Notre Dame Could Be the New Michigan (Without the Jim Harbaugh Energy)

Could Notre Dame make the jump into a new level and turn into a true national title contender like Michigan did under Jim Harbaugh?

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates during the trophy presentation after the 34-13 win over Washington at the national championship game at NRG Stadium in Houston on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK

Before we get started, for the record …

1) I’m a card-carrying Jim Harbaugh apologist. Let’s talk if there are any real world laws allegedly being broken.

2) I have too many dear, dear friends with University of Michigan ties. I find them all annoying.

3) You still have to block and tackle.

So with all of that said, when I suggest that Notre Dame could be the next Michigan, let's just say I am well aware that Michigan’s move from meh to magnificent required a whole slew of things to get there.

Beyond everything that's being alleged and dealt with by the NCAA, really, how did Michigan become a national championship-level superpower?

Everyone forgets now how the Wolverines were floundering after going 2-4 in 2020. Harbaugh was on a flaming hot seat, he couldn’t beat a top team, the program had lost eight straight to Ohio State, and then it all kicked in.

It started with the offensive line.

Lost in a throwaway 27-17 loss to Penn State to end that 2020 season was the way the Wolverine offensive line all of a sudden looked different in the second half. It was if to say “2021 starts here,” and that front five bashed away.

And that’s where Notre Dame has one of the keys in place - the infrastructure.

The loss of rising star OT Charles Jagusah to a knee injury put a dent in that, but the Irish have the lines on both sides to hold up. They might not be where Michigan was when it started the great three year run, but they’re not terribly far off.

Michigan found a quarterback

Wilton Speight, John O’Korn, Shea Patterson, Joe Milton, Cade McNamara. Milton might be an NFL talent, but Michigan didn’t have college quarterbacks like Ohio State did. JJ McCarthy settled into the job, and then the O took off.

If he’s healthy, Riley Leonard has the potential to be the most talented quarterback Notre Dame has had since … Brady Quinn? The hype might be a tad bit more than the reality, but at least Leonard has a big upside to take the position up a few notches. (There was chatter of first round NFL Draft pick upside going into last year at Duke, but he got hurt.)

Michigan crushed everyone on the ground

That's where the offensive line steps in. The Michigan front five became a killer, and and backs Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards, and Hassan Haskins put up obscene numbers.

Notre Dame has become a bit of an under-the-radar running back factory. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are about to combine for a very, very big season for the Notre Dame ground attack.

The Michigan defense dominated in the back seven

No, Notre Dame doesn’t have the tackles Michigan had over the last three seasons, but the defensive front is more than fine. The Irish linebackers and secondary, though, have the talent to hang with the elite.

And more than anything else …

Jim Harbaugh on Michigan’s notice of allegations:

“No one’s perfect. If you stumble, you apologize and make it right. Today, I do not apologize.”

(via @chargers) pic.twitter.com/IIT35We3so

— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) August 5, 2024

Schedule, schedule, SCHEDULE

Yeah, Michigan beat up and beat down Ohio State over the last three seasons, and it took out Penn State three years in a row, but …

East Carolina, UNLV, Bowling Green, Colorado State, Hawaii, UConn, Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, and a Washington team that went 4-8 in 2021. Those are the nine non-conference games for Michigan over the last three seasons.

The program rose up and rocked most of the time when it had to, but the three Big Ten championships were against two limited Iowa teams and Purdue. It got roasted by Georgia in the 2021 season’s CFP, gagged against TCU the next year, and then got it done in 2023.

Notre Dame doesn’t play non-conference games - obviously - but at Texas A&M, Florida State, at USC. That’s really about it this season. Don’t biff this year against Louisville, and that’s essentially it for Notre Dame’s schedule.

Does it all seem far-fetched? Is it a huge stretch to think Notre Dame really might be ready to take that giant leap up and be as special as Michigan was?

Washington was able to play for the national title last year. TCU did it in 2022. LSU ripped through everyone in 2019. Notre Dame has the pieces in place to set the bar just that high.

It doesn’t have Jim Harbaugh, but it has just about everything else.

Notre Dame Football Schedule 2024: 5 Things to Know About Florida State, November 9

Notre Dame Football Loses Top Recruit to Michigan. What Does It Mean For The Irish