Notre Dame and its massive fanbase had to be pleasantly surprised Tuesday night when the Fighting Irish came in at No. 5 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of 2015—three spots ahead of where they currently sit in the AP poll and four spots better than the coaches poll.
The playoff committee put head coach Brian Kelly and his team in a perfect position heading into the first weekend of November.
With No. 2 LSU and No. 4 Alabama set to square off Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a win at Pittsburgh would put the Irish in one of the coveted playoff spots.