Notre Dame fell 21-10 in Columbus on Saturday night, but that doesn’t mean its College Football Playoff hopes are over.

The Fighting Irish were incredibly competitive in this game, which was even closer than the final score might indicate. Notre Dame held Ohio State’s explosive offense to just 1 touchdown until the final moments of the third quarter.

The Buckeyes were able to stitch together one more back-breaking drive in the final stanza — a 14-play, 95-yard drive — to help seal the win.

But Notre Dame’s competitiveness in this game, especially in the trenches, won’t soon be forgotten by the selection committee. That’s according to ESPN’s Heather Dinich, who covers the Playoff for the World Wide Leader. Here’s an excerpt of her analysis on Notre Dame’s playoff hopes:

“If Notre Dame runs the table, the committee isn’t going to penalize the Irish for a close road loss against what could wind up being the Big Ten champion in the season opener, but it depends on what happens in the other conferences. If the SEC has two teams again in Georgia and Alabama, and the Big Ten champion is in, Notre Dame’s one-loss résumé would have to trump two of the three other Power 5 conference champions (Big 12, Pac-12 or ACC).”

Notre Dame also has the schedule to come back from an early-season setback in Columbus. The Irish still have games remaining vs. 3 ranked teams: Clemson, USC and BYU.

Games against the Tigers and Trojans are both in November, giving Notre Dame a chance to make a pair of major statements in the final month of the regular season.

Notre Dame faces Marshall in Week 2.