Kirk Herbstreit isn’t shy about where he stands on Notre Dame heading into the new college football season.
On “The Pat McAfee Show,” the longtime analyst named the Fighting Irish as his top pick among the sport’s contenders, pointing straight to quarterback CJ Carr as a big reason why.
“I’m going Notre Dame. … [quarterback] CJ [Carr] is the real deal,” Herbstreit said. “I like Notre Dame.”
He doubled down on that view by grouping Notre Dame with Miami among the teams he likes, while also mentioning Texas A&M as a possible team to watch with Marcel Reed this year.
For Notre Dame, the praise lands at a time when the program is trying to get back to the College Football Playoff after falling short of a national title in 2024 and missing last season’s playoff field. This year, the path is there. The Irish have a strong shot to return, and much of that fate is in their own hands.
The numbers back up the hype. ESPN’s Football Power Index has Notre Dame ranked third, and the Irish own the best chance in the country to run the table in the regular season at 32.7 percent.
Their CFP odds sit at 74.4 percent, good for second only to Ohio State. ESPN’s model also puts Notre Dame third in both national championship game appearance probability and title odds.
That doesn’t mean anything is guaranteed. The Irish still have to play the games, and even with a favorable schedule, a playoff run has to be earned.
Marcus Freeman’s team does, however, bring plenty to the table. Freeman should give Notre Dame an edge against most of its opponents, with Georgia, Indiana and Ohio State perhaps the only teams on the schedule that match the Irish in both talent and coaching. Notre Dame also brings back key pieces from its last deep playoff run.
Indiana enters the season as the defending national champion, and Notre Dame will be trying to follow that lead by bringing another title to the state. The Fighting Irish beat Indiana at home in the 2024 CFP before falling to Ohio State in the championship game.
Will Notre Dame return to the CFP in 2026?
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Florida State Adds Duke Safety As Defensive Rebuild Keeps Rolling
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