Super Bowl champion head coach Jon Gruden believes the Fighting Irish have what it takes to win the national championship. Here's why.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have slowly climbed back up the rankings, and are now ranked #9 in the country in the college football playoff rankings after dismantling Pitt. Next up for the Irish is the Syracuse Orange in a game that will feel like a major disappointment if Notre Dame doesn’t win by a score of like 48-3 (or whatever).

Notre Dame (8-2) is favored by more than five touchdowns over Syracuse, which is the first of two 3-7 teams remaining on the Irish's schedule (which concludes Nov. 29 at Stanford).By winning out, Notre Dame should make the playoff and also would be a solid contender to play host to a first-round game for the second consecutive year as a top-eight team.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Malachi Fields (0) goes airborne while hauling in a pass while being covered by Pittsburgh Panthers defensive back Rashad Battle (15) during the first half at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on November 15, 2025. / Michael Longo / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hannah Hidalgo came to the rescue as she knocked down a game-winning shot in No. 24 Notre Dame's win over No. 11 USC on Friday night.

Quarterback CJ Carr has also emerged as one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the nation, completing 67% of his passes for 2,487 yards and 21 touchdowns. Next to Love, the star running back, the Notre Dame offense is incredibly potent and physical.

With Notre Dame having an extremely tough road to potentially host a College Football Playoff game this winter, it's almost certain this is the last time this group will play in Notre Dame Stadium together. Senior day is always a special day across all college campuses, but this one hits a little different this year for Notre Dame.

Pontiac Notre Dame entered the postseason ranked on the bubble in the final MLive Top 25. The final Division 5 AP rankings had Pontiac Notre Dame at No. 3 and Monroe Jefferson at No. 11. Opening kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 22 with a live TV broadcast on NFHS Network.