Newsstand: ESPN analyst chooses Notre Dame as his ‘long shot’ to win College Football Playoff
Could Notre Dame football win the College Football Playoff championship in 2024? One ESPN reporter seems to think so.
On Monday, ESPN’s Heather Dinich and Adam Rittenberg discussed their long shots to win the national title. Rittenberg chose the Fighting Irish.
“Notre Dame fascinates me,” Rittenberg said. “The defense has been excellent under coordinator Al Golden and could be even better this fall, as Thorpe Award winner Xavier Watts and playmaking cornerback Benjamin Morrison lead an excellent secondary. Notre Dame usually can count on its offensive line and tight ends to be very good at worst, and I liked what I saw from running backs Jeremiyah Love, Gi’Bran Payneand Aneyas Williams in the spring game.
“The big key is getting more from the quarterback spot and the passing game against top competition. Notre Dame didn’t really get a chance to evaluate Duke transfer Riley Leonard this spring because of his lingering ankle issues, but the team thinks it has an upgrade from Sam Hartman. The return of coordinator Mike Denbrock, who oversaw a record-setting LSU offense last season and understands the unique elements at Notre Dame, is a very sharp move.”
According to Fan Duel Sportsbook, the Irish currently have the tied-for-ninth-best odds (+2200) to win the national championship next season. Georgia is first at +300.
Notre Dame has not won a national championship since 1988.
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Notre Dame Quote of the Day
“I have made a good relationship with the head coach, Coach Shrewsberry. He was very open for two or three weeks, and once it was all in place, I decided to go right away to Notre Dame. It’s a special place, it’s a good environment, all the coaches were awesome and that’s why I went toward Notre Dame.”
— Monmouth transfer center Nikita Konstantynovskyi to Blue & Gold’s Jack Soble on his decision to commit to Notre Dame men’s basketball
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