ND choosing to coast as an independent with the ACC affiliation is a strategic mistake.

Moreover, the romance of the ND - Navy series means nothing to the CFP voters. From their dispassionately ruthless perspective the game is an avoidance tactic away from playing genuine Power opponents.

BTW, of course the Bama - Mercer bloodbath is a rough analog. But nobody said that life in the CFP eco-system is fair.