The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are no longer being viewed as a feel-good playoff story. They are being viewed as a legitimate national championship threat. That is a massive shift for a program that spent years hearing questions about whether it could truly compete with the elite teams in college football. Under Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame has changed that perception. The Fighting Irish reached the national championship game during the 2024 season before falling to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Then in 2025, they narrowly missed another College Football Playoff appearance after finishing 10-2 and just outside the final field. Now, entering the 2026 season, expectations are even higher. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman during the Blue-Gold spring game. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Notre Dame returns the most production in college football at 72%, according to ESPN .…