Notre Dame has lined up another Power 4 opponent, and this one brings a familiar old name back into the mix.
On Wednesday morning, Notre Dame and Nebraska announced a home-and-home series that will begin in 2032, putting two of college football’s most recognizable brands back on the field together after decades apart. The Irish will open the set in Lincoln, Neb., on October 30, 2032, before hosting the Huskers on October 29, 2033.
It also gives Notre Dame a shot at changing the recent trend in the matchup. The Irish have dropped the last three meetings with Nebraska, including a 40-6 loss in the 1973 Orange Bowl, a 27-24 defeat in South Bend in 2000, and a 27-10 loss in Lincoln the following year.
The series is notable not just for the names involved, but for what it says about Notre Dame’s place in the current scheduling debate. As the College Football Playoff era has gone on, the Irish have had a tougher time finding Power 4 teams willing to commit to games.
USC initially backed out of its rivalry with Notre Dame starting this year, though the schools eventually agreed to restart it later. Notre Dame also has a home-and-home with Texas scheduled for 2028 and 2029, even as there has been talk this year that the Longhorns might back away from that agreement.
Those concerns have been tied to the same broader argument from some SEC schools and others: that difficult non-conference games can hurt a team’s CFP chances if a loss comes in one of those matchups. But Texas coach Steve Sarkisian pushed back on that idea on Saturday after a win over Ohio State, saying scheduling top non-conference opponents can actually help by providing a tougher test.
There’s also a timing wrinkle here that makes Nebraska an especially clean fit. One of the complaints USC had about continuing the Notre Dame series was the timing of the games in the middle of the Big Ten schedule. The October dates in this new series avoid that issue, so Nebraska has no such concern.
In Other News...
Anthony Richardson's Colts Future Just Became A Real Midseason Watch
For now, the Colts are treating Anthony Richardson Sr. like a quarterback they still want in the building, even with the noise that has followed him around in recent months. According to ESPNs Jeremy Fowler, Indianapolis is not looking to move Richardson and has not been fielding trade calls, while the Giants have not even reached out about his availability.
Still, the broader picture has not gone away. The fact that a deal before the NFL deadline later this year remains possible keeps Richardson squarely in the middle of a midseason storyline, especially for a team trying to balance patience with urgency at the games most important position. For the Colts, this is less about chatter than about how long they can keep the conversation from turning into something more serious. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Came Uncomfortably Close To A Kicking Crisis Against Houston
Spencer Shraders afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium almost turned into a special-teams stress test before the Colts even kicked off against Houston. The kicker picked up a groin injury in warm-ups, then went on to handle the job anyway, making every field goal he tried and finishing the day with a game-winning 53-yarder that kept Indianapolis from having to sort out the chaos of an in-game replacement.
Still, the Colts had a plan ready if Shrader had been unable to go. Special teams coordinator Brian Mason said punter Rigoberto Sanchez would have taken over as the emergency kicker, a role he has handled before in college when he was responsible for all kicking duties. Indianapolis also had backup options lined up for snapping and holding, the kind of detail work teams usually hope stays invisible unless the situation turns uncomfortable fast. [Read more 🡒]
Laiatu Latus Slow Start Is Fueling A Painful Colts Fear
Laiatu Latu arrived in Indianapolis with the kind of first-round promise that usually changes the shape of a pass rush, and he gave the Colts enough of that impact as a rookie to leave real expectations for a second-year jump. Instead, through three games this season, the production has not moved forward the way the Colts hoped. His sack total and pressure numbers have both dipped from where they were before, and a chest contusion in Week 3 only added to the sense that the defender they are counting on has yet to find his stride.
For a Colts defense that has spent too much time searching for consistency up front, Latu's slump is more than a personal concern. Indianapolis needs him to look like the player who flashed last season, because the pass rush has not been reliable enough without that kind of edge threat carrying it. The worry now is not just about a slow start, but whether the team can afford to wait much longer for its top young rusher to rediscover the form that made him such an important part of the plan. [Read more 🡒]