When the AP college football preseason rankings were first released, Notre Dame was projected to be the seventh-best team in the nation. Since then, the Fighting Irish have slipped to No. 11, carrying a 4-1 record, but the latest projections anticipate Notre Dame making it to the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Two ESPN college football analysts, Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach, weighed in with their playoff picks, which included predictions for the quarterfinals, semifinals, national title game, and the entire bowl season. Bonagura projected a first round matchup between the No. 11-ranked Fighting Irish and Oregon, while Schlabach predicted a showdown with Georgia.
Both analysts expect Notre Dame to become the No. 12 seed and to lose in the first round. Bonagura’s scenario has Oregon advancing to face either BYU, while Schlabach picked Iowa State in the following round.
Both analysts agreed that Oregon will ultimately fall to Texas in the semifinals, setting up the Longhorns for a national championship matchup against Ohio State . The CFP National Championship game is scheduled for Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The early forecasts highlight the long road ahead for the Fighting Irish, who want to secure a playoff spot after a surprising Week 2 loss to unranked Northern Illinois . Then ranked No. 5 at the time, Notre Dame was upset 16-14, managing just 288 yards of offense compared to Northern Illinois’ 388.
The turnover difference was vital for the game's outcome. The Fighting Irish committed two, while the Huskies played a clean game with zero turnovers. Since the loss, head coach Marcus Freeman has lit a fire in his squad to bounce back fast. They responded with three dominant wins in a row, beginning with an offensive explosion in a 66-7 victory over Purdue.
Their defense was the star in the following 28-3 win over Miami of Ohio. They allowed just 229 yards, forced two turnovers, and stopped the Redhawks from converting on third down on ten out of their 12 attempts.
In their most recent outing, the Fighting Irish beat Louisville 31-24, marking their second win against a ranked opponent. But their redshirt freshman pass rusher and sack leader Boubacar Traore suffered a season-ending left knee injury, adding a challenge for the rest of the year.
The team's remaining schedule does not include any ranked opponents at the time of writing, but it still offers potential challenges. The Fighting Irish are set to face off against Georgia Tech, Navy, Florida State, Virginia, Army, and USC. The games against Georgia Tech, Navy, and Army will be played at neutral sites. All but two of the remaining games still need to be scheduled to be broadcast on cable TV, as the last regular-season matchup against USC is listed as to be determined.
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