ESPN's FPI has Notre Dame as one of the top teams nationally entering 2025
It very much seems like the 2024 season for Notre Dame football was its return to relevance tour, as the Irish defeated two Big Ten teams (Indiana and Penn State), the SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs, and played the closest to Ohio State of any team in the College Football Playoff alone.
It was a great season for Notre Dame, and while it didn't come back to South Bend with a championship, it sure showed every across the country that they have everything it takes to win a title. ESPN thinks that the Irish are back as well, as in its updated Football Power Index for the upcoming 2025 season has them as its No. 7 team.
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They project Notre Dame to have a 9.3-2.7 record, meaning they'll either have 9 or 10 wins on the year. The FPI gives the Irish a 7% chance to go undefeated, trailing only Texas and Ohio State for the top percentage in the country. Right now it looks like the Irish should make a return to the CFP as well, as ESPN gives them a 45.6% chance to compete in the playoff.
A back-to-back trip to the title game isn't out of the question, as the FPI believes that theres a 7.3% chance for that to happen, but just a 2.7% chance to win it. Multiple other teams have a higher chance to make it that far, but like last year, Notre Dame has the ability to buck the computers and make a run.
The FPI's favorite right now are the Longhorns, as they give them almost a 25% chance to win the national championship this coming season. Looking at Notre Dame opponents, Texas A&M and Miami both check in right behind the Irish at No. 8 and No. 9 respectively. USC is lower at No. 19, while Arkansas is No. 22 and Boise State is No. 40.
There shouldn't be any questions about Notre Dame's strength of schedule, as they'll play multiple top teams this fall, but as of right now, ESPN's FPI believes that the Irish are better than each of their opponents.
This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: ESPN's FPI looks upon Notre Dame very favorably for the 2025 season
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