By Adrian Beecher
Notre Dame football has stumbled out of the gate in 2025. The Fighting Irish opened the season with a 27–24 road loss to Miami, then came back from a bye week only to fall at home to Texas A&M, 41–40. Two games, two losses, each decided by a single possession. It is the first time since 2022 that Notre Dame has started a season 0–2.
The results sting. The Irish are almost certain to fall out of the AP Top 25 entirely, and if they manage to hang on, it will likely be at No. 25. For a program that enters each season with College Football Playoff aspirations, the first two weeks have been a disappointment.
The Road Ahead
Notre Dame has ten games left on its 2025 schedule: Purdue, Arkansas, Boise State, NC State, USC, Boston College, Navy, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Stanford. None of these matchups are easy, but every single one of them is winnable.
Purdue, Boston College, Navy, and Stanford are the kinds of games the Irish expect to control. Boise State and Syracuse can challenge them, but Notre Dame has the talent edge. Arkansas on the road and NC State at home will be tough, while the annual rivalry with USC looms as the marquee test in South Bend. The opportunities are there if Notre Dame can play to its potential.
Why It Is Possible
The Irish are not being blown off the field. They have lost by a combined four points. That shows a team capable of competing with anyone but lacking the late-game execution needed to close out wins. Cleaning up turnovers, improving on third down, and finding consistency in the passing game could flip those close margins in their favor.
Notre Dame has the depth, experience, and leadership to respond. The roster is strong across both lines and features enough playmakers on offense to put up points against anyone on the schedule.
What They Can Still Achieve
The College Football Playoff remains a difficult goal, but it is not impossible. If Notre Dame wins out and finishes 10–2, the Irish will have momentum, a résumé of quality wins, and a chance to re-enter the top 10. In a season where chaos always unfolds across the Power Four conferences, an 10-2 Notre Dame team with a strong finish could find its way back into playoff contention.
Final Word
The Fighting Irish have no margin for error left. Another loss would remove any realistic chance at the playoff in my opinion. However, all ten remaining games are winnable, and Notre Dame still has time to change the narrative.
Hope is not gone. Notre Dame has stumbled before and fought back. This season can still become a story of redemption, and if the Irish finish 10–2, the College Football Playoff door won’t close in them just yet. The fight is alive in South Bend.
