Notre Dame's National Championship Checklist Has ONE Problem...

BTA Sports, Better for Bettors:​​ https://go.btasports.io/Tzu1/AtoZ Is Notre Dame football actually good enough to win a national championship? After three games of the 2026 season, we finally have enough evidence to start answering that question. Notre Dame is 3-0 after wins over Wisconsin, Rice and Michigan State, and Ryan Roberts is putting the Fighting Irish through a five-part national championship checklist to determine whether this roster has what it takes to make a deep College Football Playoff run. The checklist covers five critical areas: Quarterback play Offensive line Defensive line Defensive playmakers Turnovers and the ability to avoid beating yourself And through three games, Ryan believes Notre Dame has checked four of those five boxes. The first box is quarterback play, and CJ Carr has gotten off to an excellent start. Carr has thrown for more than 700 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions while completing more than 70% of his passes. Ryan believes the redshirt sophomore has taken a significant step forward and looks more confident, decisive and in control of the offense. Notre Dame also has established weapons around him. Jordan Faison has continued to produce, while Micah Gilbert is coming off a huge performance against Michigan State and has emerged as an important boundary receiver for the Fighting Irish. The second and third boxes focus on the trenches. Ryan believes Notre Dame's defensive line absolutely checks the championship box. Boubacar is one of the team's premier pass rushers, Bryce Young has taken a major step forward, and the defensive tackle room has continued to produce despite injuries. Tionne Gray and Francis Brewu have played at a high level, while Elijah Hughes and Armel Mukam have also provided encouraging depth. Ryan believes Notre Dame may have its deepest defensive line in a very long time. The offensive line is a different story. Ryan believes the unit has the potential to become very good, but it has not consistently played at a championship level yet. Anthonie Knapp has been strong at left guard and Ashton Craig has mostly been good at center, but the tackle positions have been inconsistent and the right guard spot remains a major question mark. That is the one box Ryan refuses to check right now. Notre Dame does, however, have the defensive playmakers needed to win big games. A safety has already forced a fumble and recorded an interception, Leonard Moore continues to make impact plays, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is getting healthier and more explosive, Drayk Bowen has a knack for finding the football, and Boubacar gives Notre Dame a difference-maker up front. The final box is turnovers. Notre Dame has done a good job protecting the football, with CJ Carr yet to throw an interception. Ryan also expects the Notre Dame defense to continue creating turnovers based on the playmakers it has across the defense. So that leaves Notre Dame at four out of five. Ryan believes the Fighting Irish can win a national championship. But the biggest question is whether the offensive line and running game can come together before Notre Dame reaches the most important part of the season. With BYU, Miami, SMU and a potential College Football Playoff run still ahead, Notre Dame has plenty of time to answer that question. Is Notre Dame a national championship team right now? Which boxes would YOU check? And what does Notre Dame need to improve before the playoff? Ryan Roberts breaks down the complete Notre Dame national championship checklist. Subscribe for Notre Dame Fighting Irish football news, game analysis, recruiting updates, transfer portal coverage, College Football Playoff discussion and year-round Notre Dame content. #NotreDame #NotreDameFootball #FightingIrish #GoIrish #CollegeFootball Make A to Z Sports your preferred source on Google: https://google.com/preferences/source?q=atozsports.com Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: https://atozsports.com/games For More Notre Dame coverage follow us here: https://atozsports.com/college-football/notre-dame-fighting-irish-news/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NotreDameFans4Life Twitter: https://x.com/AtoZSportsNFL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atozsportsnotredame/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notredame.atozsports 0:00 Is Notre Dame A National Championship Team? 0:45 The 5-Part Championship Checklist 2:19 CJ Carr Checks The First Box 3:28 Notre Dame's Offensive Weapons 4:55 Why CJ Carr Has Taken A Step Forward 6:00 Defensive Line Checks The Box 7:22 The Offensive Line Is Still A Question 8:39 Does Notre Dame Have Enough Defensive Playmakers? 9:55 Notre Dame Is Winning The Turnover Battle 10:53 4 Out Of 5 Boxes Checked 11:09 What Notre Dame Must Fix #notredame #notredamefightingirish #notredamefootball