Notre Dame football: 5 Reasons the Irish will win the 2017 national title

Notre Dame football will be aiming for a rebound after last year’s disappointing finish. Is there a chance that rebound lands them in the College Football Playoff?

While many college football fans are excited about what they will see out of their teams come opening kickoff, it is more a sense of hope that Notre Dame fans hold to at the moment. Hope is really all the Irish have in regard to a title run, but hope is only a bad thing if it’s misguided.

Hope, in the case of Notre Dame, is a well-warranted feeling. The team may be only one off-season removed from an unsatisfactory 4-8 season, but morale is still high in light of strong recruiting classes and a new face at quarterback.

More: Is Brandon Wimbush the answer at quarterback for the Irish?

Many expect Notre Dame to come back with a vengeance after one of the team’s worst records in the last decade. It’s true, a title run may be a longshot for a fairly raw football team. Nevertheless, Notre Dame should be prepared to go as far as head coach Brian Kelly will take them as he is undeniably on the hot seat.

Another disappointing season and the Irish may find themselves in the midst of an entire coaching change, a change that may signal Notre Dame’s first ‘rebuild’ in the last few decades. Rebuilds aren’t nearly as common in the college setting as they are in the pro’s, but a complete change of scenery in any atmosphere admits waves a white flag to some degree.

While expecting Notre Dame to go from being eliminated from bowl contention to winning a national title may be a little much, there are a few reasons, in a vacuum, as to why Notre Dame could pull it off. Here are five of them.