Notre Dame football will get its 2026 season underway later tonight, and with that time comes a game-by-game prediction of how the year will turn out.
The Irish are viewed as a team that has everything needed to win the College Football Playoff, and taking a loss along the way won’t necessarily knock them out of the field. That’s the big goal, but head coach Marcus Freeman knows you can’t look ahead and have to take it game-by-game.
There are more than a few tough challenges on the schedule, as Notre Dame will face three US LBM Coaches Poll preseason top-25 teams in Miami, BYU and SMU. Find out below my prediction for each game that the Irish play this season as it stands now.
Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin
Date: Sun., Sept. 6th at 6:30 p.m. CDT on NBC
Location: Lambeau Field
(Green Bay, Wisconsin)
The season opener is always an interesting game, as many teams are breaking in new players and are looking for cohesion with Notre Dame and Wisconsin being now different. These types of games typically come down to talent, depth, and coaching, and the Irish should have an advantage in all three of those areas.
Verdict: Win (1-0)
Notre Dame vs. Rice
Date: Sat., Sept. 12th at 2:30 p.m. CDT on NBC
Location: Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, Indiana)
Rice should pose much of a problem for Notre Dame, as they went 5-8 last year, with some pretty bad losses along the way. This one should be much of a contest, as the Owls are most likely just coming up North for a paycheck with no upset alert.
Verdict: Win (2-0)
Notre Dame vs. Michigan State
Date: Sat., Sept. 19th at 6:30 p.m. CDT on NBC
Location: Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, Indiana)
This game might be more of a problem than it looks like on paper, and that has a lot to do with the Spartans new head coach Pat Fitzgerald. He’s a very good one, and will surely scheme a good game plan. With that being said, the first year with a new program doesn’t always go the way you’d want it to and Notre Dame will be a tough challenge.
Verdict: Win (3-0)
Notre Dame at Purdue
Date: Sat., Sept. 26th at TBA on TBA
Location: Ross-Ade Stadium (West Lafayette, Indiana)
One of the worst teams in the Big Ten welcomes in one of the best teams in the country. While this is an in-state rivalry, it’s not really much of one. Notre Dame has won 10 games in-a-row, with its last loss back in 2007 to the Boilermakers. The streak most likely won’t end this season.
Verdict: Win (4-0)
Notre Dame at North Carolina
Date: Sat., Oct. 3rd at TBA on TBA
Location: Kenan Memorial Stadium (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Another game that might be tougher than once viewed, UNC head coach Bill Belichick is considered one of the best all-time coaches for a reason. His first year was pretty rocky, and there is some current drama surrounding to program, but that’s not something he hasn’t been through before. However, the Irish depth should win out in what should be an entertaining game.
Verdict: Win (5-0)
Notre Dame vs. Stanford
Date: Sat., Oct. 10th at 2:30 p.m. CDT on NBC
Location: Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, Indiana)
Not much to see here from Stanford, as the program still hasn’t been able to return to its competitive days of almost a decade ago. Sure, they have a win over the Irish in 2022, but that should be viewed as a fluky victory. Don’t expect another upset here.
Verdict: Win (6-0)
Notre Dame at BYU
Date: Sat., Oct. 17th at TBA on TBA
Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium (Provo, Utah)
The first real challenge that Notre Dame will have in 2026 is midway through the schedule which bodes well for the visitors. There is a good chance that BYU will also be undefeated entering this game, and should be a big victory for whoever comes out on top. Notre Dame should be that team.
Verdict: Win (7-0)
Notre Dame vs. Navy
Date: Sat., Oct. 31st at 11:00 a.m. CDT on TBA
Location: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Massachusetts)
Navy is always a tricky opponent for any team, as their offense is significantly different that what most run. There is one big advantage that Notre Dame has in this game, the familiarity with it. If this was a one-off, the worry-meter might be a bit higher, but the Irish haven’t have many recent issues with the Midshipmen.
Verdict: Win (8-0)
Notre Dame vs. Miami
Date: Sat., Nov. 7th at 6:30 p.m. CDT on NBC
Location: Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, Indiana)
Notre Dame has one thing in mind for this game, revenge, but not everyone has that in mind, just win. Miami has returned to national relevance with its College Football Playoff run of last year, similar to what the Irish did the season before. Many like them to make a return to compete for a title, and some even have the Hurricanes winning it. This will be a slugfest, as both these teams are built along the lines. Right now, it’s hard to say who wins, but I’ll take the Irish.
Verdict: Win (9-0)
Notre Dame vs. Boston College
Date: Sat., Nov. 14th at 2:30 p.m. CDT on NBC
Location: Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, Indiana)
The definition of a trap game, ranked opponents before and after Notre Dame hosts the Eagles. This one could be a depth game, and if that is the case, the Irish will have a distinct advantage. The physical nature of the week before could see Notre Dame a bit sluggish, but that shouldn’t matter in the end.
Verdict: Win (10-0)
Notre Dame vs. SMU
Date: Sat., Nov. 21st at 6:30 CDT
Location: Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, Indiana)
The Mustangs are a solid program, but not quite on the level that Notre Dame currently is at. It will be an interesting game, as the Mustangs have a team that beat Miami last year. Playing this game at home will be a big advantage for the Irish, as the juice of a primetime night game fuels them to victory.
Verdict: Win (11-0)
Notre Dame at Syracuse
Date: Sat., Nov. 28th at TBA on TBA
Location: JMA Wireless Dome (Syracuse, New York)
It would have been nice for Steve Angeli to finish his collegiate career in South Bend, but an injury pushed that back a season. Playing the Irish as his final regular season opponent will have to do, but it most likely won’t go his way on his sendoff. Notre Dame completes an undefeated season and a top seed in the CFP.
Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff prediction
If I am correct, Notre Dame will be the No. 1 seed as an undefeated campaign should put them there. With one-loss, the Irish will still be in the field, however it potentially would be without a first-round bye. Two losses throws a wrench into things, as we saw last year, it does mean Notre Dame will be included in the field. If both of them come against ranked team and the games are close, they’re probably in. Three losses put them out of the field, but that most likely won’t be the case for the Irish. Expect at worst a 10-2 season, but more likely 11-1 or undefeated. It’s going to be a fun year for Notre Dame.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Predicting Notre Dame football’s game-by-game record in 2026
