Notre Dame is heading into Saturday night with the kind of betting line that tells you exactly what oddsmakers think of this matchup. The Irish open as massive favorites against Michigan State, and the expectation is not just a win, but a comfortable one.
That setup comes as Notre Dame renews one of college football’s most familiar rivalries for the 78th time. The Irish own a 47-29-1 lead in the series, and ESPN is giving Marcus Freeman’s team a 96% chance to make that edge even wider. Michigan State is 2-0, but both of those wins came against MAC opponents, and the Spartans’ 30-20 win over Toledo hasn’t exactly changed the conversation around this game.
FanDuel listed Notre Dame as a 29.5-point favorite when betting opened Saturday morning. The moneyline numbers are even more lopsided: Notre Dame is at -10,000, while Michigan State sits at +2200. That translates to just a 0.5% chance for the Spartans, and the total is set at 52.5.
Put simply, the market is expecting Notre Dame to control this one and keep Michigan State from doing much scoring at all.
The Irish have already shown two different versions of themselves this season. They started slowly in their opener, then found another gear against Wisconsin.
Against Rice, they were in command from the jump. Saturday offers another chance to see which version shows up, though Notre Dame has made clear it views Michigan State with plenty of respect.
CJ Carr watched Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney rip Wake Forest apart. The Irish QB would love to stay in the conversation for the Heisman while winning big and also keeping his team in the conversation for the national title.
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Notre Dame Keeps Rolling But One Irish Debate Just Got Louder
Notre Dames strong start kept rolling with a 27-10 win over Michigan State, pushing the Irish to 3-0 and giving them another solid overall performance to point to heading into the heart of the season. Micah Gilbert flashed as a real weapon in the passing game with eight catches for 170 yards, Nolan James Jr. added balance on the ground with 121 rushing yards and a touchdown, and linebacker Luke Talich continued to show up all over the field on defense.
Even so, the afternoon was not clean everywhere, and the parts that were less tidy may wind up drawing as much attention as the win itself. Aneyas Williams had a quiet day, while special teams left points and momentum on the table with a missed field goal and an unsuccessful fake punt, giving the Irish a few more issues to sort through even as the record keeps looking better. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Faces Its First Real Pressure Test Under The Lights
Notre Dames first real pressure point of the season arrives under the lights Saturday night, when Michigan State comes to Notre Dame Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. Both teams are unbeaten at 2-0, with the Irish rolling past Rice 52-0 and the Spartans following up a win over Eastern Michigan, setting up a matchup that should offer a much clearer read on where Marcus Freemans team stands early in the season.
The usual game-day details add to the significance of the night, from injury updates to the broadcast information and a weather forecast that could factor into the atmosphere. For Notre Dame, this is more than just another September tune-up, it is the kind of home spotlight game that can sharpen the conversation around a team trying to build on a dominant start while handling a more credible test. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Got An Early Answer On Its Offense
Saturdays win over Michigan State gave Notre Dame more than a solid early-season result. It also offered a much clearer look at what the Irish offense can be when it finds balance, with Micah Gilbert posting a career-high 170 receiving yards and Nolan James, Jr. setting a personal best with 121 on the ground. For a team trying to establish an identity, having a 100-yard receiver and a 100-yard rusher in the same game for the first time since 2020 is the kind of benchmark that stands out.
The 27-10 finish was backed by a defense that kept Michigan State under pressure all afternoon, finishing with four sacks and forcing multiple turnovers. Notre Dame still has plenty to sort out as the schedule moves on, but this was the sort of performance that can settle a locker room and sharpen the conversation around how the Irish want to play on offense going forward. [Read more 🡒]