Welcome to the latest episode of the Shamrock.

I'm Pete Samson from Bank of Mara Stadium, Matt Fortuna back home in Chicago.

It was, as we were talking right before we hit record, it was such a needle that was threaded between you're comfortably in or you're definitely out.

Notre Dame left it hanging as probably they're still in, but man, tonight was, tonight was bad.

We can talk about whether they're going to make it or not.

But I also think we should spend some time talking about whether Notre Dame has the chops to do anything if they do make it,

which is, I think, after tonight a pretty important question that Notre Dame is going to have to answer at some point.

Yeah, when we did this six weeks ago, November 7th, after Notre Dame outlasted Clemson double

overtime.

I don't know if we were recording or not when you started the Zoom by saying, holy bleep,

what just happened?

And I have a similar reaction for the complete opposite reason after just watching this

game unfold in Charlotte.

It was the worst case scenario if you're Notre Dame.

I mean, a lot of us treated it as a foregone conclusion that they will be in the

playoff tomorrow regardless of what happens.

I would not call it a foregone conclusion,

I will state my case later for why I think they are and should be in.

But it was the worst thing you could hope for if you're not in.

I mean, it was just, it was terrible.

It was the 2018 game all over again, right down to the second quarter.

And, you know, as defenseless as they looked in the secondary, that offense couldn't do a damn thing. And that didn't really change

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