No matter what anyone says, if we beat Wake Forest in the vaunted Peach Bowl nobody in the media writ large is going to be singing ND's praises or talking about the major bowl monkey that's been lifted off ND's back.

I think most people default to this viewpoint not simply because of ND's history (which we know there's a lot) but I think it's a hopeful preference for momentum. End on a good and winnable note and the optimism for 2022 is high. Top 5? With the way recruiting is going, and the number of young kids seeing the field, I could see the bowl game providing a springboard effect. But like you, I'd rather just roll the dice and see where we can go in the CFP.