Notre Dame’s 2026 schedule is loaded with land mines, but the outlook here still points toward a run at the College Football Playoff - and possibly something even cleaner than that. The Irish open the year later tonight, and the big picture is simple: they can survive a loss and still stay in the hunt, but the expectation is that Marcus Freeman’s team will keep stacking wins.
There are three preseason top-25 teams on the slate in Miami, BYU and SMU, which gives the schedule some real bite. Still, the prediction here is that Notre Dame has the talent, depth and coaching edge in enough spots to get through the year with one of the nation’s best records.
The first two games set up well for the Irish. Wisconsin comes to Lambeau Field on Sun., Sept. 6th at 6:30 p.m.
CDT on NBC, and while season openers can be messy, Notre Dame is projected to hold the edge in talent, depth and coaching. Rice follows on Sat., Sept. 12th at 2:30 p.m.
CDT on NBC at Notre Dame Stadium, and the Owls’ 5-8 season last year makes this look like a game where they’re mostly just collecting a paycheck.
Michigan State visits next on Sat., Sept. 19th at 6:30 p.m. CDT on NBC, and this one carries more danger than it might first appear.
New Spartans head coach Pat Fitzgerald is viewed as a strong scheme guy, but the first year in a new program can be rocky, and Notre Dame should still be a tough matchup. The same kind of confidence carries into the trip to Ross-Ade Stadium on Sat., Sept. 26th, where Purdue has won 10 straight for the Irish’s rival only in the sense that it is in-state; Notre Dame’s last loss in the series came in 2007, and that streak is expected to keep rolling.
The October stretch has a couple of games that could be trickier than they look. Notre Dame visits North Carolina on Sat., Oct. 3rd, and Bill Belichick’s presence makes the Tar Heels worth watching even with the program’s rocky first year and current drama.
The Irish depth is still expected to win out in what should be an entertaining game. Stanford comes to South Bend on Sat., Oct. 10th at 2:30 p.m.
CDT on NBC, and there isn’t much reason to expect an upset there despite Stanford’s 2022 win over Notre Dame, which is described here as a fluky one.
The first real test arrives on Sat., Oct. 17th at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, when Notre Dame plays BYU. That matchup is viewed as the team’s first true challenge of 2026, and there’s a good chance both teams are undefeated when they meet. Even so, the pick is Notre Dame.
Navy shows up on Sat., Oct. 31st at 11:00 a.m. CDT on TBA at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and as always, the Midshipmen’s unusual offense makes them a tricky opponent. The difference here is familiarity, which should help Notre Dame avoid the kind of trouble that can pop up in a one-off meeting.
Miami comes to South Bend on Sat., Nov. 7th at 6:30 p.m. CDT on NBC in what should be one of the year’s best games.
Notre Dame is looking for revenge, Miami is back in the national conversation after its own College Football Playoff run, and plenty of people think the Hurricanes can make another title push. The matchup is expected to be a slugfest, but the lean is toward the Irish.
Boston College follows on Sat., Nov. 14th at 2:30 p.m. CDT on NBC, and that has trap game written all over it with ranked opponents before and after.
Still, if this becomes a depth game, Notre Dame should have the advantage, even if the physical toll of the week before leaves the team a little sluggish. SMU comes to South Bend on Sat., Nov. 21st at 6:30 CDT, and the Mustangs are described as solid but not at Notre Dame’s level.
Their win over Miami last year matters, but the home-field edge and the primetime setting should tilt things the Irish’s way.
The regular season ends at Syracuse on Sat., Nov. 28th at TBA on TBA at JMA Wireless Dome, where Steve Angeli will be on the opposite sideline for his final regular-season game. A college finish in South Bend would have been nicer for him, but the prediction is that it won’t go his way. Notre Dame is projected to finish undefeated and grab a top seed in the CFP.
That forecast comes with a pretty clear bottom line: if Notre Dame runs the table, it should be the No. 1 seed. Even with one loss, the Irish would still be in the field, though maybe without the first-round bye.
Two losses would make things messy, but not fatal if both come against ranked teams and stay close. Three losses would knock them out.
The expectation here, though, is that Notre Dame lands somewhere between 10-2 and 11-1, with undefeated the strongest pick of all.
In Other News...
Notre Dames Next Opponent Just Lost Its Biggest Offensive Threat
Rices offense took a significant hit in Week 1, when running back Quinton Jackson suffered an injury during the game against Houston Christian and will be sidelined for an extended period. Head coach Scott Abell said the injury happened as Jackson scored his second touchdown, and it was the only injury Rice had coming out of the opener.
For Notre Dame, the timing matters. Jackson had been expected to be a centerpiece of the Rice attack after his breakout season in 2025, so his absence changes the look of an offense the Irish were already preparing to face. It leaves Rice with a major void to fill as it heads into the matchup, and one of the clearest threats Notre Dame had to account for is now off the board. [Read more 🡒]
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Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price gave Notre Dame fans plenty to dream about during their rookie summers, but the first official NFL depth charts offered a quick reminder of how steep the climb can be. Neither back is opening the season as a starter, with Love settling in as the second running back for the Arizona Cardinals and also appearing as the third kick returner, while Price sits behind George Holani on the Seattle Seahawks depth chart.
For Irish fans, the setup is familiar enough: the college pedigree is obvious, the professional pecking order is not. Loves placement may reflect the preseason ankle issue that slowed his push for a larger role, and Prices spot comes even after reports of a strong preseason showing, which only adds to the intrigue around how quickly both backs can force their way into bigger opportunities once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Freeman Sees A Chance To Change Notre Dame's Home Story
Notre Dame opened the season with a 41-13 win over Wisconsin in the Shamrock Series at Lambeau Field, a strong start for Marcus Freemans team before it turns home for the first time against Rice. Freeman spent part of the buildup to the home opener talking about what the opener said about his group, and the takeaway went beyond the final score. The Irish showed they could handle the stage, settle in and finish, which is the kind of early-season evidence coaches like to point to when they start judging a teams identity.
Freeman also made a point of discussing sophomore running back Nolan, whose work in the passing game added another layer to Notre Dames offense in Green Bay. His long touchdown stood out not just as a splash play, but as the payoff for embracing that role and sticking with it. As the Irish return to South Bend, that kind of versatility may matter as much as the result itself, especially if Freemans team is trying to turn an encouraging opener into a different kind of home story. [Read more 🡒]