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Chaotic. Turbulent. Heartbreaking. All fitting descriptors for Notre Dame’s 2025 season. The campaign began with two close losses to College Football Playoff teams Miami and Texas A&M. From there, the Irish fired away ten consecutive wins. The issue? The Irish’s surge never earned its ultimate reward. The College Football Playoff Committee surprisingly left the red-hot Irish out. Unfinished business is now the name of the game for Freeman and company come 2026.

Notre Dame jumps into the new season with a clash against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field on Sept. 6. Although Wisconsin finished just 5-8 in 2025, the Badgers had an unforgiving schedule. Luke Fickell’s team faced seven ranked opponents. Combine Wisconsin’s big-game experience, Lambeau’s atmosphere and Fickell’s familiarity with Freeman from their Cincinnati days, and the opener is anyone’s ballgame.

In the weeks thereafter, the Irish enjoy a two-game homestand against Rice and Michigan State. Rice’s 5-8 record in 2025 was marred by defensive struggles. Michigan State arrives in South Bend for the first time in a decade amid a rebuild. After a mix of controversy and poor play under recent regimes, the Spartans are now led by longtime Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald.

The Irish will then hit the road, paying visits to Purdue and North Carolina. While the Freeman-Belichick matchup will dominate headlines, Purdue is always eager for a chance to upset their in-state foe.

Only three more games are definitively signed-off on the calendar: Navy on Oct. 31 at Gillette Stadium, Miami on Nov. 7 and Boston College on Nov. 21. The Miami matchup is the pinnacle of Notre Dame’s season. Since their bitter 27-24 loss to the Hurricanes on the road, the Irish have had this date circled on the calendar. Containing star wideout Malachi Toney will be a major challenge, but the Irish secondary will be champing at the bit to do just that.

Notre Dame’s schedule also includes home contests against SMU and Stanford and road matchups at Syracuse and BYU, though dates for those games are currently undetermined.

SMU poses a tough game. After reaching the College Football Playoff in 2024, the Mustangs followed up with a 9-4 record in 2025, highlighted by a 26-20 overtime triumph over Miami. Head coach Rhett Lashlee has shown he can win high-profile games, and a win against Notre Dame would be his biggest one yet.

However, the Irish’s toughest test outside of Miami comes against BYU. The Cougars were one game away from the College Football Playoff last season. They return physical quarterback Bear Bachmeier and, perhaps most importantly, head coach Kalani Sitake, who stayed in Provo despite strong interest from Penn State. If any duo has the potential to stun the Irish, it’s Bachmeier and Sitake.

For Notre Dame to overcome these hurdles, it must lean on Heisman-hopeful quarterback CJ Carr. In his breakout freshman year, Carr finished top ten nationally in quarterback ratings and showcased elite poise. Carr’s biggest adjustment will be navigating life without the nation’s best backfield.

Sophomore running back Aneyas Williams will have to step up to the plate to fill Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price’s void. If his flashes of potential against Navy and Stanford are any indication, he certainly has the ability. Williams’ elite breakaway speed, paired with his stocky frame, makes him difficult to bring down.

The receiving corps also brings forth star power. Despite returning only one 100-plus-yard receiver in Jordan Faison, who recorded a team-high 640 in his stellar junior season, the Irish have done wonders in the portal.

Freeman picked up former Ohio State five-star receivers Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham. Alongside a returning Jaden Greathouse, the Irish offense looks potent.

Defensively, Notre Dame returns captain Adon Shuler. He will anchor a secondary that rivals the best in the nation. Up front, the pass rush will be in good shape if Boubacar Traore can expand upon his team-leading 7.5 sacks in 2025.

In total, Notre Dame is a combined 306-116-7 against its 2026 opponents. On paper, the Irish should successfully find themselves positioned inside the top 12 by the end of the season. But, as Irish faithful learned by the end of the 2025 season, anything can happen in college football.