The Notre Dame Fighting Irish suffered a shocking 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois, drastically impacting their College Football Playoff hopes and leading analysts to question their ability to recover. Sports experts, including Joel Klatt and Pat Forde, emphasize that Notre Dame must win all remaining games to remain in contention, particularly with difficult matchups against ranked opponents like Florida State and USC looming. Despite the setback, Rece Davis suggests that if Northern Illinois performs well in their conference, it could lessen the blow of the loss for Notre Dame's playoff aspirations. Oddsmakers have reacted by significantly dropping Notre Dame’s playoff odds from 75% to 25%, and from 6% to 1% for the national title. Coach Marcus Freeman acknowledges that the team was caught up in hype and needs to focus on improving in all areas as they prepare for an upcoming game against Purdue. The Irish are under pressure to demonstrate their resilience and ability to regain their status as playoff contenders.