Breaking down Notre Dame's 2025 College Football Playoff outlook

Next up in our tour of the Playoff field are the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Marcus Freeman's team has looked the part of national contenders for virtually the entire season, with a singular notable exception. Can the Irish make a deep run? Or will the echoes of losses past come back to haunt them? Let's break it down.

Be sure to check out the rest of our playoff preview:

12. Clemson	5. Texas
11. SMU	6. Penn State
10. Indiana	7. Notre Dame
9. Tennessee	8. Ohio State
4. Arizona State	3. Boise State
2. Georgia	1. Oregon

Record: 11-1

How We Got Here: The Irish have looked like one of the two or three best teams in the country for 11 of their 12 games this season. They stomped their way through the vast majority of their schedule, with one of the best defenses in the country. But it's their one loss to lowly Northern Illinois that gives everyone pause about Notre Dame's real title chances.

The Good: This is a physical, aggressive team that delights in smashing your head into a brick wall while they pummel you into oblivion. They rank fourth in defensive EPA, and they hit hard. The Irish defensive front controls the game, and they've shown a real knack for preventing big plays. You might get five to 10 yards, but it's not likely you're going to break for a big gain all that often. They rank as the best passing defense in the country according to EPA, and rank third in passing yards allowed.

The offense wants to do one thing, and one thing only: run the ball down your throat, and they have the best rushing EPA in the country as a result. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price combined for exactly 1,600 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, while quarterback Riley Leonard added 721 yards and 14 touchdowns of his own on the ground. They want to mash and bash, and they're good at it.

The Bad: Despite all their success, the Irish have yet to really impress anyone throwing the ball. Their wideouts remain a massive issue, and when Leonard has to go try to win a game with his arm, things can get messy quick. It's what cost them the game against Northern Illinois, and Freeman's response was to just... run the ball as much as possible. It worked, and the Irish have stomped all comers since. Stop the run, and the Irish's luck will run out much quicker.

Playoff Path: Notre Dame's home matchup with Indiana is going to be a fascinating stylistic clash, and is likely to be a tougher test than the Irish would like in the first round. If they survive, they get a Georgia team who can be bossed around by Freeman's terrifying defense, in what figures to be a physical slog of a contest. Escape the Bulldogs and a path to the title game suddenly looks well within reach, as the Irish would be favored against Boise State, Penn State or SMU.

The Verdict: A better passing game would make Irish fans feel much more comfortable about their fortunes in this tournament, but Notre Dame does have a pair of winnable, if challenging games. One win feels like a good result, but a lengthy run is possible. Freeman could wake up the echoes and make some noise if the Irish get hot.

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