The Notre Dame football team's 2026 hype has shifted into another gear now that its spring practice is over.
In fact, all college football teams have now finished their spring practice sessions, and that was the perfect time that USA Today put out its "re-ranked" Top 25. This ranking is essentially a re-ranking of what people thought about the teams before they got a look at them to see how some of those new pieces are meshing.
Notre Dame football earns No. 2 ranking as national title expectations rise
Notre Dame has long been thought of as a national title contender, and USA Today is among those who think the Fighting Irish can win it all. In fact, Paul Myerberg has Marcus Freeman and Co. coming out of the spring as the No. 2 team in the country. The only team ranked ahead of the Golden Domers on Myerberg's list is Ohio State.
Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas, Georgia, and Indiana round out of the top five of USA TODAY Sports' post-spring NCAA Re-Rank 1-138," Myerberg wrote. "The Buckeyes get the nod atop the Big Ten and Bowl Subdivision thanks to a ridiculous collection of offensive skill talent led by quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Indiana isn't far behind after adding TCU transfer Josh Hoover as the replacement for Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza."
Notre Dame football schedule could leave little room for error in 2026
This particular re-ranking also lays out why people don't believe the Irish schedule is very good at all. Notre Dame doesn't play a Top 75 team in this list until BYU on October 17:
- September 6 - Wisconsin (76)
- September 12 - Rice (100)
- September 19 - Michigan State (105)
- September 26 - Purdue (112)
- October 3 - North Carolina (86)
- October 10 - Stanford (106)
- October 17 - BYU (14)
- October 31 - Navy (46)
- November 7 - Miami (8)
- November 14 - Boston College (111)
- November 21 - SMU (25)
- November 28 - Syracuse (81)
Despite that rather weak schedule, it's clear the Notre Dame football hype is still very, very high. It just appears they'll need to go undefeated to get to the College Football Playoffs.
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