Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman makes case for College Football Playoff

Notre Dame Fighting Irish shot manager Marcus Freeman made his team’s lawsuit to marque the College Football Playoff aft their 49-20 triumph Saturday nighttime against the Stanford Cardinal.

The Fighting Irish came into the crippled ranked No. 9 successful the College Football Playoff rankings with overmuch statement swirling implicit whether they deserved to beryllium enactment higher than the No. 12 Miami Hurricanes.

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Notre Dame caput manager Marcus Freeman reacts connected the sideline during the 2nd fractional of an NCAA assemblage shot crippled against Stanford, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, successful Stanford, California. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Freeman said that the Fighting Irish’s maturation implicit the play proved they should beryllium considered.

"We person improved arsenic overmuch arsenic anybody successful the country, been playing arsenic good arsenic anybody successful the state and we have, successful my opinion, the champion subordinate successful the country," Freeman said. "That’s what you want. You privation the champion teams successful the state now. Who’s the champion teams for the playoffs close now? I genuinely judge we’re one."

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Notre Dame moving backmost Jeremiyah Love (4) is tackled by Stanford information Charlie Eckhardt (39) during the 2nd fractional of an NCAA assemblage shot game, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, successful Stanford, California. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Notre Dame doesn’t person a league title to play for due to the fact that they’re independent. The lone squad up of them to suffer during the vacation play was No. 3 Texas A&M. It’s unclear if the triumph implicit the Cardinal would beryllium capable to determination them up.

The Fighting Irish moved to 9-2 connected the season.

Notre Dame moving backmost Jeremiyah Love rushed for 66 yards and scored his 21st touchdown of the season, breaking Jerome Bettis’ grounds for wide touchdowns and tying Audrice Estime’s grounds of 18 rushing touchdowns successful a season.

Love had an wounded scare that caused him to permission the crippled for a bit. He said helium suffered a bruise.

Notre Dame caput manager Marcus Freeman, center, gestures from the sideline during the archetypal fractional of an NCAA assemblage shot crippled against Stanford, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, successful Stanford, California. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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The last College Football Playoff rankings volition beryllium released adjacent week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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