CBS Sports has placed Notre Dame football in the highest tier of its 2026 national championship contenders.
The outlet put together several tiers, starting with S and then going A-F, like school grades. It describes them thusly:
S: Legitimate national title favoriteA: Can win if things break rightB: Have big roster questions but are talented enoughC: Can win a playoff game or twoD: Could make the playoffF: Would be a surprise if they made the playoff
The Fighting Irish are in the S tier with Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, Texas, Indiana and Miami (FL).
That's the same order as the 2026 Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll.
Notre Dame has been considered to be a main contender for the championship this year, and it seems that CBS Sports agrees with that consensus.
NEW: College Football Playoff contenders by tier, via @chris_hummer
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) August 18, 2026
Full breakdown 🔗 https://t.co/5fXUoUyTEYpic.twitter.com/MRmzOzgxxA
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame is in CBS Sports' top tier for playoff contenders