The BYU-Notre Dame game is already officially locked into the calendar for Oct. 17. After both programs barely missed the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff last season, the game is now being seen as a potential CFP eliminator or a major launching point for whichever program comes out on top.

How an Annual BYU-Notre Dame Game Benefits Both Schools

Prominent college football analyst Blaine Fowler shared his thoughts on the possibility of the BYU-Notre Dame game turning into an annual rivalry.

“I really like the idea,” Fowler said on Wednesday. “I think it could become one of the great rivalries in college football, and I think it’d be great for BYU. In the Big 12, it feels like, since you know, BYU hasn’t been in the college football playoff, at least not with this number of teams in the playoff the last couple of years, that a Notre Dame game, especially a win against Notre Dame, would make all the difference. You could lose the Big 12 championship game and still get in.”

Under the current 12-team College Football Playoff structure, BYU’s clearest path into the postseason is winning the Big 12 and claiming an automatic berth. However, if the Cougars struggle with a demanding nine-game conference schedule, unbeaten but suffer a narrow loss in the conference title game, their at-large chances would likely sit on the edge.

A loss to a school like Notre Dame would not heavily damage BYU’s standing with the selection committee, but a win could dramatically elevate the school’s playoff case.

As for Notre Dame, the program is fiercely independent and does not participate in a conference championship game. So, its playoff hopes depend entirely on the quality of its regular-season schedule.

If the Irish finish 10-2 against weaker competition, they lack the extra boost that conference title games provide. That is why Fowler believes Notre Dame also benefits greatly from establishing a permanent rivalry with BYU.

“But it’s not just on BYU’s side that they need this thing,” Fowler said. “Notre Dame needs it too, and you think about Notre Dame with scheduling these days… They need some strength to schedule games, and it feels like for Marcus Freeman and his crew that some of their old natural rivals, USC, Michigan, are saying, ‘No. The way the Big 10 is these days, we don’t need to play anybody non-conference other than our Big 10 matchups. So, we’re not going to play Notre Dame anymore.’

“Notre Dame needs some quality games. They need this game maybe more than BYU does, and it could become a great national rivalry that everyone pays attention to each year when the two teams play. So I love it, and I think both teams could use it for sure.”

The two schools have met nine times since their first meeting in 1992, with Notre Dame holding a 7-2 advantage when Marcus Freeman and the Irish travel to Provo in October. Kalani Sitake’s squad will attempt to snap a four-game losing streak in the series.

According to the PFSN College Football Playoff Meter, Notre Dame currently has an 82.9% chance to reach the playoff, while BYU sits at 29.7%.

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It’s been nearly six months since Lane Kiffin left the Ole Miss Rebels for the LSU Tigers in the middle of the season. The Rebels were playoff-bound and one of the strongest teams when Kiffin decided to part ways.

The conversations surrounding that subject are still ongoing. While it outlines the impact of Kiffin’s decision, it also serves as a bitter reminder for Rebels fans, and based on their recent reactions, they haven’t forgiven their former head coach.

During a recent podcast appearance, Kiffin was asked if, if he could go back and do things differently, he would. Kiffin said that he would change how he approached that situation.

“Yeah, I would’ve just came in and said, ‘Okay, I’m leaving. I’m very appreciative of everything.’ I spent a lot of time right there, fighting to coach the team, trying to keep everything together,” he said.

Kiffin wanted to coach the team through the playoffs, but his request was denied. So, if he could go back, he’d spend the last few days at Ole Miss thanking people and fans for everything instead of fighting a losing battle.

Despite Kiffin’s willingness to show that he valued his time with the Rebels, the fans weren’t buying anything he said.

“Lying POS. Cant help himself,” a fan wrote.

“Ew don’t want to watch more. This guy blows. You might get responses but no one is clicking on on this loser. Same old story. Same old wheel. Snoozefest. Glad my phone silenced his voice,” a fan wrote.

“You spent a lot of time lying. You spent a lot of time burning every single bridge in Oxford. You spent a lot of time trying to burn the program down. You’re despicable,” a fan wrote.

“Why is Lane doing a million interviews instead of running his program? Absolutely nobody from Ole Miss has thought about him since the season ended,” a fan wrote.

“Wait. Let me get this straight…you’re the victim?” a fan wrote.

There are so many comments under that post on X, calling Kiffin a “drama queen” and worse. The Rebels fans have nothing positive to say about their former head coach right now.

Lane Kiffin on How Everything Changed Instantly

Kiffin said he received a lot of love throughout his coaching tenure with the Rebels. Fans were respectful, and he felt like he was a part of that community. However, once he made his decision to leave, everything changed.

He talked about people being so angry that they chased his car on his way to the airport. Some fans even yelled at his 12-year-old nephew, who was walking with him.

On the other hand, the LSU fans, who hated Kiffin when he was with Ole Miss, suddenly started showing love and appreciation as soon as he landed.

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