Notre Dame hype heading into the fall is about as big as it’s been since the last time the school won a national title. However, as spring turns to summer, more analysts seem to think the pressure and expectations could be too much for Marcus Freeman and Co.
CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson recently put together a list of “College football storylines, predictions, names to know heading into 2026 season.” While the report believes there’s plenty of reason to buy into the Fighting Irish as one of the best teams in the country, he believes there’s a thin line between success and failure.
“The Fighting Irish will almost certainly begin the season as a top 10 team in college football, marking the sixth time in the last seven seasons that the program has started the year inside the top 10 of the AP Top 25 poll,” Patterson wrote. “But this season is different because expectations for how Notre Dame stacks up against its competition on the schedule and in the sport are as high as they have been in 20 years.”
“Marcus Freeman has built a modern power in South Bend, and while the scars of last season's College Football Playoff snub will be a narrative through the year, it will only add to the pressure for the 2026 team to be in the mix for a national championship.”
Marcus Freeman has Notre Dame football facing huge hype with almost no playoff cushion
Patterson went on to say that one of the things that stands out among the expectations for Notre Dame is just how slim the margin for error is. The schedule isn't tough; that’s been pointed out before. Patterson thinks one of the most interesting aspects of the Irish team’s schedule is how it handles it. Should they somehow lose to someone like BYU or, of course, Miami, there aren’t any other games on the schedule like USC or even a ranked Pitt that can get them back on track.
To some degree, the lack of a margin for error is staging a repeat performance. The Golden Domers are currently on a 10-game win streak, but after losing the first two games of 2025, they missed the College Football Playoff. At least last year, they still had a chance (and should have gotten in) right up until Selection Sunday.
If Notre Dame loses its first two games of 2026, it won’t matter if they win the next 10. Considering one of those losses will be to a Wisconsin squad that is just trying to get back to a bowl, starting 0-1 might even end their season prematurely.
Of course, it’s also worth noting that Patterson has the Irish listed not once, not twice, but three times in his list of the top non-conference games of the season. He even oddly includes Wisconsin’s game as one of them. Their contests against Miami and BYU also grade highly. In other words, should Marcus Freeman’s crew go 3-0 in those games, they’ll almost certainly go 12-0 and be a shoo-in not just for the CFP but also for Notre Dame’s best chance at a national title since 1998.
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