Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame entered December expecting clarity, not an abrupt ending. A year removed from a national title appearance, the Irish closed the regular season 10-2, carried a top-10 profile in every CFP ranking, and were idle on Championship Saturday. By Sunday morning, they were No. 11, the first team left out, and the season closed on a stunning pivot with a major update.

“Breaking: Notre Dame is withdrawing its name from consideration for a bowl game and will not play again this season,” ESPN reported on X on December 7. “The decision comes after the Fighting Irish did not make the 12-team CFP.”

Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua labeled the previous weeks’ rankings a “farce and total waste of time,” pointing directly at the committee’s handling of Miami-Notre Dame comparis

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