The Notre Dame Fighting Irish were ranked #5 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, but all of the teams ranked ahead of them have shown major flaws this season. The Irish, meanwhile, have dealt with several injuries to key players and haven't missed a beat. A strong case could be made that Notre Dame is the best team in the country, and we're here to make that case. Here are three reasons why Notre Dame should be the #1 team in the country:
3) Quality wins and the best loss in the country
Notre Dame's only loss of the season came in a sloppy, rainy two-point loss on the road against Clemson, who is the top-ranked team in the country. That should make them the top one-loss team in the country, but they also have a plethora of quality wins over USC, Temple, and Pitt. With two cupcake games remaining before their showdown against Stanford (more on that in a second), the Irish should also pick up plenty of style points.
2) Proven ability to win big, close games
The Irish have survived any and all challenges except one this year, and that was a game they almost won in miraculous fashion against a Clemson team that's in prime position for a College Football Playoff berth. Notre Dame has consistently won big games this year despite the injuries by always meeting the challenge their opponent presents, and haven't played a bad game yet - and they're the only team in the country that can say that.
1) Play of DeShone Kizer
Many thought Notre Dame was doomed when Malik Zaire went down, but that hasn't been the case. DeShone Kizer has stepped up in an incredible way, is playing better than Zaire was expected to. Not only that, but he's playing this best football of late, passing for 262 yards and five touchdowns while picking up another score on the ground in their victory over Pitt. If Kizer keeps playing this well, and he should, Notre Dame has a great chance to run the table.