The Notre Dame Fighting Irish made it to the National Championship this past season in college football's first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. The Fighting Irish always felt they were at a disadvantage in college football because they aren't independent, and with the 4-team CFP, they struggled to get in unless they were undefeated.
Now with the 12-team playoff, Notre Dame has their best chances to make it into the CFP each season with a strong record. Even though Notre Dame made it to the championship this past season, some are saying they need to prove their worth and dominance yet again by making ti back again this season.
While this season may be a prove-it season for some people, Notre Dame doesn't have to prove anything to anyone, they just want to deal with their unfinished business from last season. The 2025 season will not be easy for the Fighting Irish this season with some heavy hitters on the schedule.
So, here is a game-by-game prediction of Notre Dame's 2025 "prove it" season.
At Miami (Sunday, August 31)
Notre Dame will open the season on the road against Miami in Week 0, and it will be the first of a tough schedule ahead of them. However, the Fighting Irish should be able to handle the Hurricanes, especially with Cam Ward now in the NFL. Notre Dame's quarterback questions will be answered a bit more after this first game, so while some things could be sloppy Notre Dame should walk away with the win.
Score prediction: Notre Dame 28 Miami 17
Bye Week
Vs. Texas A&M (Saturday, September 13)
Notre Dame will have a bit of a tougher opponent in Week 2 of the season as they welcome in Texas A&M in South Bend. The Aggies are yet again going to be a team in the mix for the College Football Playoff and won't be a team to back down very easily. The Aggies have a solid defense, and with the Fighting Irish most likely still working out their offense, that could cause problems. Notre Dame is known to drop a game early in the season, and this could be it, but at least it would be to an SEC team.
Score prediction: Texas A&M 24 Notre Dame 21
Vs. Purdue (Saturday, September 20)
After a potential loss to Texas A&M, Notre Dame is going to come out hot against Purdue, and the new Boilermakers head coach, Barry Odom, may not know what hit him. After a loss, the Fighting Irish are known to come back strong the following week, and with an opponent like Purdue that is still trying to fix a pretty broken program, Notre Dame should win this one pretty easily.
Score prediction: Purdue 10 Notre Dame 35
At Arkansas (Saturday, September 27)
Arkansas is set to be Notre Dame's second SEC opponent of the season, which looks good on the CFP resume. The Razorbacks brought back some solid players like quarterback Taylen Green, but it probably still won't be enough to get past the Fighting Irish. This may not be the cake walk win that they will probably have against Purdue, but it should still be comfortable enough.
Score prediction: Notre Dame 30 Arkansas 21
Vs. Boise State (Saturday, October 4)
Boise State will be one of two non-Power 4 conference teams that Notre Dame will play, but they are a top-rated non-Power 4 conference team. Boise State made it to the College Football Playoff last season along with Notre Dame, but with the departure of Ashton Jeanty, the Broncos aren't looking quite as scary this season. Notre Dame also doesn't have to worry about going and playing on the blue field either.
Score prediction: Boise State 14 Notre Dame 35
Vs. NC State (Saturday, October 11)
NC State is coming off a really tough season in 2024, and it is not looking like 2025 will be much better, so this should be a fairly easier game for Notre Dame. However, the Fighting Irish always seem to struggle against at least one team they should easily beat during the season. This one might be closer than some would like, but don't worry, Notre Dame shouldn't drop this one.
Score prediction: NC State 21 Notre Dame 28
Vs. USC (Saturday, October 18)
USC will be the second Big Ten team that Notre Dame will face this season, and it also could be the last in the coming years. As this rivalry has been one that has been talked about a lot in recent weeks, the Trojans are looking to back out of the matchup in the coming years. While USC struggled last season, they are looking to take a step forward this season, and this will be Notre Dame's toughest game before their bye week in a four-game stretch.
Score prediction: USC 28 Notre Dame 31
Bye Week
At Boston College (Saturday, November 1)
Boston College surprised a few teams last season under Bill O'Brien, winning seven games for the first time since 2018. The quarterback situation will be different for the Eagles this season, but Notre Dame still shouldn't have any issues with this team this season.
Score prediction: Notre Dame 38 Boston College 17
Vs. Navy (Saturday, November 8)
Navy is the second non-Power 4 conference team Notre Dame will face in 2025, and this rivalry is one that everyone loves to see. However, even though Navy is a serious threat in the American Athletic Conference this season, they aren't much different than the Navy team that Notre Dame beat by 37 last season.
Score prediction: Navy 13 Notre Dame 31
At Pittsburgh (Saturday, November 15)
Pittsburgh is looking like an improved team coming into the 2025 season, but that improvement may probably won't be enough to fully compete with the Fighting Irish this season. Notre Dame is coming back hungry this season and should be able to handle business in Pittsburgh.
Score prediction: Notre Dame 28 Pittsburgh 13
Vs. Syracuse (Saturday, November 22)
Syracuse always seems to be a sneaky team that will have some sort of big upset every other season. Fran Brown got this team to 10 wins last season, three of them against ranked opponents, and they have certainly built up in the transfer portal this offseason. This is a tricky one, as the Orange could play upset here, but Notre Dame should be able to squeak one out late in the season.
Score prediction: Syracuse 24 Notre Dame 28
At Stanford (Saturday, November 29)
Notre Dame should be able to finish the season pretty strongly against Stanford, which has struggled for quite a few seasons now. Even though Andrew Luck has taken over as the GM out in California, this program is still seriously struggling. Notre Dame should be heavily favored and win big to finish off the regular season.
Score prediction: Notre Dame 42 Stanford 7