Who cares? They didn't win. It doesn't matter if you win by 1 point or 41 points in college football, a win is a win. Winning football games in college football is a hard thing to do, no matter who you're playing. Especially for a team like Notre Dame who is the only team week in and week out who have a constant target on their back and who almost every team considers it their "super bowl", so to speak, when they play them. Saying "oh but this or that team was CLOSE to winning" means nothing.
Notre Dame just went 12 and 1. I don't care how bad their playoff loss was. They deserved to be there, earned it, and there's not a single team behind them that would have done any better. Clemson is just that good. Just like Alabama.