Marcus Freeman finds himself in a tough spot after that 27-24 road loss to No. 10 Miami in the opener, a game decided by a 47-yarder with 1:04 left after a furious Irish rally led by CJ Carr. Now, every week feels heavier, and hosting No. 16 Texas A&M only amplifies it because the Aggies are 2-0 and bring ranked equity the committee notices in September. Win, and the course stabilizes; lose, and the margin for error in a 12-team bracket starts to feel more theoretical than real for an independent program, without a conference title game safety net.

If the Irish stumble again, are their playoff hopes crushed? Not necessarily, but they’d need supreme help, and it might feel like calling on Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit themselves to line it up. Paul Finebaum broke down a workable

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