Heather Dinich Names Powerhouse Under Immense Pressure to Make College Football Playoff

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish head into the 2026 college football season with a lot of expectations.

Notre Dame Sees Resurgence Under Marcus Freeman

The Fighting Irish have become a consistent contender under head coach Marcus Freeman. Notre Dame went to the College Football Playoff in 2024 and advanced all the way to the national championship game before falling to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The team then started 0-2 last season before rattling off 10 straight wins and positioning themselves for another playoff appearance.

However, the team was snubbed of a playoff berth. They were jumped by the Miami Hurricanes, who beat Notre Dame in the regular season, after conference championship weekend, despite neither team playing that weekend.

Heather Dinich Says Notre Dame's Biggest Goal Should Be Making College Football Playoff

Now, they are hoping this year will be different, and they can get back to the College Football Playoff, but this time end their nearly four-decade national championship drought.

While the Fighting Irish have high expectations, ESPN's Heather Dinich revealed on "Get Up" that they shouldn't be under pressure to win it all.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr (13) takes a snap. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I don't think they're under pressure to win at all because I don't think you can say that in college football anymore about any team because it is so hard," Dinich said. "It's so difficult. They're under pressure to make the playoff."

Notre Dame Has Talent and Schedule to Chase a Title

While it might be true that the pressure should be about making the playoffs, there should also be national championship expectations.

Notre Dame is considered one of the best teams in the country. ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI), a measure of a team's strength meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season, ranks Notre Dame No. 3 in the country, behind the Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns.

The FPI predicts an 11-1 season this year for Notre Dame. It also gives the Fighting Irish the third-best national championship odds, at10.5% chance to win it all. A reason many are high on the Fighting Irish is the schedule. Notre Dame has the No. 56-ranked schedule in the country, making it very manageable.

Notre Dame faces the BYU Cougars on the road and the Miami Hurricanes and the SMU Mustangs at home. Those are the three teams expected to be ranked in the preseason rankings.

Notre Dame has established itself as one of college football's most consistent contenders under Freeman, but the next step is bringing home a national championship.

With one of the nation's highest FPI projections and a schedule that avoids many of the sport's toughest obstacles, the Fighting Irish are well-positioned for another playoff run.

Simply making the field would be a successful season, but a roster this talented has every reason to believe it can contend for the program's first national title in nearly four decades.

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