No. 3 Notre Dame heads to Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday looking every bit like a team built for a national title run, and Purdue is the next test on the schedule.
The Irish have already shown their range this season. They handled Big Ten opponents Wisconsin and Michigan State with only minor flaws, then had little trouble rolling past Rice.
Purdue, meanwhile, enters at 1-2 and has found ways to put points on the board. The problem is what comes next: Notre Dame brings a defense that has looked far more punishing than anything the Boilermakers have seen so far.
This will be the 90th meeting between the programs, and the Shillelagh Trophy is once again on the line.
Notre Dame-Purdue will stream nationally on Peacock in Week 4 of the 2026 college football season. The game will not air on NBC.
Paul Burmeister and Yogi Roth will be in the booth, with Caroline Pineda reporting from the sidelines. Streaming options include Peacock and FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
The game is set for Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, with kickoff at 2 p.m. ET from West Lafayette, Indiana.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, Sept. 25 have Notre Dame as a massive favorite. The prediction here: Notre Dame 59, Purdue 0. The expectation is another one-sided result, with the Irish defense capable of shutting Purdue down and turning this into another lopsided win, much like the blowout over Rice.
Over/Under: 58 1/2
In Other News...
Notre Dame Rolled Purdue But One Offensive Concern Still Lingers
Notre Dame took care of Purdue in convincing fashion, racing to a 35-0 halftime lead and turning what could have been a tricky in-state matchup into a comfortable blowout. CJ Carr did his part with three touchdown passes, and the offense had the kind of depth that showed up in the second half as well, with Noah Grubbs and Matt Jeffery each throwing their first career touchdown passes.
Still, the clean final score did not hide every issue for the Irish. The running game never really got rolling, and Carr had enough accuracy hiccups to leave a little room for concern even in a game that was never in doubt. For a team that wants to keep building momentum, those are the kinds of details that tend to matter once the competition gets sharper. [Read more 🡒]
North Carolina Fans Eye A Notre Dame Home Game Worth Planning For
Notre Dames 2026 trip to Chapel Hill already stands out on the calendar, and not just because it puts the Fighting Irish on the road against a North Carolina program trying to make the most of a marquee home date. The matchup is set for Oct. 3 at Kenan Stadium, and tickets are already on sale, with prices varying by seating. For fans on either side, it is the kind of game that can shape a fall trip plan well before the season even begins.
The broader schedule around it only adds to the intrigue, with both teams 2026 slates laid out and a mix of past results and upcoming matchups still waiting to be defined by the years progress. Most kickoff times remain to be determined, which leaves plenty of room for the buildup to that Saturday in Chapel Hill to grow. For North Carolina fans especially, this is one of those home dates that feels worth circling early, even if the bigger question of how both teams arrive there is still unwritten. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame's Defense Just Changed How The Rest Of The Schedule Feels
Notre Dames defense spent the first half against Purdue making the rest of the schedule look a lot different. The Irish shut out the Boilermakers over those first two quarters and kept them bottled up with a pass rush that came from everywhere, turning pressure into sacks and turnovers while the offense spent its time benefiting from short fields and momentum.
Bryce Young was at the center of it, finishing the half with two sacks and a forced fumble that was returned for a touchdown, and true freshman Joey OBrien added a sack of his own to the mix. Purdue managed only 78 passing yards and 12 rushing yards before halftime, the kind of total that suggests Notre Dames defense is not just playing well, but capable of making an opponents entire game plan collapse. [Read more 🡒]