Notre Dame enters the season with plenty of respect, but Paul Finebaum thinks the Fighting Irish may still be sitting a little too low.
The AP poll has Notre Dame at No. 4, behind Ohio State, Oregon and Georgia. That ranking makes sense on paper given how much production the Irish bring back from last season. Notre Dame checks in at No. 1 in returning production at 72%, and that’s a big part of why the buzz around Marcus Freeman’s team has stayed loud.
Finebaum made it clear on "The Paul Finebaum Show" that he sees a team built to contend right away.
"They probably should be ranked higher," Finebaum said. "Because they have an easy schedule and they have a loaded team starting at the quarterback position...
I think Notre Dame would probably be my second pick to win the national championship. And a lot of it is based on the fact that they have one very difficult road game and one incredibly difficult home game.
And other than that, it's a cakewalk."
That schedule is the heart of his argument. Notre Dame doesn’t have to survive the same week-to-week grind as a lot of the other Power Four heavyweights, which gives the Irish a cleaner path to piling up wins.
The two matchups Finebaum singled out - a road game at BYU and a home date with Miami - loom as the real tests. Those are the games that can give Notre Dame a résumé boost, but they’re also the ones most likely to trip them up.
That matters because the Irish have already lived through the damage an early stumble can do. They opened the 2025 season 0-2 before ripping off 10 straight wins, and still never made it back to the College Football Playoff. This time, with so much coming back and expectations high again, Notre Dame can’t afford to dig another hole and hope to climb out of it.
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Notre Dame May Have Another Answer Emerging At Wide Receiver
Matt Jeffery has spent camp making the most of a crowded receiver room, and Notre Dame has taken notice. The former lacrosse scholarship athlete and walk-on has been pushing for playing time while earning praise from coaches and teammates for the kind of athleticism and versatility that can carve out a role even when the depth chart looks full. He appeared in 12 games last season, and his momentum has only grown as August has worn on.
The interesting part for Notre Dame is how familiar this path feels. Jeffery arrived as a walk-on wideout and has started to look like another player who can turn that status into real production, especially after standing out in fall camp despite missing spring practice. The Irish have seen this story before with Jordan Faison, and Jefferys rise gives the offense another intriguing option to track as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Has Two Real Player Of The Year Hopefuls
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What makes the list especially interesting for the Irish is the balance it reflects. Notre Dame is one of only five teams with both an offensive and defensive player represented, which says plenty about how much respect both sides of the ball are getting. Carr and Moore still have a long way to go before any awards are handed out, but being on that watch list is a reminder that Notre Dame has genuine star power at two of the most important spots on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Still Has One Pressing Receiver Question Before The Opener
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Mike Brown has been candid about the work involved in evaluating the room, and the challenge is easy to see with the opener drawing closer. Notre Dame is trying to piece together a lineup after key departures and some lingering health concerns, which makes every practice rep feel a little more meaningful as the staff looks for reliable answers before the season begins. [Read more 🡒]