have with BYU," Johnson added. "If it effectively boils down to a two-game season for their college football playoff case, they've already failed the first test."
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Miami has proven to be one of the top national championship contenders this season, starting the season 6-0 and climbing to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2002. The Hurricanes have already beaten Stanford, Wake Forest, Clemson, and Florida State, three of which came on the road. Quarterback Darian Mensah looks like a legitimate Heisman candidate and Malachi Toney might be the best wide receiver in the country.
The Hurricanes visit Notre Dame on Nov. 7 in a matchup that could have massive playoff implications for both teams. Notre Dame is now 6-1 and remains inside the AP Top 5, but it still has to get by Miami, along with matchups against Navy, Boston College, SMU, and Syracuse.
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Notre Dame can still make the College Football Playoff, but they missed the cut last year with two losses, and they already have one this year. A loss at home against Miami might be enough to see them miss the postseason again. Even if they win the rest of their games, a 10-2 final record, with how competitive this season is shaping up to be, likely won't be enough.