Notre Dame predicted to win the national championship

While Notre Dame still garnered six first-place votes and should have plenty motivation after the way last season ended, there are still some unknowns surrounding the program.

Carr is back for a second season under center for the Fighting Irish after passing for 2,741 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions, but it remains to be seen how he will perform in more pressure-packed situations considered he did not get any experience in the College Football Playoff last season.

With that said, he appears to be more than capable of leading this team and enters the season as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy (+700, per FanDuel). He will also have a talented group around him that should only make this team that much more elite.

Even though running backs Jeremiyah Love (Arizona Cardinals) and Jadarian Price (Seattle Seahawks) were selected in the first round of the draft, they still have a good RB room and will look to get Kedren Young back from a series of injuries over the last two seasons.

On top of that, former five-star recruit Quincy Porter transferred from Ohio State and could become Carr's go-to receiver, while a strong offensive line and key defensive weapons give this team a strong case to be No. 1 in the country.

This is still a Notre Dame program that has its coaching staff intact from last season, including head coach Marcus Freeman. That is the complete opposite of Ohio State, Oregon and Texas, which have each replaced at least one coordinator despite entering the season as the top-three teams.

A pair of losses to begin the 2025 season ultimately came back to bite Notre Dame, even if they were to ranked Miami and Texas A&M teams. This season, the Fighting Irish do not play a ranked opponent until they go on the road to face No. 14 BYU on Oct. 17. 

It is a fairly manageable schedule, and if Notre Dame can take care of business, it has the pieces to be a serious national title contender.