Dan Mullen explains why Texas A&M is 'must-win' for Notre Dame's College Football Playoff hopes

On a loaded Labor Day weekend slate of games, Notre Dame heads to Kyle Field to take on Texas A&M. College GameDay will be in attendance for the Top-25 showdown, which could have plenty of College Football Playoff implications.

In fact, the CFP is a reason why Dan Mullen thinks it’s a must-win game for the Fighting Irish. Considering what lies ahead for Notre Dame, a win could go a long way toward a bid to the 12-team field.

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Texas A&M is one of three Notre Dame opponents ranked in the preseason AP Top 25, and the Fighting Irish have the No. 59-ranked strength of schedule in the country, according to ESPN. That’s why Mullen argued a loss to the Aggies would create an uphill battle to make the CFP field.

“I think it is [a must-win game],” Mullen said at halftime of Oklahoma vs. Temple. “Riley Leonard, it’s gonna be a lot on him. He played in some big games at Duke, but he’s gonna take his new offense, new players around him and he’s gotta go into one of the toughest environments at Kyle Field against Texas A&M and his former coach.

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“And if you look at their schedule, the reason it’s a must-win game – if they lose this one, people are going to question, where are the quality wins coming after Week 1 with a loss already on the record to Texas A&M?”

Under the new College Football Playoff format, the five highest-ranked conference champions make the field, as do the next seven highest-ranked teams. That also means Notre Dame can’t secure a first-round bye due to its independent status, and could add to the importance of getting quality victories.

Still, the Fighting Irish are still largely seen as a CFP team. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban predicted as much on College GameDay last week, as well, because of the schedule. However, he said the focus should be on finishing in the Top 8 so Notre Dame can host a first-round game.

“Because of their schedule, I think they have a good chance to be one of the 12 top teams in the country,” Saban said. “I think they will get in the playoff. I think what they need to work toward is being 5-8 so they have a home game.”