While there has been a lot of talk about how good the Notre Dame football team could be this year, few people are talking about the fact that the Fighting Irish might not need to go undefeated in order to make the playoffs.
Last year, there were real doubts whether Marcus Freeman and company would make the playoff field if they had even one loss. Part of that was the loss was to Northern Illinois. But the Irish also had an easy enough schedule that their season opener against Texas A&M was considered the biggest of the bunch.
Tough 2025 slate could send 10-2 Notre Dame into the College Football Playoff
This year, things are a bit different. The Notre Dame football schedule could be quite a bit more difficult. Analyst J.D. Pickell thinks the schedule is rough enough that it would be hard to keep the Blue and Gold out even if they go 10-2, as long as those two losses are to the right teams.
Notre Dame does not need to go 11-1 to make the playoff. This is not your dad's Notre Dame schedule (no disrespect to your father)https://t.co/Uz1ayBvlWY pic.twitter.com/IaN1RQCDXw
— J.D. PicKell (@jdpickell) July 23, 2025
"Notre Dame with this schedule does not need to go 11-1 to make the playoff, in my opinion," Pickell said on a recent episode of his podcast. "This is not your dad's Notre Dame schedule where they play a couple of cupcakes and play a couple of mid-ACC teams. I don't think it's crazy when you look at Notre Dame's schedule to assume they could play two to three college football playoff teams."
"Like Miami, I don't think it's crazy to say they'd make the playoff if that happens. A&M and or USC. Y'all, Boise State made the playoff last year. They have the best odds of any G5 team to win their conference."
"Even if you're not believing the A&M and USC hype. Boise State and Miami, those are two playoff teams potentially, right, with how wide open the ACC feels. So if Notre Dame goes 10-2. And they got two wins over playoff teams? Are they getting left out of the playoff? I don't think so. I think they're 10-2 with that kind of optics around it. I think holds up pretty well relative to a 10-2 Big Ten team."
With how tough the Notre Dame football schedule is off the bat, it has to be a bit of a relief that a loss, or even two won't knock them out of the playoffs, at least according to one top analyst. Others have been noticing the same thing.