Rece Davis is ready to put Notre Dame at the front of the national title line.
After Week 4, the ESPN College GameDay host said the No. 3 Fighting Irish are the team he would trust most if he had to pick one champion, even ahead of No.
2 Georgia and No. 4 Miami.
He made the call on ESPN’s College GameDay Podcast and said, "I really like what I see from Miami, believe in the consistency of Georgia, but if I had to pick one, I'd pick Notre Dame."
Davis framed the whole exercise around which team you’d "put your faith, your money" behind. He gave Georgia plenty of respect, saying "Georgia is never going to let you down." But he also raised the question of whether Georgia is "really turning him loose" with quarterback Gunner Stockton.
Even with that endorsement, Davis stopped short of calling Notre Dame a sure thing. He said this title race feels "wider than it is deep."
"Would anybody really think it's crazy if LSU beats Texas? No," Davis said. "I don't think any team looks invincible to me right now."
What separated Notre Dame for Davis was quarterback play. "I do think Notre Dame has a difference-maker at quarterback in CJ Carr," he said, adding that Carr "may wind up being QB1" in ESPN insider Pete Thamel's final quarterback poll.
Carr has been sharp through four games, completing more than 70% of his passes with nine touchdown passes and one interception. In Notre Dame’s 49-10 win at Purdue, the former Saline (Mich.) High star threw for 237 yards and three scores while adding a rushing touchdown.
Davis also pointed to the Irish defense, saying they have "the best defensive back in the country, arguably." That description fits cornerback Leonard Moore, whom Pro Football Focus ranked as the top returning cornerback after he posted a nation-leading 91.8 grade as a sophomore. Notre Dame has allowed 33 points in four games.
Up front, Davis likes what he sees too. "I think they're finding a little bit of a running game. They're going to be good on the offensive line," he said.
Notre Dame has had to adjust in the backfield after losing Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to the NFL, making them the first college teammates taken as the first two running backs in a draft. Aneyas Williams has stepped in as the lead back, and the junior from Hannibal, Missouri, carried 14 times for 80 yards and a touchdown against Purdue.
The Irish head to North Carolina next, with No. 3 Notre Dame visiting Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels on Saturday at noon ET on ESPN from Kenan Stadium. North Carolina is 2-1 and coming off a bye after a 28-20 loss to Clemson.
After that, Notre Dame hosts Stanford before a road trip to No. 10 BYU on Oct.
- Davis said that matchup with the Cougars will tell a lot.
"Notre Dame's got a test against BYU, sort of in that category of, 'Are they really No. 1 good?' We'll find out about that on the road," Davis said.
Miami, meanwhile, still has a date with Notre Dame on Nov. 7 at Notre Dame Stadium. Davis called it a game that "could be the first of two, for the national championship potentially." The Hurricanes beat Notre Dame in last season’s opener in Miami Gardens, Florida.
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