The Notre Dame Fighting Irish almost never were - with a much more boring nickname being given to the famous football team at first.

The 12-team College Football Playoff has been fun to watch. It was fun listening to people try to work themselves into a lather over the teams that finished 13th and 14th. There have been a few blowouts, but also a few classic games that have left an indelible impact on the first hours of 2025. Here’s what I’m happiest about:

In this CFP, the Irish are winning over some people. Or maybe they're just benefitting from the distaste many feel for their opponents.

The Fighting Irish may not be able to beat Duke in Durham, but they can keep the score respectable even if Cooper Flagg stays hot, per Eric Rosales' college basketball betting picks.

First look at predictions and storylines in the national championship matchup for the College Football Playoff.

College Football Playoff national championship game picks, predictions, odds for Ohio State Buckeyes vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Who wins title?

Notre Dame (14-1) and Ohio State (13-2) will meet on Jan. 20 in Atlanta to claim the first championship of the 12-team CFP.

Christian Gray's fingers scraped the grass for an interception in the final seconds, which led to a go-ahead field goal and carried Notre Dame past Penn State on Friday in the first College Football Playoff semifinal.

Penn State fans watch Nittany Lions fall to Notre Dame in College Football Playoff semifinals 02:14 (KDKA) — Notre Dame advanced to the championship game of the College Football

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are headed to the national championship game for the first time since 2013. Here's what the world looked like the last time they were in the title game.