Joel Klatt Names Preseason Top-10 Team That's Already Eliminated From CFP

Teams ranked in the preseason top 10 have struggled so far this season. The Michigan Wolverines (1-1), Florida State Seminoles (0-2), Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-1), and Oregon Ducks (2-0) have not lived up to expectations.

Joel Klatt highlighted some of the better games from the Week 2 slate on a recent edition of " The Joel Klatt Show ." One of the more shocking outcomes was the Northern Illinois Huskies knocking off No. 5 Notre Dame 16-14 in South Bend. Teams from the MAC were 0-51 against top-five teams until that game.

After the Notre Dame loss, Klatt talked about how the Fighting Irish could earn their way back into a College Football Playoff spot. After the loss, Notre Dame came in at No. 18 in the latest AP Top 25 Poll.

Klatt did not think there was a scenario in which Notre Dame would be in the playoff. The only way he could see it happening was if a team other than the USC Trojans became ranked and Notre Dame beat them.

"...There's nothing that's going to impress the committee, at least as of now," Klatt said. "Maybe one of these teams is going to turn into something that's on that schedule, but Notre Dame, in my estimation, went from being penciled into the playoff to a firm eraser out. I don't know if they have enough."

Quarterback Riley Leonard had his worst game in a Notre Dame uniform as of late. Leonard finished with 163 passing yards and two interceptions in the loss. Northern Illinois held Notre Dame to 286 yards of offense.

Notre Dame was last in the playoff in 2018 and 2020 but lost in the first round both times.

The Fighting Irish take on the Purdue Boilermakers next on Sept. 14. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

Related: Joel Klatt Names CFB Team That's 'Going To Be An Issue For People'