Notre Dame football: Irish should dominate in the trenches in 2022
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team has elite talent on both sides of the ball, and they should be downright dominant in the trenches in 2022.
For the 2022 Notre Dame football team, the season cannot get here soon enough, as the excitement surrounding the program continues to grow. First-year head coach Marcus Freeman has not only got a great team coming back, as many stars turned away from the NFL for one more go-around in South Bend, but the future is also bright in terms of incoming recruiting classes.
This season, the Irish have their areas where they are head and shoulders better than some of their competition, including upfront along the offensive, and defensive lines. They have legitimate NFL star power on both sides of the ball in these areas, and that should lead to them being able to control the line of scrimmage more often than not.
I believe the Irish should have no problem pushing around the teams they should beat, as teams like Navy, Marshall, and Cal will have no answer for the strength the Irish have upfront. Against big-time programs like Ohio State and USC, this could be the reason why the Irish can stay in those games, and come away with resume-building victories.
Notre Dame football a legitimate CFP contender?
Of course, the only thing that matters is the Irish getting to the College Football Playoff, a place they missed out on going to last season. They have the talent on both sides of the ball to get there, but questions at quarterback, and in terms of the wide receiver position still exist.
However, when it comes to football, no matter the level, games are won and lost in the trenches, and the Irish are elite there on both sides of the ball. The offensive line could be the best in the country, as it returns five starters from a year ago, and on defense, veteran players like Jayson Ademilola, Isaiah Foskey, and Howard Cross III could be in for monster years.
The schedule is not easy for the Irish, and they open up against one of the best teams in the country in the Ohio State Buckeyes. Most of the talk will be about all the playmakers each team has on both sides of the ball, but when all is said and done, that game will be won in the trenches, where the Irish could have a significant advantage.