Paul Finebaum Names Historic College Football Program That's 'Underrated'

The 2026 college football season will begin with a slate of Week 0 games on Aug. 29. As of now, the USA TODAY Coaches Poll is the only major ranking system out.

Notre Dame Ranks No. 5 in USA TODAY Coaches Poll

The poll was released on Aug. 4. The top five teams in the country, in order, were: the Ohio State Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks, Georgia Bulldogs, Texas Longhorns and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The AP Poll will be released on Aug. 17.

All of those teams are getting national championship buzz, for good reason. But the forgotten team of the group might be the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Marcus Freeman's group is coming off a 10-2 season where they believed they were snubbed for a College Football Playoff appearance.

They'll try to use that as motivation this upcoming season and get the Fighting Irish back in the postseason tournament. Quarterback CJ Carr will play a big part in Notre Dame meeting those expectations. The junior threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions last year in his first season as the starter.

Head coach Marcus Freeman greets his players during a Notre Dame football practice. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Paul Finebaum Feels Notre Dame Is Underrated

ESPN's Paul Finebaum is optimistic about Notre Dame this season. He said on "The Paul Finebaum Show" that he feels the Coaches Poll underrated the Fighting Irish.

"I think they're underrated," Finebaum said. "I would have Notre Dame, probably three right now, possibly higher. I think they are that good."

Replacing Star Running Backs Will Be the Biggest Challenge

Now, the team has to replace star running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Love ran for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns, while winning the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation's top running back. Price added 674 yards and 11 scores. Those two were the top two running backs taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, with both going in the first round.

Finebaum's assessment puts Notre Dame in a much more favorable position than its No. 5 spot in the preseason Coaches Poll. The Fighting Irish have already established themselves as one of the country's most consistent programs under Freeman.

The biggest question is whether Notre Dame can turn that consistency into another deep postseason run. The Fighting Irish came within one win of a national championship in 2024, but last year's playoff omission showed just how little margin for error there can be for a team outside a conference.

That makes the 2026 season particularly important. Notre Dame has the quarterback, returning talent and recent track record to be considered a legitimate national championship contender. If the Fighting Irish can navigate their schedule and avoid another late-season stumble, they could have a strong case to be among the teams playing for the title in January.

For now, the Coaches Poll has Notre Dame behind four other teams. Finebaum clearly isn't buying that placement, and the Fighting Irish will have the opportunity to prove him right once the season begins.

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