"It's over": Steven A. Smith rules out Notre Dame's chances of making College Football Playoff following Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois

In what was highly unexpected, Notre Dame suffered an upset against Northern Illinois on Saturday in South Bend. The Fighting Irish fell 16-14 loss to the Huskies, marking a major disappointment following their win against Texas A&M in the season opener.

Considering the disappointing loss, Steven A. Smith doesn’t see Notre Dame making the College Football Playoff this season despite the expansion to 12 teams. The analyst’s opinion comes as a result of the Fighting Irish's strength of schedule, which plays a role in playoff selection.

“With a schedule that is suspect, and now it's ranked as the 52nd toughest schedule in the FBS, combined with games like Georgia Tech and Army on the schedule … That is your claim to the playoffs? It ain't happening. Hell no. I can't see it. It's over. Right now. In September."

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The challenges ahead for Notre Dame

Without a doubt, the loss to Northern Illinois is bound to have a great hit on Notre Dame’s playoff chances. The Fight Irish’s independent status also means they can’t get an automatic qualification as a conference champion.

Securing a win in all their remaining regular-season games is a necessity for the Irish to revive their playoff chances. A victory in their last game against USC, which is expected to be a ranked team, is even more important

“We're in mid-September, and we're sitting here, and you know what we're saying?” Smith asked.

“We're saying two things. Number one, they got to run the table. And number two, they got to pray that USC is big time, so the season finale against USC, hopefully, they'll elevate to a top-ten team in the nation.”

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Steve A. Smith questions Notre Dame’s national relevance

Despite Notre Dame’s struggle over the years in college football, the program continues to gain relevance within the landscape. Steve A. Smith questions why the Fighting Irish keeps attaining prominence on the national stage.

"It's gotten to a point where people are literally asking the question, 'Well, why are they on national television?' 'Why are they on national television?'", Smith said. Think about it. You're going to have to start asking those questions.

“You got some alumni members that are in posh positions in the television world, and evidently something along those lines, because nobody can figure out why the hell the Fighting Irish are on national television all the time.”

Being one of the most storied programs in the history of college football, the Irish have been a fixture on national television for several decades. This eminence continues to live with the program despite being a shadow of former self.