October, No. 12 Notre Dame (5-1) feels about where it wants to be. Even if the Irish haven’t been thrilled about how they got here.

The deeper we get into the college football season, the more we are going to hyper focus on the playoffs, and project it in this chaotic landscape. In a recent projection from A to Z Sports, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish earned a spot in the field.

Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman covered several personnel matters after Notre Dame's 49-7 win over Stanford

Notre Dame has to be wondering what it can do to catch a break -- or if it's being unfairly punished for a bad day at home against Northern Illinois last month. Or maybe poll voters just don't respect the quality of the Fighting Irish's opponents.

Can the Irish finish strong? Breaking down Notre Dame's 2024 win projections and potential outcomes for the rest of the season.

Notre Dame won its fourth straight game and improved to 5-1 with a convincing 49-7 victory over Stanford. It was Notre Dame's fifth victory in its last six games against the Cardinal. Following the victory, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman addressed the media and broke down his team's performance.

Despite Stanford's loss last week, these three players stood out as the Cardinal seek the win column moving forward.