ESPN puts Notre Dame near the top of the national title race

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Not all programs can dream of a National Championship but ESPN says Notre Dame football certainly can.

The Fighting Irish were ranked No. 3 in a ranking of teams that the publication deemed had the best shot to win a National Championship. According to ESPN Analytics, the Irish are the No. 2 ranked team to have the best chance of reaching the College Football Playoff, behind only Ohio State.

Coming off of a 10-2 season, Notre Dame look’s to be a top-5 preseason team going into next year, and we’ll find that out tomorrow as the US LBM Coaches Poll drops. The biggest test of the Notre Dame schedule will be a Nov. 7 matchup against the Miami Hurricanes. The matchup was highlighted by ESPN and last year's matchup was listed as one of the main reasons the Miami Hurricanes reached the College Football Playoff last season. Other football teams could provide Notre Dame with a sweat, including BYU and SMU, but if the Irish can avoid any big upsets, they are one of the strongest teams in the field.

The key will be to avoid the third loss. Having three losses with a schedule that is not perceived as very strong could lead voters to keeping the Irish out of the CFP for the second year in a row.

For now it's clear, ESPN views Notre Dame not just as a team that will contend, but one that is capable of winning the National Championship.

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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: ESPN puts Notre Dame near the top of the national title race

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