Overview
- Broadcaster and analyst Danny Kanell said he is “selling” Notre Dame as a title contender but warned their light slate of marquee games could “come back to haunt” them in the postseason.
- Kanell pointed specifically to a three-game group of notable opponents — BYU, SMU and Miami — as insufficient preparation for the level of competition likely in the College Football Playoff.
- Notre Dame enters the season as a widespread preseason playoff favorite with returning quarterback CJ Carr, who is spoken of as a Heisman contender after a breakout campaign.
- The program faces roster shifts that complicate depth: six players entered the 2026 NFL Draft and roughly 20 left via the transfer portal while Notre Dame added seven portal recruits in a top-10 class.
- The comment revives sensitivity from last season’s controversial playoff omission and the team’s bowl opt-out, and it sets what analysts will watch for: how Notre Dame’s schedule and late-season performance shape committee judgment and on-field readiness.