Notre Dame Football: 5 reasons Brian Kelly can lead Irish to national title

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SOUTH BEND, IN – SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish leaves the field after a game against the Temple Owls at Notre Dame Stadium on September 2, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish won 49-16. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

5. Perfect early season schedule setup

One of the biggest tests that the Irish have on tap for the 2018 campaign comes in the opening weekend. A must-watch game for college football fans across the country entails Notre Dame taking on head football coach Jim Harbaugh and his Michigan Wolverines. Week 1 has a lot to be excited about for fans everywhere, but Notre Dame-Michigan should top the list.

Get past that Week 1 test against Michigan and the path is cleared for the next few weeks for the Irish to start really picking up steam. Until a Week 5 battle with the Stanford Cardinal and Week 6 road contest with the Virginia Tech Hokies comes around, the early season slate is relatively painless for Notre Dame.

The next three opponents following Michigan include the Ball State Cardinals, Vanderbilt Commodores, and Wake Forest Demon Deacons. It’s tough to know what to expect out of Vanderbilt this year with its head football coach Derek Mason on the hot seat in the SEC East.

Meanwhile, Wake Forest loses its heart and soul on both sides of the ball between quarterback John Wolford and safety Jessie Bates. Wake Forest should still be a tough out this year, but the Demon Deacons might not be the same eight win team like it was last season. Pass the Michigan test, and Notre Dame has a nice road to starting 4-0.

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