10 ways Notre Dame Football can make it back to the CFP

10 ways Notre Dame Football can make it back to the College Football Playoff

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 01: Ian Book #12 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish snaps the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second quarter in the 2021 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One at AT&T Stadium on January 01, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

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Notre Dame Football. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

10 ways Notre Dame Football can make it back to the College Football Playoff

9. Find a Defensive Leader

This is not a shot at anyone on the team right now, particularly not at Kyle Hamilton, who is the best player on the Notre Dame defense. However, while there have been great players and great leaders on the Notre Dame defense, it’s going on a decade since one of them captured the spirit of the program.

Manti Te’o did that, and in a way, willed Notre Dame Football to an undefeated regular season in 2012.

So, this isn’t to knock any players who have come to the program since Te’o or are on the roster now. It’s just to say that the defense needs a rallying symbol on defense if the Irish want to make it back to the CFP.

That could very easily be Hamilton.

The offense is going to need help in 2021, maybe even 2022 depending on the quarterback room. An elite defense is going to be part of that help that they receive, and for the defense to be truly elite, they need an elite player to rally around the way the 2012 team did around Te’o.

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