It has now been over three months since the Michigan football team raised the national championship trophy back in January at NRG Stadium in Houston. It was a season to remember in college football as it was the last year of the four-team College Football Playoff, and it was also the last year of the Pac-12. There are going to be a lot of changes next season, and there have also been a lot of changes in this offseason already in terms of coaching moves and the transfer portal. Now, spring football is well underway, and a sense of hope has returned to college football fans. Notre Dame football had their spring game on Saturday, and Fighting Irish fans can't wait for the season.
Spring football is a special time of year as fans across the country get to see their new team in action for the first time. It's hard to tell much about a team from spring practices, but it's still fun to see the teams on the field competing against each other, and football fans are all eager for the new season to roll around. The first few months of the offseason are tough to get through and the football season seems so far away. Now, the weather is warming up, and you can sense that the new season is nearing. There is still a ways to go, but it's coming.
This next season of college football is going to be an exciting one, and there are a ton of reasons to be looking forward to it. There are a lot of changes coming to the game like rule changes, coaching changes, conference changes and playoff changes. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the new season will be the new conferences. The Pac-12 is gone, and the Big Ten and SEC are going to be loaded. They both seem to be on the verge of forming super conferences.
The SEC will be welcoming Texas and Oklahoma to the conference next year, and the Big Ten is getting a good crop of Pac-12 teams as USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are all joining the conference. Both the Big Ten and the SEC are going to be absolutely loaded next year, and it seems like more schools will potentially join the conferences in the future.
Next season, the College Football Playoff will look different as well as it is expanding to 12 teams. There will also be first round games on college campuses. More teams will have a chance to make the CFP, and there will be more games. It's going to be fun.
Notre Dame needs to find a way into the CFP
One team that has had high expectations in recent years but has failed to make the College Football Playoff is Notre Dame football. This will be year three of the Marcus Freeman era in South Bend, and the Fighting Irish are looking to take the next step this season. Years one and two could've been a lot of worse, but they also could've been a lot better. After the way the 2022 season started, it felt like a win to finish the year at 9-4. A home loss to Marshall early in the year was disastrous, but the Fighting Irish bounced back.
Last season was a bit of the opposite. After the great start to the season, Notre Dame football's 10-3 finish was a bit disappointing. The Fighting Irish got out to a great start and were a play away from beating Ohio State at home early in the year. They couldn't get it done, and the loss definitely took the wind out of their sail a bit.
Now, the College Football Playoff is expanding to 12 teams, and the expectation for Notre Dame football is that they make it there. Because of the way that the playoff is lined up with conference champions, the Fighting Irish are unable to get a bye in the CFP, but at this point, their only focus is finding a way to get in.
Notre Dame football will once again have a talented team, and it'll be interesting to see who all of their starters are when the season rolls around. Here are some position battles to watch during the offseason as we anxiously awaits college football's return.
Quarterback
Notre Dame football is losing star QB Sam Hartman to the NFL, but the Fighting Irish brought in Duke transfer Riley Leonard, and Leonard will more than likely be the starter next season. Leonard had a good year in 2022 when he finished the season 250-391 for 2,967 yards, 20 touchdowns and six picks. He didn't get as much action last season as he did 2022 because of an injury, so he only had 1,102 passing yards and three touchdowns last year.
Seeing how Leonard progresses from this injury is going to be big for the Fighting Irish. The QB is the most important player on the field and if Notre Dame wants to achieve their goals next season, they will need Leonard to have a big year. He has already lost valuable offseason time because of this injury, and hopefully he can return to 100% quickly.
Wide receiver
Notre Dame football has brought in a few transfers at the WR position that make this position an interesting one to watch this offseason. Kris Mitchell, Beaux Collins and Jayden Harrison are all new to the program this year and came in via the transfer portal. The Fighting Irish will need their QB to have a big season, and these WRs will play a big role in making that happen.
The WR battle will be fun to watch because there are more players competing for more spots compared to a position battle like QB. There is a lot to pay attention to, but it should be exciting for Notre Dame fans because they have some good talent at the position.
It's clear that the Fighting Irish have a lot of important transfers coming in this offseason, especially in the passing game. Getting Riley Leonard after losing Sam Hartman was huge, and the Fighting Irish are hoping that some of their transfer WRs can help him have a big year.
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