Notre Dame has certainly raised expectations with its run to the national championship game. Marcus Freeman has changed the game in South Bend, and expectations for the 2025 season are sky high already. ESPN released its Way-Too-Early Top 25 for next season and the Irish will begin just below where they finished the 2024 season.

National champion Ohio State was a unanimous selection as No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 college football poll of the 2024 season, with Notre Dame finishing No. 2.

The two teams who meet for the college football national championship Monday night in Atlanta would not be in the playoffs if not for the expansion to 12 teams. Notre Dame, the No. 7 seed, plays No. 8 seed Ohio State at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, culminating the first year in which the playoffs were expanded from just four teams.