Did Notre Dame’s BRUTAL loss to Northern Illinois even matter?! The answer is no. Notre Dame was never going to get a first-round bye because they don’t play in a conference. Even if they hadn’t lost, the highest they could be is the 5-seed. They also have bias on their side. The SEC, Big Ten, and Notre Dame consistently receive more forgiveness than other teams due to the human element in these decisions. #notredamefootball #northernillinoisfootball #cfp #cfb #collegefootball