The Case for and Against Notre Dame to Make a National Title Run in 2016

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.

Why the Irish Can Make a Run

First question: Malik Zaire or DeShone Kizer? Considering the talent of both players, there won't be a more important or discussed quarterback battle in all of college football this offseason.

Second question: Is there a wrong choice? Kizer assembled a tremendous unexpected season after stepping in for Zaire.

While there's no easy answer to either question, the competition isn't quite a parallel to 2015 Ohio State with Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Sanford is the primary reason why.

The Buckeyes' struggles last season certainly were the result of Tom Herman's departure to Houston, whose success certainly was a result of Herman's arrival. Similarly, Sanford had a tremendous effect on his team's offense. Ohio State can't say the same for Tim Beck and Ed Warinner.

Although play-calling duties are shared, Sanford's impact showed in Kizer's rapid progression. The redshirt freshman took Notre Dame to the brink of a College Football Playoff appearance.

We've seen the level at which Kizer is capable of playing, and that should only increase with another offseason. Plus, Zaire is expected to make a full recovery. The Irish have the ability to thrive under a top coordinator in Sanford.

And it helps to have a schedule in which most of the games considered the toughest are against programs replacing multiyear starting quarterbacks.

Date	Opponent	2015 Record	Location
Sept. 3	Texas	5-7	Austin, Texas
Sept. 10	Nevada	7-6	South Bend, Ind.
Sept. 17	Michigan State	12-2	South Bend, Ind.
Sept. 24	Duke	8-5	South Bend, Ind.
Oct. 1	Syracuse	4-8	East Rutherford, N.J.
Oct. 8	North Carolina State	7-6	Raleigh, N.C.
Oct. 15	Stanford	12-2	South Bend, Ind.
Oct. 29	Miami	8-5	South Bend, Ind.
Nov. 5	Navy	11-2	Jacksonville, Fla.
Nov. 12	Army	2-10	San Antonio, Texas
Nov. 19	Virginia Tech	7-6	South Bend, Ind.
Nov. 26	USC	8-6	Los Angeles, Calif.

Connor Cook (Michigan State), Kevin Hogan (Stanford) and Cody Kessler (USC) each exhausted their eligibility. Keenan Reynolds (Navy), Jacoby Brissett (North Carolina State) and Michael Brewer (Virginia Tech) did the same.

Additionally, Thomas Sirk (Duke) may miss the 2016 season after tearing his left Achilles. At this moment, Brad Kaaya (Miami) is the lone daunting matchup for the Notre Dame defense.

Once the campaign begins, we'll discover which quarterbacks replacing those starters are ready to succeed at a high level. For now, though, it's a matter of development—and keeping up with what Sanford has done for the Irish.

The Case Against Notre Dame

Although the feeling surrounding Notre Dame's quarterback dilemma is different than Ohio State, the numbers aren't. Zaire, like Jones, has less than a handful of games as a starter but excelled. Kizer, like Barrett, is the younger quarterback with more production.

In all likelihood, though, the Irish won't have a two-quarterback system or utilize special packages in the red zone. Kelly has never truly embraced that for an extended period of action. Tommy Rees and Everett Golson shared time in 2012, but Golson was the clear No. 1 guy.

So what happens at the first sign of trouble?

That won't necessarily be a product of offensive problems, either.

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

The defense lost six of its top eight tacklers, including potential first-round NFL draft pick Jaylon Smith (114) as well as fellow linebacker Joe Schmidt (78). Plus, the productive and disruptive tandem of Sheldon Day and Romeo Okwara is headed to the pros.

Consequently, the resurgence of Jarron Jones and development of the front seven is paramount to the defense's success in 2016. One player will not completely replace Day, nor will one seamlessly step in for Smith.

Notre Dame's attack must reload, too.

Along with three starters—Ronnie Stanley, Nick Martin and Steve Elmer—on the offensive line, premier vertical threat Will Fuller, Chris Brown and Amir Carlisle are all gone. JJ Stankevitz of CSN Chicago notes Fuller isn't worried about the transition on the outside.

However, Fuller, Brown, Carlisle and C.J. Prosise combined for 69.7, 74.9 and 80 percent of the team's receptions, yards and touchdowns, respectively.

Torii Hunter Jr., Corey Robinson, Equanimeous St. Brown and Tarean Folston, among others, have sizable shoes to fill and must consistently produce against top opponents. The Irish don't encounter any particularly brutal stretch, but they will challenge a handful of tough foes.

Michigan State and Duke travel to South Bend in September, followed by Stanford and Miami in October. Notre Dame hosts a potentially dangerous Virginia Tech offense on Nov. 19 before heading out to the Coliseum and closing the regular season vs. USC.

Even just one loss complicates the Irish's title hopes.

The College Football Playoff committee gives preference to programs that won a conference championship. That's simply a part of the protocol if an independent isn't "unequivocally one of the four best teams in the country."

Unless Notre Dame establishes itself as a clear-cut top-four squad in 2016—in other words, undefeated—the uphill battle may be too difficult for a promising Irish squad to climb.

All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.