Notre Dame’s playoff hopes evaporated the moment the final bracket dropped, and the reaction online was instant. Fans didn’t just debate the decision, they roasted Marcus Freeman’s team for the same.
Freeman’s team had ripped off 10 straight wins, looked like one of the hottest groups in the country, and entered the final weekend believing the resume was strong enough to hold. But the selection committee saw things differently, and the Irish slipped into the dreaded first team out slot.
The internet took that opening and ran with it. Within minutes of the CFP reveal, jokes, memes, and jabs were flooding social feeds, many of them circling the same themes, losing to Miami in Week 1, being independent when it matters most, and the idea that Notre Dame somehow managed to win 10 in a row only to watch the door close on Selection Sunday.
“All the other CFB fans to Notre Dame today:,” a fan posted with a Joker GIF.
All the other CFB fans to Notre Dame today: pic.twitter.com/XPxOAfSLic
— Bearded Miguel (@beardedmiguel) December 7, 2025
“I WANNA KNOW WHERE THOSE NOTRE DAME FANS ARE THAT HAD SOMETHING TO SAY TO ME YESTERDAY,” a fan wrote.
“Peace out Notre Dame!!!! Well done by the committee!! Head to head games matter!! Playing in a conference matters!! Actually building a schedule that isn’t cupcake team after cupcake team is important!!” a fan wrote.
“Notre Dame is out!” a fan wrote.
“Notre Dame,” a fan posted with a D-Generation X GIF that read, “Suck it.”
“Notre Dame,” a fan celebrated the news.
“TELL NOTRE DAME TO JOIN A CONFERENCE F*CK N*GGAS LMAOOOO BAMA PLAYOFFS HERE WE COME,” a fan wrote.
“You missed Notre Dame being left out of the CFP. A playoff Committee actually got it right,” a fan wrote.
You missed Notre Dame being left out of the CFP. A playoff Committee actually got it right. pic.twitter.com/HNNIrZOglR
— Matt Michaels (@MattyMike0718) December 7, 2025
Notre Dame’s No. 11 finish came down to a few sharp edges in their resume. Both the Irish and Miami finished 10-2, but the Hurricanes held the head-to-head win from the opener. Even though Notre Dame spent weeks ahead of Miami in the CFP rankings, that early loss became the deciding factor once the committee looked at the final board.
Marcus Freeman Was Confident About Their Playoff Chances
Freeman didn’t shy away from making Notre Dame’s case before the reveal. After the Stanford win, he emphasized how different his team looked compared to September, pointing out how much sharper and more disciplined they had become through the back half of the schedule.
He stressed their growth, faster execution, cleaner football, and a level of consistency that reflected a team peaking at the right time. In his eyes, they had shown enough to sit comfortably in the playoff picture.
“We have improved as much as anybody in the country, been playing as well as anybody in the country and we have, in my opinion, the best player in the country,” Freeman said. “That’s what you want. You want the best teams in the country now. Who’s the best teams for the playoffs right now? I truly believe we’re one.”
That confidence now stands in stark contrast to the final result. Notre Dame did nearly everything right from October onward, yet the committee leaned on the early blemishes, the tiebreakers, and the structure of the expanded format.
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