Week 5 of college football is here! Marcus Freeman’s Fighting Irish is going to face off against top-25 team Louisville in a few hours. It’s their last chance to prove themselves and confirm their seat in the 12-team playoff.

Irish fans who are holding their horses are aware of their favorite team’s situation this year. It’s a big day for them. A loss could eliminate Freeman’s hopes of stepping into the playoffs; even if they win the remaining games, it won’t help him or his squad. CBS Sports College Football shared a conversation between Damien Harris, a college football analyst, Danny Kanell, CBS Sports HQ analyst, and Cardale Jones, who is co-founder and GM at CBS, where Kanell said, “You cannot lose to Northern Illinois and be in the playoffs.”

The debate around playoffs is getting intense as Notre Dame’s game against the Louisville Cardinals is getting close. Marcus Freeman’s squad is under scrutiny, especially after their Week 2 blunder. Analysts have made their statements. Here is what Cardale Jones thinks about the Fighting Irish: “Let’s not really see two, one-loss group, five teams get in versus a two-loss Notre Dame, especially with the loss to Northern Illinois already there. By the way, Northern Illinois just lost a buffalo that all helped our case.” Notre Dame’s narrow loss of 2 points over Northern Illinois has put their playoff hopes at risk.

They further compared Notre Dame to big programs like Alabama and Georgia. Damien Harris said, “You just got done talking about Alabama and Georgia. It’s two different tiers of football that are going to face to play for that. To me, it doesn’t make sense. I mean, I get it. You want to give more people a chance. You want to make this like March Madness. You want to give the underdogs a story, but this is college football. It’s not the same. So Alabama, Georgia, and Texas, those teams, should not be mentioned in the same breath as a Notre Dame team that can still get in the playoffs after losing to Northern Illinois.” Their expressing concern over the rectitude of the playoff system shows how important every single game is in college football.

Alabama and Georgia haven’t lost a single game so far. Both teams carry a great legacy, and for a team like Notre Dame, they must work hard and take every single game seriously to carve out their path through big programs. Marcus Freeman’s team needs to prove themselves today if they want to stand alongside top-tire teams including Alabama and Georgia and secure a spot in the playoffs.

Marcus Freeman’s confidence in the Fighting Irish boosts the team’s morale

Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s performance last week against Miami (OH) was not as bad as their week 2. They bounced back after their narrow defeat and dominated Miami (OH) by 25 points. Even Freeman was satisfied with their performance. During his press conference on Monday, he mentioned, “We accomplished some great things as a team on Saturday.” His affirmation at his point is very crucial to encouraging his players as well as staff. Since week 4, he has been aware of the big performance ahead, although he is trying his best to maintain a positive atmosphere in the dressing room and on the field. He also reflects on the importance of improving and maintaining the momentum.

On the other hand, the Louisville Cardinals have lost a single game. And won all three games with an impressive margin. The Cardinals are looking strong on both sides. Considering their winning streak, HC Freeman added, “Saturday is the Irish Wear Green game versus Louisville, a 3-0 team that is playing at a really high level right now. As you can see from the video, they’re good in all three phases, so it will be a great challenge for our team.” However, the Fighting Irish have an advantage as the Cardinals will miss a few of their key players because of injury.

Jeff Brohm’s team is dealing with a long list of injured players, which is not a good sign, and it would also hammer their winning streak. Meanwhile, it is a golden opportunity for Freeman and Co. to put their week 2 loss to Northern Illinois behind and step up with high hopes and a positive attitude toward winning. Only a dominant victory will help them overcome their narrow loss.