The Notre Dame Fighting Irish were one victory away from presenting their case as a contender for the national title last year, and they return the talent to snag that final necessary win in 2016.
However, Brian Kelly's team might be eliminated from the conversation well before the closing weeks of the upcoming campaign.
Though injuries significantly impacted Notre Dame's 2015 season, those cannot be projected with any shred of certainty. So factors like that do not affect either the case for or against the Irish.
Rather, the conversation focuses on players, coaches and already-known external forces—most notably, the schedule.