Forget Alabama, Notre Dame is the team you should bet on this season

I'm a diehard University of Michigan Wolverines fan, so it gives me no pleasure to write the words I’m about to put in my next sentence.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish present terrific value to win this year’s national championship.

Now that I’ve got the sting out of my mouth, let’s dive in. Notre Dame is currently +8,000 to hoist the crystal football at the end of the season, and that just hits me as too big a price, for several reasons.

Recent history is on Notre Dame's side

First of all, Notre Dame’s recent history alone is enough to put them in a contending role. The Fighting Irish have won 43 games over the past four years and have made the College Football Playoff twice during that stretch. There’s no shame in losing to Alabama and Clemson, as Notre Dame did in those appearances, and there’s a road back to that playoff that doesn’t seem to present many bumps.

Notre Dame's schedule is manageable

While this year’s schedule isn’t easy, there are also no major land mines. They’ll face Cincinnati and Wisconsin, and they’ll travel to Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Stanford. While those foes aren’t the types of filler teams many other programs will use to pad their stats and win totals, they’re also not Alabama or Clemson.

The Fighting Irish have few holes

Does Notre Dame have the team necessary to take advantage of that schedule? Wisconsin transfer Jack Coan will be the starting quarterback. Running backs Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree had success for Notre Dame a season ago and return for the Irish in 2021. Defensively, several starters return from a unit that dominated for parts of last season, including safety Kyle Hamilton and nose tackle Kurt Hinish.

Notre Dame presents excellent value

It’s not surprising that Alabama and Clemson are the two favorites to win the national championship. However, neither of those two squads presents any value. They’re +275 and +350, respectively, and I’m searching for a bit more bang for my buck. I think that exists with Notre Dame, and I wouldn’t be at all shocked if a deep run is in store for Brian Kelly & Co. this winter.