The Fix: 5 questions facing Notre Dame in 2014

The Fix is a look at major storylines following this year's top college contenders, and how teams will handle these challenges heading into the season.

Previous editions of The Fix:

Alabama | Florida State | Ohio State

Auburn | LSU | Oregon

Texas A&M | Florida | Michigan State

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish took a step back last season after making the national championship game following an undefeated regular season in 2012. With Brian Kelly calling the shots, the team will only ever have its sights set on returning to the title game, and things will be no different this season.

Here are five questions facing Notre Dame entering the 2014 season:

What is Everett Golson?

Notre Dame's quarterback play took a step backward in 2013, but with the return of Everett Golson, a boost should be expected under center.

The biggest edge Golson offers the Irish compared with what they got from Tommy Rees is his ability to gain yardage with his legs. Notre Dame is 22-3 when rushing for 150 yards or more under Kelly. The team's running back trio of Tarean Folston, Greg Bryant, and Cam McDaniel, will only be helped by the presence of a mobile quarterback, while Golson's ability to bring some consistency to the passing game will also help further that cause.

Can DaVaris Daniels take take the passing game to the next level?

As important as the team's ability to run the ball will be, an improvement in the passing game could be the difference between a good season and a great season.

The key to that will be whether or not junior wide receiver DaVaris Daniels is able to make strides in his development and establish himself as one of the better receivers in the nation.

Daniels was suspended in the offseason over an academic issue, causing him to miss some time in the spring, but he still very much has what it takes to excel at his position.

Can the defensive line cope with the losses of Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt?

The Irish defensive line took a big hit in the offseason, with defensive linemen Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt moving on to the pro ranks.

Nix did a great job of occupying space in the middle and occupying blockers, while Tuitt, along with linebacker Prince Shembo, accounted for 13 of the team's 21 sacks last season.

The team will count on defensive tackles Sheldon Day and Jarron Jones to plug things up in the middle, while Ishaq Williams, who came to South Bend as a highly touted recruit, will be looked upon to get to the quarterback from his outside linebacker spot.

How will they handle a difficult schedule?

The Irish's schedule features 10 teams that went bowling last season, and the team's slate of games grades out as the 10th-toughest in the nation.

Michigan has won four of the last five meetings between the teams. The game against North Carolina will be tricky as it comes sandwiched in between dates with Stanford and Florida State. The game against Arizona State comes in a tough spot as well as it will be the team's third consecutive road game. The finale against USC is sure to go down to the wire.

The team also goes more than a full calendar month without a home game, with three road dates scheduled between an Oct. 11 game against North Carolina and a Nov. 15 tilt with Northwestern.

Will the Orange Bowl be within reach?

The Irish don't have a direct tie-in to any bowl game, but they are eligible for any ACC bowl tie-in, assuming they finish with a record within one game of the team that would otherwise be eligible for that spot.

To get to the title game would almost certainly require an undefeated record, and with the likes of Michigan, Stanford, and Florida State on the schedule, that doesn't seem likely. With that said, achieving a record of 10-2 would all but surely be good enough to make Notre Dame eligible for the Orange Bowl, if of course, Florida State were to qualify for the College Football Playoff.