Yes, Notre Dame suffered a season-ending loss against Clemson in the Cotton Bowl, barely avoiding a shutout on their biggest stage of the year with the College Football Playoff trophy in sight. But so did Alabama, and nobody voting in the AP Top 25 is going to downgrade the Crimson Tide for a lopsided defeat to the champions. And so it will be that the Fighting Irish land in the top 10.
Notre Dame brings back Ian Book, who continues to develop as a quarterback after supplanting Brandon Wimbush last year as the starter. Book looked great this spring, and he will get great support in the backfield from Jafar Armstrong as both a running and receiving threat. While they lost some key talent, the Fighting Irish have the tools for a solid offense.
On defense, losing first-round NFL Draft pick Jerry Tillery at defensive tackle is going to force underclassmen to step up on the defensive line. While things still need to be sorted in the interior of the line, Khalid Kareem and Julian Okwara look ready to terrorize quarterbacks from the edges. This Fighting Irish group has the potential to replicate last season’s strong defensive performance.
Notre Dame’s independent schedule offers several key statement opportunities. Brian Kelly takes his crew on pivotal road trips against Georgia, Michigan, and Stanford. They also play USC at home along with a slew of ACC opponents on the schedule. The only time that Notre Dame can let up at all is home dates against Group of Five opponents New Mexico and Bowling Green.