There’s been a lot of talk about Notre Dame football’s 2026 schedule and what it could mean for the Fighting Irish’s chances at a national title. However, the conversation has been almost entirely on one side of the aisle. The talk is that Marcus Freeman and Co. are at a disadvantage because they don’t have much margin for error. However, the schedule has one big benefit, especially in the first six games: unlike most other Power 4 College Football Playoff contenders, the Irish have a much longer runway before the schedule gets tougher.
The Golden Domers’ schedule isn’t quite as easy as some would have the public think. A slate with Miami, BYU and SMU all in the final six games is plenty rough. But it’s the toughest games at the end of the schedule that are quite a bit different from what the Irish have faced of late.
Consider the opening games of the last two seasons for Notre Dame. In 2024, they opened at College Station against Texas A&M. They won that hard-fought game, and most of the college football world pegged them as a national title contender right off the bat. They followed that win with an inexcusable loss to Northern Illinois and then spent the rest of the season convincing everyone they still belonged in the CFP discussion. They proved it by going all the way to the National Title, but it was still a rough start to the season.
2025 saw the Irish open with losses to Miami and Texas A&M. Freeman’s squad then won the next 10, but playing catch-up didn’t work, and they were snubbed, despite spending several weeks of the CFP Preview Show safely in.
Notre Dame football can use soft opening stretch to build depth for CFP run
This year, Notre Dame really has no excuse for starting anything other than 6-0. And while some will point out the Irish managed to find a way to lose to Northern Illinois, the situations were different. The team was coming off a big emotional win and entered what became a trap game in South Bend, as they expected to walk over the Huskies.
This year, CJ Carr, Aneyas Williams, and the rest won’t have to worry about a trap game. As long as they’re dialed in and ready to go, they should mow down their opponents. Even better, the team can run various rotations and get the bench plenty of action.
That will allow Notre Dame to keep the roster fresh and maybe even see contributors emerge from places they didn’t expect. Those contributors could make the difference later in the year against the Cougars, Hurricanes, and Mustangs.
Everyone believes Notre Dame will benefit from a less-than-impressive schedule if they take care of business, but most people who say that are only talking about winning a ton of games. It’s the intangibles of the way the 2026 slate is weighted that could, in the end, be a big reason why they’re contending for a title when the snow flies.
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