The Story
Notre Dame’s 34-year national title drought could finally end this season, but the experts are divided on who’ll hoist the trophy. The Athletic’s @BruceFeldmanCFB, @ralphDrussoATH, and @slmandel broke down their College Football Playoff brackets, and the Irish are a popular pick—but not the only one.

The Breakdown

• Notre Dame’s Moment? The Irish return a stacked roster, including a Heisman-caliber QB and a defense that smothered opponents in the spring game. Feldman’s bracket has them cutting down the nets, but Mandel’s dark horse? Oregon.
• Playoff Locks: Georgia and Ohio State are consensus top-4 shoo-ins, but Texas and Alabama are lurking as wildcards. Russo’s bracket has the Longhorns crashing the party.
• Chaos Factor: One injury, one upset, and the whole thing flips. Remember 2024’s Michigan-Oregon chaos? Bracketology in August is a fool’s game—but a fun one.

The Sharp Take
Notre Dame’s schedule is a gauntlet (Clemson, USC, at FSU), but if they survive October unscathed, the Playoff Committee won’t have a choice. The real question: Can anyone stop Georgia’s defense? The Bulldogs allowed 1.8 yards per carry last season. That’s not a unit—it’s a glitch in the matrix.

The Numbers

• Notre Dame’s last title: 1988 (Joe Montana’s era, for context).
• Playoff berths since 2014: 1 (2020, lost to Alabama).
• Vegas odds to win it all: +650 (behind Georgia +300, Ohio State +400).

Bottom Line
The Irish are trending, but the Playoff’s expanded to 12 teams—so expect at least one “How the hell did they get in?” moment. Buckle up.