5 college football teams that can end their national title drought

Notre Dame — 33 years

Notre Dame is unexpectedly entering a new era after the departure of Brian Kelly for LSU, though not an entirely unfamiliar one.

By promoting defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to head coach, the Irish took a gamble on a young coach and continuity. It may very well pay off.

Freeman was a hot commodity as the defensive coordinator for Cincinnati when he landed the ND DC job in 2021. He made a big impression quickly, managing to get the Irish tanked in the Top 20 of several major defensive statistics, including points per game allowed. His defense will have to be the driving force behind a future title run.

Signing on Freeman was almost a two-for-one deal since Notre Dame also managed to convince offensive coordinator Tommy Rees to remain. His offense averaged 35.2 points per game in 2021 and his work with quarterbacks should keep the Irish chugging along.

Freeman and Rees are a bright young pair. It would be no surprise to see the two of them put together a title run, Notre Dame’s first since 1988 under Lou Holtz. Growing pains leading a program are the biggest concerns towards ending the 33-year drought.