10 college football coaches with the best chance of winning first national championship next
By John Buhler
9. Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame team benefits from playoff expansion
I don't think this one is going to happen right away, but I could not forget Marcus Freeman on these rankings. Now entering his third year at Notre Dame, he has brought with him a cool factor to a Catholic school in South Bend, Indiana that never existed before. With Riley Leonard coming over from Duke in the transfer portal, I think there is a chance he could light it up playing in Mike Denbrock's offense.
Notre Dame has made the College Football Playoff twice before, once in 2018 after going undefeated during the regular season and again two years later during COVID as a de facto ACC member in 2020. To me, the Irish are one of the teams who benefit the most by having the College Football Playoff expand beyond four teams. If the Irish go something like 10-2 with their schedule, they could get in.
In the playoff era, you could argue that Notre Dame has been a top-six program in the country pretty easily. Although they will never be higher than a No. 5 seed in this projected playoff format because they are a national independent, they can run roughshod on 12 seeds at their place to make the Fighting Irish football brand even more money. All it takes is for one year where it all comes up aces.
Notre Dame has to get faster outside the numbers, but the Irish can already compete in the trenches.