The Notre Dame Fighting Irish looked like they were going to be in position to make the inaugural College Football Playoff halfway through the 2014season, but the Irish lost five of their last six games. They did manage to end their season on a high note, beating LSU in the Music City Bowl, and they're hoping to carry that momentum into next season.
Here are three reasons why Notre Dame will make the College Football Playoff this season:
1) Malik Zaire's upside
Everett Golson will be playing his final year of eligibility at Florida State, meaning Malik Zaire will be taking over the starting quarterback role.