College football: The main question Northwestern & Notre Dame face entering November

College football has been chaos.

Is anyone good? Will the 24-team playoff ruin the sport? Who is getting paid what?

These questions persist, but these aren’t the ones that need answering in South Bend and Evanston.

Northwestern and Notre Dame both face critical stretches of their football seasons. Here are the questions both the ‘Cats and Irish need to answer.

Is Northwestern football a playoff team?

Northwestern is ranked in the top 25 for just the second time this decade.

It’s a season where the football program is starting to recognize its potential in a new era and under head coach David Braun. With success come the rankings, the accolades and the discussions.

NU is doing its best to recognize that potential while focusing on itself in a critical moment.

"Someone told me Coach Barnett used to say that the higher you climb, the windier it gets," Braun said on Monday. "We need to shut out the outside noise."

The next stretch of games will define Northwestern’s season.

Big picture view:

The ‘Cats have Oregon, Iowa then Ohio State on the docket. Two of those games – against Oregon and Ohio State – are on the road. It’s a test for a Northwestern team that’s suddenly on the cusp of the College Football Playoff discussion.

The Ducks might be down this year, but they still possess talent across the board. Iowa, as per usual, is a defensive menace. Ohio State, down quarterback Julian Saying, still possesses the best player in college football with wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Winning two of those three will give the ‘Cats an argument for the CFP. That argument becomes pretty demanding if NU knocks off a top-five Ohio State team on the road.

The team’s only loss was on the road at No. 4 Indiana, which is something the CFP committee won’t hold against them. 

Northwestern, rarely beating the nerd allegations, said they really got into a groove when the school year started. Balancing school, sports and the season unlocked a groove for the team that has them recognizing their potential.

When asked about the upcoming slate, Braun said the team won’t change its approach. There won’t be a heightened urgency. There won’t be anything different. It’s hard to argue the Wildcats need to change anything, either.

That same approach has led the ‘Cats to a top-20 ranking. It’s time to put that approach and that team to the test.

Can Notre Dame football live up to its expectations?

Marcus Freeman was, of course, asked about the Big 12 Conference acknowledging there should have been an extra second on the clock at the end of BYU’s 28-24 win over the Irish on Oct. 17.

If we had a nickel for every time college football officials botched a situation at the end of a close game, fans would have two nickels. It’s weird that it’s happened twice.

From the Irish perspective, Notre Dame was a victim of the strange officiating. Freeman did not think about any hypothetical game-winning plays.

"We don't deserve that extra play," Freeman said. "Let's focus on the 12 or 13 plays that if you just won that play, the outcome would have been different."

It’s a good answer. Notre Dame will need more of that.

The Irish were supposed to beat BYU. The Cougars had other plans, but the Irish identified that plenty of it was Notre Dame’s fault.

Going 3 for 5 in red zone opportunities, with two scores being field goals and one opportunity being squandered due to a fumbled spike, is what led to the loss.

Defensive execution was another, where soft-zone looks were punished by a patient BYU offense. Losing star pass rusher Bobucar Traore was worth at least seven points, Freeman said.

The Irish had a week of tough conversations among their players and coaching staff. It was all in an effort to find the right answer before No. 7.

Big picture view:

Notre Dame’s schedule isn’t as bad as the outside will tell you. They have a 28-point win over No. 25 Wisconsin and have a chance to beat top-25 SMU later this season.

The prize, though, is a No. 7 matchup with presumed No. 1 Miami. The Catholics vs. Convicts play at South Bend. It’s Notre Dame’s chance to cement a playoff spot.

The AP voters didn’t hold a loss against BYU against Notre Dame, dropping them from No. 2 to No. 4 and moving BYU up to No. 2 before the Cougars tumbled back to No. 8 after a loss to UCF.

Poll dancing aside, Notre Dame has to beat Miami. They need the answers to stymie a Hurricane’s offense. Finding those answers started the Notre Dame lost to BYU.

The Irish left Provo with a loss and plenty of questions. Those questions might not have been visible before that loss in Provo. That perspective might be a boon for the Irish after a 6-0 start. 

"You're reminded quickly how much losing isn't a pleasurable thing," Freeman said. "We needed it."

For a team that has championship aspirations, it was also a reminder of how much they need to change to ace their biggest and most outstanding test against Miami.