SOUTH BEND — Will Notre Dame football's defense be dominant enough to pave the way to and through the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024?

Can the Irish offense under the presumed direction of transfer quarterback Riley Leonard look like "polished glass?"

Will the special teams be, well, special?

South Bend Tribune Notre Dame football beat writers Tom Noie and Mike Berardino, along with WNDU sports director Jackson Neill, breakdown those questions and many more in this season's first Pod of Gold podcast of the 2024 season

This week's show was recorded in the studios of news gathering partner WNDU.