Paul Finebaum Reveals Why One College Football Powerhouse Should 'Panic'

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish suffered one of college football's most shocking defeats this past Saturday. The Fighting Irish lost as a 28.5-point favorite at home to Northern Illinois.

The upset loss has jeopardized Notre Dame's College Football Playoff chances. Since the Fighting Irish are not affiliated with a conference, they lack the opportunity to become a conference champion. Therefore, their only option is to keep winning and hope their overall performance will be strong enough to secure a playoff spot. However, the upset loss has significantly damaged their prospects.

ESPN's Paul Finebaum thinks Fighting Irish fans should panic after that loss. He said if Notre Dame loses again, its chances are over.

"It's panic," Finebaum said. "You can't look at a game against NIU and think anything other than the season is on the brink. They had the narrowest path. They can't lose again, and if they do, they're gone."

Finebaum believes that even if the Fighting Irish were to win all their remaining games, they would still need assistance from other teams to make the playoffs. Finebaum thinks that if USC, the team Notre Dame plays at the end of the season, is highly ranked at the end of the year, it would greatly benefit Notre Dame's chances of making it to the playoffs.

As per "Get Up," Notre Dame currently has a 23% chance of making it to the College Football Playoff. So, the road ahead won't be easy, but the Fighting Irish could position themselves for a strong playoff contention if they manage to string together some wins.

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