The Notre Dame football team is one of the best in the country in 2022, and here is why they will be one of the last teams standing when all is said and done.
Going into the 2022 college football season, the Notre Dame football team will have high expectations, especially with Marcus Freeman taking over as head coach. Freeman was the reason many players returned for another season in South Bend, and there is a feeling around the program that the 2022 season could be a special one.
Here, we take a look at three reasons why the Irish could punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff this upcoming season.
Notre Dame football: 3 reasons the Irish should make the CFP in 2022
The Defense
We start on the defensive side of the ball, where the Irish figure to be one of the elite teams in the country in 2022. Isaiah Foskey returns coming off the edge, where he is one of the best draft prospects in this year’s class, and Brandon Joseph should be an All-American in the secondary.
Notre Dame also has a possible Day 2 cornerback in Cam Hart, and a linebacker group is a veteran unit that has been in some big games before. Overall, all the pieces are there on defense to stop any offense that comes their way, including the Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 1.
Notre Dame football: 3 reasons the Irish should make the CFP in 2022
Even a Week 1 loss won’t kill their chances
Staying with the Ohio State Buckeyes, it does not get much better than the matchup between these two teams in Week 1. This could be one of the biggest games of the entire college football slate in 2022, as it features two teams dead set on making it to the College Football Playoff this year.
Notre Dame football still has yet to pick a quarterback and has some issues on the roster to be ironed out, but this is going to be an elite matchup between two elite teams. No matter who wins this game, the season is not over for the loser in terms of the CFP, as they could run the table and be one of the final four teams standing.
Ohio State has a potential Heisman Trophy-winning candidate at quarterback in C.J. Stroud and returns elite weapons on offense around him. That is going to be the ultimate chess match for Freeman and his defense in Week 1 because a win could make them a CFP favorite, and a loss would make the road a bit tougher.
Notre Dame football: 3 reasons the Irish should make the CFP in 2022
Beat USC
In a recent ‘way-too-early’ poll by ESPN, the USC Trojans made a huge move after spring practices, going from No. 12 overall, all the way up to No. 4. That means the national media believes that the Trojans will be outstanding this upcoming season under new head coach Lincoln Riley, and rightfully so.
Riley had many key players come with him from Oklahoma, and with the way he was able to turn the Sooners into a national power, having the assets he has at USC should lead to him improving their program immediately. This is an incredible rivalry, and the game will take place at the end of the season, so there could be playoff implications on the line.
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If both teams do what they are supposed to this upcoming season, this could be a matchup of undefeated teams or even two one-loss programs. That would make this almost a qualifier for the College Football Playoff, and based on their history in recent years, you have to like Notre Dame’s chances of winning it.