Elite opponents like Miami and surging powerhouses SMU and BYU prove the Irish face a sneaky gauntlet that national analysts and preseason rankings are dangerously overlooking.
There's been a lot of talk this offseason about Notre Dame's schedule in 2026. We've seen major outlets like ESPN talk about the weakness of this team is their schedule. The makeup of their schedule this season has been a major talking point and one that's used to discredit what the Irish could potentially do this season.
When it comes to their schedule, we have to be willing to have an honest conversation about the opponents Notre Dame will face in 2026. Is this schedule a gauntlet? Absolutely not. As of right now, there's no comparing this schedule to what Georgia played in 2024 or what Ohio State is set to face in 2026. But this also isn't a 'cupcake' schedule like it's being made out to be. With that being said, when you break the schedule down, there's some things that have to workout in Notre Dame's favor.
First and foremost, you'll need the teams who are the perceived top teams to be top teams. Miami is the best team Notre Dame will face in 2026, and they'll need the Hurricanes to play to their potential. If they do, there's a good chance they could be undefeated when they make the trip to South Bend on November 7. They return one of the best rosters in the country and are the way-too-early favorites to win the ACC.
Their next toughest opponents are some combination of SMU, BYU and Navy. These three teams are the reason the Irish don't get any respect on their schedule, and the blame isn't to be put on these teams. Fans and analysts aren't willing to take a realistic look at the Mustangs, the Cougars or the Midshipmen so I'll gladly break things down on their behalf.
Let's start with SMU, a team that made the College Football Playoffs and played for the conference title in 2024. Last season, they went 9-4, which was underwhelming for them, but as things stand right now, they're the second favorite to win the ACC behind Miami. They return quarterback Kevin Jennings along with a lot of talent on the perimeter on both sides of the ball. In the last two seasons, head coach Rhett Lashlee has led the Mustangs to a 20-7 record.
Up next is the BYU Cougars, a team that also had a strong argument to be in the College Football Playoffs ahead of Alabama. Head coach Kalani Sitake has led them to a 23-4 record the last two seasons. The Cougars played for the conference title last season, finished with a 12-2 record and return a host of talent from that team. They've also finished as a Top 15 team the last two seasons which is more than Penn State, USC, Alabama, Miami, Clemson, Tennessee, Michigan and Iowa can say.
Then we come to the Navy Midshipmen. Yes, they're a G5 team and Notre Dame has won handily the last couple of seasons they've played. But don't let that distract you from the overall success they've had on the field. Navy has gone 21-5 over the last two seasons under head coach Brian Newberry which is a better two year stretch than other top G5 teams in the country including Tulane (20-8), Boise State (21-7), UNLV (21-7), San Diego State (12-13) and Memphis (19-7). Should the Midshipmen be viewed in the same light as playing Miami? No, but let's not act like they aren't a team that beat Oklahoma and Cincinnati in back to back postseasons.
Notre Dame will also need a team or two to make a surprise jump this upcoming season. Realistically, there's four candidates who could become a surprise six to eight win team this year. Wisconsin is heading into a crucial season under Luke Fickell but they made some really good portal pickups this offseason. Michigan State is under new management with Pat Fitzgerald taking over. Syracuse gets starting quarterback Steve Angeli back from injury and could surprise some folks and North Carolina is heading into year two of the Bill Belichick era.
Then, there's teams on Notre Dame's schedule who just, flat out, can't be terrible. Stanford is looking to be improved this season after making some necessary hires this offseason. Purdue is heading into year two of the Barry Odom era and should make a slight jump. I'm not saying they'll go 8-4 but they need to be better than 2-10. The outlook for Boston College and Rice looks rough, but if they can manage a half way decent season and not be 2-10 or 3-9 football teams, that also helps Notre Dame's overall resume.
Like I said, this isn't a gauntlet for Notre Dame this upcoming season. Personally, I don't have an issue with people claiming it isn't an insanely tough schedule, because it isn't. But we have to have an honest conversation around who the Irish face in 2026. When you dig deeper, and not just pay attention to the logos on the helmets and the names on the jerseys, it's okay to say that they play a quality schedule this fall.
-------
Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!