Notre Dame Football: 3 bold predictions for 2021 season

1. Notre Dame returns to the College Football Playoff

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish has all the tools necessary to make a second consecutive trip to the College Football Playoff. Offensively, Notre Dame is always going to have a top-10 offensive line. Kyren Williams is one of the best running backs in the country.

All-purpose running back Chris Tyree is set to have more of an impact this season, and the receiver room is much improved. Defensively, Notre Dame has a deep veteran unit and with new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, a scheme to match their athleticism.

The Irish also have a manageable schedule. There are three games on their schedule that are tough but winnable; two of those games, however, are at home and the other is a neutral site game. Notre Dame plays Wisconsin at Soldier Field; both Cincinnati and USC are home games.

Running the table means that Braden Lenzy and Kevin Austin Jr. stay healthy all season and are the dynamic perimeter players everyone has waited for. Also, Freeman’s 3-3-5 defense (not much different from what Clark Lea ran) produces turnovers and big plays on defense.

Also, the handoff between Jack Coan and Tyler Buchner goes smoothly, or the former plays like allowing him to transfer from Wisconsin was a mistake. Rather still Buchner takes the job and is everything Notre Dame needs and more.