Notre Dame hasn’t had to navigate much of a nail-biter yet, and Saturday’s meeting with Purdue looks set up the same way on paper. The Irish have spent the season rolling through opponents, and the betting market still sees this one as a mismatch, even with Purdue bringing an offense that has shown it can move the ball.
As of Saturday morning, Notre Dame is a 27.5-point favorite at DraftKings, with the total sitting at 57.5 points. That number has held steady all week, and it leaves little doubt about what oddsmakers expect: a Notre Dame win, and likely a comfortable one.
Purdue’s offense has done enough to keep games interesting. The Boilermakers scored 44 against Indiana State, then got dragged into a 38-36 shootout with Wake Forest before falling 52-38 to UCLA in their Big Ten opener. Those numbers suggest Barry Odom’s team can find the end zone, even if the defense has been a different story.
That’s where Notre Dame enters with a real edge. Chris Ash’s defense hasn’t allowed more than 13 points in any game, and that 13-point outing came in the opener.
Since then, the unit has looked sharper and more settled. Yes, the Irish have also benefited from the level of competition, but Wisconsin and Michigan State were still more talented than Purdue on both sides of the ball.
The kickoff is set for 2 pm on Peacock, and the Irish are still staring at a nearly four-touchdown spread. There’s even a path where this turns into a stage-setting afternoon for CJ Carr, with the possibility that he breaks into the Heisman conversation if Notre Dame puts up the kind of scoring burst this matchup suggests.
The pressure, though, is on Notre Dame to keep stacking convincing wins. With conference play starting around the country, the College Football Playoff picture is tightening, and margin matters. Purdue, meanwhile, gets the freedom of a non-conference game with no bearing on its Big Ten standing.
The spread may be a little rich given that Purdue can score, but the Boilermakers’ best chance to cover might be the ugliest one for Notre Dame: a game that gets out of hand early, followed by reserves on defense giving up some late points.
In Other News...
Lincoln Riley Is Taking Heat While Notre Dame Gets More Good News
While USC coach Lincoln Riley was drawing criticism for his remarks after linebacker Desman Stephens II was ejected for targeting against Oregon, Notre Dame had a different kind of Sunday mood around its program. The Irish also picked up a pair of encouraging notes from their own side, with Jeremiyah Love and Joey OBrien both turning in performances that added to the positive buzz around the team.
Rileys explanation for keeping Stephens on the sideline after the ejection, and his claim that he did not see the celebrations, only added to the noise around USCs loss and the way it was handled. Notre Dame, meanwhile, kept its focus on the field and on a stretch of good news that extended beyond its own roster, with Purdue coach Barry Odom also weighing in after the Irish game. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Lost A Transfer WR In The Most Frustrating Way
Quincy Porters time at Notre Dame has hit an especially cruel snag before it ever had a chance to get started. Marcus Freeman said the transfer wide receiver will undergo season-ending patella surgery later this week, officially shutting down a 2026 campaign in which Porter never got to take a single snap for the Irish after coming over from Ohio State.
Porter had already been battling injury issues that kept pushing back his return, and the timing makes the setback sting even more. Under recent NCAA eligibility rule changes, he also cannot redshirt this season, which means 2025 is effectively gone from a roster-building standpoint and leaves Notre Dame waiting to see what comes next for a player who was supposed to add depth to the receiver room. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Got The Early Break Purdue Couldnt Recover From
Barry Odom had plenty to sort through after Purdues 49-10 loss to Notre Dame, but the Boilermakers defense drew the sharpest criticism. The first-year head coach pointed to several calls he believed hurt his team early, and the Irish took advantage as the game quickly slipped out of hand. Purdue also put itself in a difficult spot with a fake punt attempt that came close to working before turning into another swing moment for Notre Dame.
For a team trying to steady itself against FBS competition, the concern is less about one bad night than the trend it now sits in. Purdue has lost three straight games to FBS opponents, and the margins have grown each time, which only adds to the pressure to clean up the defense and avoid giving away momentum so early. [Read more 🡒]