Seven months after the confetti fell on national champion Alabama, a new college football season is nearly here. As part of Sports Illustrated's 2021 preview content, we're rolling out scouting reports for all of SI's preseason top 25 teams, featuring all the names, storylines and big games you need to know. Starting with No. 25 Nevada and running through No. 1 Alabama, we'll be featuring five teams per day from Monday through Friday.
It’s beginning to look like a time of transition for Brian Kelly’s fighting Irish. For the second time in three years, Notre Dame maneuvered itself into the College Football Playoff, overcoming a thrashing by Clemson in the ACC championship game with some early-season dominance.