2015 record: 10-3
Head coach: Brian Kelly (7th season)
Just one year removed from nearly making its first ever College Football Playoff appearance, No. 10 Notre Dame returns starting quarterback DeShone Kizer with hopes of earning one of the coveted top four spots.
All three of the Fighting Irish's losses in 2015 came against top-15 opposition—including a pair of two-point road losses against Clemson and Stanford. Notre Dame compiled a perfect 6-0 record at home in South Bend, Ind., and reached double-digit wins for the second time under Kelly.
Notre Dame will have to replace a number of significant pieces on offense. Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley and wide receiver Will Fuller were the No. 6 and No. 21 overall picks in the 2016 NFL Draft, respectively. Leading rusher C.J. Prosise also was drafted in the third round and as a result, Kizer will need senior wideout Torii Hunter Jr. and senior running back Tarean Folston, among others, to emerge as weapons on that side of the ball.
Defensively, the Fighting Irish will have to fill voids left by linebacker Jaylon Smith—last year's leading tackler—and defensive tackle Sheldon Day. Notre Dame will not lack in experience, however, as several of its defensive starters will be either juniors or seniors.
As usual, the Fighting Irish will do themselves no favors with a difficult schedule. They bookend the season with road matchups at Texas and No. 20 Southern California and will take on No. 8 Stanford and Miami at home. The Fighting Irish could find themselves right on the cusp of the playoff bubble once again if they finish the season with at most one loss.
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Twitter: @mpgladstone13
A junior from just outside Philadelphia, Mitchell is probably reminding you how the Eagles won the Super Bowl this year and that the Phillies are definitely on the rebound. Outside of The Chronicle, he majors in Economics, minors in Statistics and is working toward the PJMS certificate, in addition to playing trombone in the Duke University Marching Band. And if you're getting him a sandwich with beef and cheese outside the state of Pennsylvania, you best not call it a "Philly cheesesteak."