After being left out of the College Football Playoff for the 2025 season, the Irish are leaving it all behind and focusing on what they can control and what is ahead of them. The motto for the Irish is 'leave no doubt' because they know they left some in the 2025 season.
The 2026 season is looking promising for Notre Dame with a friendly schedule, but a few solid games to help bolster their resume. Two games stand out when initially looking at it, and that's BYU and Miami, with the Miami game being the biggest after that was ultimately the deciding factor in Notre Dame being left out last season.
As predictions start to come in for who could win it all next season, Notre Dame is becoming a popular pick, and College GameDay host Rece Davis is the latest to go with the Irish.
"I plan on picking them [Notre Dame] to win the National Championship," Davis said on the College GameDay podcast.
TRENDING: College GameDay Host Rece Davis has named Notre Dame as his pick to win the National Championship this season.
— Ryan Fravel (@Fravel_Ryan) May 9, 2026
He joins Media personalities like Mark Ingram & Stanford Steve on the list of guys who think the Irish will win their first Title since 1988.… pic.twitter.com/SRdQpufO5q
Davis believes that even though Notre Dame needs to replace a few offensive linemen, he feels the Irish had good retention from last season. Obviously, the loss of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to the NFL is tough, but with CJ Carr as the quarterback, that is a big positive for Notre Dame.
Marcus Freeman did well in the portal, but a lot of the recruiting wins are going to now come into play in South Bend and have a chance to prove themselves early for the Irish.
Rece Davis sees Miami as the 'gargantuan' game on Notre Dame's schedule
Davis believes that if there is one game on Notre Dame's schedule that is the biggest for the Irish, even using the word 'gargantuan' to describe the game, it is Miami. Last season, Miami and Notre Dame kicked off each other's seasons, and the Hurricanes were able to get the narrow three-point win.
That game would end up coming back to haunt the Irish as the Hurricanes got that final at-large bid to the playoff, and Notre Dame was left out. Now, this game will be played in early November, which means both teams will be in the groove and potentially could come in with undefeated records.
Davis believes Miami is going to be a stellar team next season with a lot of top talent coming in and retaining great players as well from the team that made it to the National Championship. This game could define the season for both teams and be a talking point yet again when the CFP bracket is being talked about.
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