Paul Finebaum shuts down idea of Notre Dame winning multiple games in College Football Playoff

Notre Dame is one of the hottest teams in the country as the College Football Playoff gets underway this weekend. The Irish have won 10 straight games since falling to Northern Illinois in early September, and nine of the 10 wins have come by 14 or more points.

Despite that, ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum doesn’t expect Notre Dame to go on a deep run in the CFP. Finebaum believes the Irish can get by Indiana at home on Friday, but he expects their season to end against Georgia on Jan. 1.

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“I like everything that Marcus Freeman has done this year,” Paul Finebaum said Monday on SportsCenter. “He survived that ugly loss to Northern Illinois, and he found a way into the playoff. And I think they’ll get past Indiana. But that’s where the train stops.”

Should Notre Dame beat Indiana in its first-round game, it will play Georgia in New Orleans in the Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs could be without starting quarterback Carson Beck in that game after he suffered an “upper extremity injury” late in the first half of the SEC Championship Game against Texas.

However, with our without Beck, Finebaum expects Georgia to beat Notre Dame.

“I’m well aware that Carson Beck will likely not be in that game,” Finebaum said. “But I think Georgia has enough pieces to get by Notre Dame.”

Beck was injured on the last play of the first half against the Longhorns and was replaced Gunner Stockton for the second half. Kirby Smart said following the game that there was no timetable for Beck’s return.

Still, Stockton played well after Beck went down, leading Georgia to a win over Texas. If needed, Finebaum believes Stockton can lead the Bulldogs past Notre Dame, too.

The sophomore was 12 of 16 passing for 71 yards with no touchdowns and one interception against the Longhorns. He also rushed for 8 yards.

There’s no doubt that the players around Stockton will have to step up for Georgia to beat Notre Dame, but Finebaum believes they are ready to do so.