Notre Dame football: Sporting News ranks Irish outside of top-5 in 2021
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team made it all the way to the College Football Playoff in 2021, but some media outlets feel they could fall a bit in 2021.
Last season, the Notre Dame football program was forced to play in the ACC, as the COVID-19 pandemic made playing their Independent schedule impossible. All the Irish did in the ACC was go undefeated during the regular season, punching their ticket to the ACC Championship Game.
Though they would lose to Clemson in the title game, they did earn a spot in the College Football Playoff, landing as the No. 4 overall seed. That meant a matchup against No. 1 Alabama in the Rose Bowl, so while they lost two games to end their season, it was still a very successful season in South Bend.
As we look ahead to the 2021 college football season, there is reason to believe that the Irish will once again be one of the better teams in the country, especially with how good they could be on the defensive side of the ball. They also have an easier schedule than they had a year ago, so there is no reason why they will not be in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot once again.
Notre Dame football ranked No. 6 by the Sporting News
Over at the Sporting News, the media outlet recently released their 2021 college football preview, including top-25, All-Americans, and bowl predictions. The Irish were listed in the top-25, coming in at No. 6 overall, just outside of the four spots that would land them in the College Football Playoff for the third time in four years.
To return to the CFP, the Irish will have to figure things out on offense, where they are turning to a new quarterback in Jack Coan, and the offensive line has to replace four starters. There is also the question as to who will be the WR1 this season, this after both Javon McKinley and Ben Skowronek are now in the NFL, leaving them without their top two options at the position group last season.
Luckily, the defense is stacked, including All-American safety Kyle Hamilton, who is certain to be a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. On all three levels of the defense, new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman has veteran talent, a unit that most believe will be one of the elite in the country in 2021.