It's game week. College football returns all across the nation after Week 0 gave fans a taste of meaningful football for the first time since January.

A new season means new hopes for the teams around the Chicago area, which include Notre Dame, Illinois, Northwestern and Northern Illinois. That hope means a chance to make the College Football Playoff.

Here's why each local college football program can – and can't – make the College Football Playoff this year.

Notre Dame

Why They Can:

Simple enough: The Irish were runners-up in the CFP last season. They return 18 players that started on the 2024 team, and added portal players who started at other Power 4 programs on top of that.

This doesn't even touch on the list of players – Bryce Young, Adon Shuler, Leonard Moore, Drayk Bowen, Jade

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