Notre Dame opened the 2026 season with the kind of second-half surge that can make a preseason contender look every bit the part. The No. 4 Fighting Irish were tied to a 13-10 halftime lead against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, then blew the game open with a 28-3 edge after the break to roll to a 41-13 win.
That result gave Marcus Freeman’s team a clean start, but it also poured gasoline on the bigger conversation surrounding Notre Dame’s path this season. The Fighting Irish are set to face three ranked opponents: No.
14 BYU on the road, plus No. 7 Miami and No.
19 SMU at home.
That schedule has already dragged the college football playoff memorandum back into the spotlight. Under the agreement signed last spring, the conferences agreed to guarantee Notre Dame a future College Football Playoff berth as long as the Fighting Irish finish in the top 12 of the rankings in the 12-team format.
ESPN’s Paul Finebaum didn’t hold back after Notre Dame’s win, using “Get Up” to blast the arrangement and call it “idiocy.”
"They have about a 2.5-game schedule," Finebaum said. "If they go 10-2, thanks to the idiocy that I mentioned a minute ago, they are already in.
They're grandfathered in... I just can't believe playing this ACC schedule."
The only real way to settle that argument is on the field, and Notre Dame still has three ranked teams in front of it. Those matchups will be the clearest test of whether the Irish deserve the lofty preseason billing that came with them into September.
If Notre Dame handles those games, the noise around the schedule fades quickly because the résumé will speak for itself. If not, the playoff provision will become a much louder issue.
Either way, the Irish have already checked the first box by beating Wisconsin. Now comes the part that matters most: proving they can beat the best teams left on the slate.
Notre Dame returns to action Saturday against Rice at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
In Other News...
Kenny Minchey Just Changed How Notre Dame Fans See That QB Battle
Kenny Mincheys first start at Kentucky was the kind of debut that gets remembered, especially for Notre Dame fans who watched him leave with unfinished business. Against Youngstown State, the former Irish quarterback threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover, flashing the arm talent that made him a highly rated recruit in the first place. It also put him in rare company by matching a statistical benchmark not seen at Kentucky since Tim Couch nearly 30 years ago.
For Notre Dame, the performance inevitably reopens the conversation about what might have been, and what the quarterback picture looked like while Minchey was still in South Bend. He had limited playing time with the Irish before transferring, but now he has a start that gives his new program a clear jolt and gives his old one another reminder that quarterback evaluations rarely feel settled in the moment. Even one game can change the way a fan base remembers a battle, and this one certainly did. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Fans Have A Strong New CFP Argument Against Critics
Notre Dames path to the College Football Playoff is getting judged through the same old lens, but the broader scheduling picture around the sport suggests the criticism is not as simple as it sounds. The Irish are once again being framed by some as a team that cannot afford a loss because of its schedule, yet the comparison with Miami shows how selective that argument can be when other contenders also go through stretches with relatively few highly ranked opponents on the slate.
A closer look at Power 4 schedules only reinforces the point: plenty of conference teams line up against few preseason AP Top 25 opponents, and that is often the reality of playing inside a league schedule. For Notre Dame fans, it creates a stronger response to the familiar skepticism, because the issue is not whether the Irish are alone in avoiding elite matchups so much as whether their schedule is being held to a standard other contenders are not forced to meet. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Finally Has A Plan For Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa's Return
Notre Dame is finally moving toward getting Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa back on the field, with the linebacker expected to see limited snaps in the upcoming game against Rice. He has been out since last season because of an ACL tear, and Marcus Freeman said his practice volume has risen enough that he is trending toward being ready to play.
For a defense that has been waiting on his return, the key now is not just getting him back, but managing how quickly he is asked to do too much. The Irish plan is clearly cautious, with the staff aiming to bring him along gradually and let his role grow as he settles back in after a long absence. [Read more 🡒]