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Notre Dame

Can Notre Dame win the national championship in the next 10 years?

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•07/01/25•

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Marcus freeman-8
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. (Chad Weaver, Blue & Gold)

It’s been nearly four decades since Notre Dame won a national championship. Can the Fighting Irish make sure that drought doesn’t span to nearly five decades? On3’s Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman recently named the programs they think can and will win a national title in the next 10 years.

Many of the choices are crossovers. It’s also worth noting that the two spent significant time talking about other programs not on the following lists that are candidates for a national championship in the next decade, like Clemson and Oklahoma, but they decided to come up with a hard cutoff (Staples at eight teams, Wasserman at six) that feel like pretty surefire bets to win the big one between now and 2035.

Here’s who each of them came up with.

Andy Staples
• Ohio State
• Georgia
• Alabama
• Texas
• LSU
• Oregon
• Notre Dame
• Michigan

Ari Wasserman
• Ohio State
• Georgia
• Alabama
• Texas
• LSU
• Oregon

Here are some explanations for some of the teams that were mentioned.

Texas
Staples: “Look at the trajectory they are on. They gave Ohio State the toughest challenge in the playoff last year.
Wasserman: “I think they’re going to do it this year. They’re knocking. They’ve been knocking for a while. They’re going to break through.”

LSU
Staples: “LSU has won a national title in each of the decades this century. They’ve won three national titles this century. They strike me as the kind of program where, even if Brian Kelly is not the guy, by 2035 they’re going to have won another national title. … You should be able to produce a national champion-caliber roster every few years at LSU.”
Wasserman: “LSU always has a way of figuring it out.”

Oregon
Staples: “Interestingly enough about Oregon, Oregon does not have a national title in its history. If Oregon wins the national title, it will be the first first-time national champion since Florida in 1996. That’s how hard it is to join this club.”

Notre Dame
Staples: “I think Notre Dame is going to break through here in the next 10 years if they keep on the trajectory they are on. I like that they have created this, ‘We are the place you go to become a badass offensive lineman.’ Like, if you’re going to have a brand, that’s the brand to have because that gives you the highest possible floor. And then, do you get the right skill guys? Do you get the right quarterback around him? But I think when you start there, it’s a good place to start.”
Wasserman: “Also went on a recruiting tear in the last month of which Notre Dame has rarely if ever seen in the modern era. Maybe the best recruiting run that we’ve seen from them. And the whole thing about them with Marcus Freeman is they are able to recruit at a higher level now. It took a little bit of time to get there. I think people thought there would be an instant boost into the top six once Brian Kelly left. But now you have testimony and proof of concept. A team that made it all the way to the national title game last year.
“I think Notre Dame is going to have an easier time selling their coach who is very likable and very handsome, which, we’ve joked in the past, matters. So yes, Notre Dame is seven on my list. And when I said seven, there is a group of teams that are vying for that unexpected title. Because there will be one unexpected title in the next 10 years.”

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