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There's been a lot of talk this offseason about expanding the College Football Playoffs to a 24-team format, something many are avidly against. Unfortunately, that discussion has overshadowed the fact that 2026 could be the best 12-team CFP we've seen yet. This is setting up to be an electric season of college football fueled by offseason storylines, playoff snubs, second year quarterbacks and young up-and-coming head coaches. 

Notre Dame has been a focal point of discussion for several outlets this season including ESPN who recently ranked the Fighting Irish as a Top 10 team who they believe could receive a first-round bye in this year's playoffs. Their schedule sets up favorably and this is the most talented and experienced roster head coach Marcus Freeman returns. 

"The Irish have an easier schedule than Ohio State," a writer at ESPN explained. "But wins against BYU, Miami and SMU could be enough to catapult them into the tour four — as long as they don't stumble elsewhere to an unranked opponent." 

There's been a lot made of Notre Dame's 2026 schedule. Many view it as a 'cupcake' schedule, but in the same breathe will ranked Miami, BYU and SMU in their Preseason Top 25, name Hurricanes quarterback Darien Mensah as a Heisman contender, name BYU a favorite to win the Big 12 and list SMU as a dark horse to compete for the ACC title and make the CFP as an at-large bid. 

With most things, the truth is somewhere in between. The Irish don't face a gauntlet of a schedule like the one in Columbus, but you'd also be fooling yourself to put their schedule in the same conversation as Penn State and Texas Tech. That being said, their schedule sets up favorably as they will get to ease into their tough slate in late October through the end of the regular season. But most of the attention should be to what Freeman returns. 

The fifth-year head coach returns both of his coordinators, Mike Denbrock on offense and Chris Ash on defense. Freeman also returns a starting quarterback in CJ Carr, two defensive captains in Drayk Bowen and Adon Shuler. According to ESPN, Notre Dame returns the most production (73%) of any team at the FBS level. 

Their schedule alone isn't the only thing promoting a bye in the 2026 College Football Playoffs. They're loaded with talent on both sides of the ball and are one of the few contenders in the country that return both coordinators from the previous season, something Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Ole Miss, LSU, and Texas A&M can't say. This is shaping up to be the best CFP in the 12-team era, and the Irish are in prime position to earn their first bye in this format. 

ESPN's 10 Potential First-Round Bye Teams

1. Texas Longhorns
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
3. Georgia Bulldogs
4. Oregon Ducks
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
6. Indiana Hoosiers
7. Miami Hurricanes
8. Texas A&M Aggies
9. Ole Miss Rebels
10. LSU Tigers

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