Thanks to an exciting win at Texas A&M, Notre Dame put itself on an appealing path toward the College Football Playoff. It’s early, sure, but the Fighting Irish toppled one of the toughest opponents on their schedule.

In a truly stunning result, NIU squeezed out a 16-14 upset behind a stingy defense and Kanon Woodill’s game-winning kick.

Notre Dame didn’t move the ball particularly well at A&M, but that could be attributed to a solid Aggies’ defense, right? That thought, while reasonable at the time, has become a major concern. Saturday, the offense continually bogged down on the fringes of scoring territory.