In this segment, Phil Steele breaks down why Notre Dame is poised to make the playoffs and contend for the national title. With Marcus Freeman in his third year, a strong offensive line, and a top-ranked defense, Notre Dame's manageable schedule positions them for a successful season. Steele highlights key players like Riley Leonard, Bo Collins, and Chris Mitchell, and analyzes the impact of their schedule, including challenging games at Texas A&M and USC. Don't miss this insightful discussion on Notre Dame's championship prospects!
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SportsTranscript
00:00Give us the outlook on Notre Dame. Are they a title contender?
00:03Oh, no doubt. Notre Dame clearly makes a playoff this year.
00:07Marcus Freeman is now in year three. I like to tell him he's got in.
00:10If they can keep Riley Leonard healthy the whole year, look out,
00:13because Duke was a different team with Riley Leonard last year than they were without him.
00:17They lose some players at receiver, but I like the guys they brought in,
00:20like Bo Collins coming in from Clemson, Chris Mitchell coming in from FIU.
00:25The offensive line is a strength. They're rated number 26 in the country.
00:29And defensively, Freeman knows defense, and he's got a really good defense.
00:33In fact, my number eight defense in the country.
00:35And then you look at their schedule this year, very manageable.
00:38Now, that first game at Texas A&M is tricky. College Station, tough place to play.
00:43But their other road games are Purdue, Georgia Tech, Navy, Army, and even USC.
00:48I think that they'll have a decent crowd for that.
00:50They get Florida State at home. The schedule is very manageable, number 57 in the country.
00:55Notre Dame clearly makes the playoff, and that makes them a national title contender.