College football fans in the the Playoff era — Notre Dame included — have the same mentality. If you’re not in the Top 4 and in the College Football Playoff, your rankings don’t matter. For many, the difference between 5th, 25th, and 105th is negligible.
After all, if you’re not in the Top 4 you can’t win a National Championship. If you’re a fan of a program who has championship aspirations, what difference does 5th or 15th make? Either way, you can’t win a National Championship.
As Notre Dame proved, that difference can still mean a lot.