The Notre Dame football team made a thrilling run to the College Football Playoff national title game last season, so there is a lot of hope once again in South Bend. After a blowout win over Arkansas, Notre Dame's College Football Playoff hopes improved even more.

Notre Dame lost to Miami (FL) and Texas A&M by a total of four combined points, but blowout wins over Purdue and Arkansas showed the talent this team has.

After Week 5, college football analyst Joel Klatt still feels strongly about Notre Dame as a College Football Playoff team.

“Notre Dame is going to make the CFP. I think they are going to go 10-2,” Klatt said. “Their quarterback, I really am a big fan of…Their schedule is going to allow them to beat people really badly.”

Ahead of the Arkansas game, Klatt also felt strongly about Notre Dame's hopes, but said they need Texas A&M and Miami to keep winning games.

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“I think they win ten straight. I think that they do. I think they get back into the race. They just need, they really need, Texas A&M and Miami to continue to win,” said Klatt.

Notre Dame faces Boise State, North Carolina State and USC at home over the next three weeks before another bye. Then, Marcus Freeman's team faces Boston College, Navy, Pitt, Syracuse and Stanford with two of those in South Bend.

So, as of now, the Irish don't have another game on their schedule against a top-25 team, although USC is pretty close.

If Notre Dame finishes the year with a 10-2 record and the only losses coming to Texas A&M and Miami – both of which could be Playoff teams – it will be hard to ignore the Irish as another one to make the bracket, so only time will tell what ends up happening.