As we reach the halfway point in the college football regular season after another wild Saturday, about the only thing we can say definitively is that this season is wide open. 6 ranked teams went down on Saturday, and we were just a few other near-misses away from complete chaos. The wildness and unpredictability weren’t just reserved for Saturday either, as on Sunday Penn State announced that the school had fired head coach James Franklin after 11 seasons despite playing in the national semifinal last year. Apparently, Penn State could live with losing to the good teams for a decade, but back-to-back losses to UCLA and Northwestern were a bridge too far.
Notre Dame Opponent Overall Record: 44-28
Let’s take a look at the Week 7 action for Notre Dame opponents.
#2 MIAMI HURRICANES
Record: 5-0
Week 7 Result: Bye
Recap: The Hurricanes were off after the emotional victory over Florida State and host an intriguing Louisville team on Friday Night in Miami.
#4 TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Record: 6-0
Week 7 Result: Won 34-17 vs. Florida
Recap: Texas A&M stayed undefeated with a convincing win over a Florida team that was fresh off a victory over Texas. After the teams were tied 14-14 at the end of the first quarter, the Aggies outscored the Gators 20-3 the rest of the way with QB Marcel Reed accounting for 271 total yards and 2 touchdowns and RB Reuben Owens II pacing an Aggie backfield that saw 4 players rush for at least 25 yards. Texas A&M also made Florida one-dimensional, as the Gators rushed for just 74 yards, a big reason they went just 1-11 on third and fourth downs. Texas A&M travels to Arkansas next week before a massive road trip to Baton Rouge.
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
Record: 2-4
Week 7 Result: Lost 27-20 at Minnesota
Recap: Purdue lost its fourth consecutive game, dropping a close one at Minnesota. After the Boilermakers kicked a field goal to take a 20-13 lead with 8:20 left in the third quarter, their remaining offensive possessions went like this: punt, missed field goal, interception (returned for the game-winning TD), turnover on downs (at the Minnesota 7-yard line), and fumble. The Boilermakers needed 42 passes to throw for just 203 yards and were unable to overcome 4 turnovers in a game they outgained Minesota by 194 total yards and gave up just 30 yards rushing. The Boilermakers head to Chicago to take on Northwestern next weekend.
ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS
Record: 2-4
Week 7 Result: Lost 34-31 at #12 Tennessee
Recap: In the first game of the most recent Bobby Petrino era in Fayetteville, the Razorbacks nearly notched a huge comeback victory after back-to-back touchdown drives in the fourth quarter turned a 34-17 game into a 34-31 nail biter. But, as has often been the case this season, the defense was unable to get a stop when needed, allowing Tennessee to run out the clock. In an evenly-matched game in which both teams were just under 500 yards of offense, the difference in the game was turnovers, with Arkansas’ 3 lost fumbles being too much to overcome. The Razorbacks now rank 120th in the nation in turnover margin and 128th in fumbles lost. If Petrino can get his team to take care of the football, the Hogs have the talent to pull some upsets, starting with next weekend’s visit from #4 Texas A&M.
BOISE STATE BRONCOS
Record: 4-2
Week 7 Result: Won 41-25 vs. New Mexico
Recap: The Broncos got back in the win column with a 41-25 win over a solid New Mexico team. After last week’s 4 interceptions in South Bend, QB Maddux Madsen was efficient, throwing for 226 yards, 2 touchdowns, and zero turnovers. RB Dylan Riley racked up 101 yards on the ground and RB Sire Gaines chipped in 2 touchdowns. There’s still plenty to fix, though, as Boise State averaged just 3.1 yards rushing and led just 20-17 heading into the fourth quarter. A visit from undefeated UNLV is next for the Broncos as they attempt to hang in the race for the Group of Five’s CFP bid.
SOUTHERN CAL TROJANS
Record: 5-1
Week 7 Result: Won 31-13 vs. #15 Michigan
Recap: USC rebounded from the last-second loss at Illinois with a comfortable win over an overrated Michigan team. Freshman walk-on RB King Miller led the Trojan rushing attack with 158 yards and a touchdown, QB Jayden Maiava threw for 265 yards and 2 scores, and the Trojan defense held a Michigan team that prides itself on physicality to just 3.5 yards per rush and a 2-11 mark on third and fourth down. That defensive performance will be necessary Saturday night in South Bend, as the Trojans have struggled to slow down Notre Dame the past 2 seasons, giving up 48 points in 2023 and 49 points in 2024 to the Irish.
BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES
Record: 1-5
Week 7 Result: Lost 41-10 vs. Clemson
Recap: The season has gone off the rails in Chestnut Hill, and only a Week 1 victory over a bad FCS team has kept the Eagles from being winless. Clemson outgained Boston College 504-221 on Saturday as the Tigers rolled up 28 first downs and possessed the ball for over 37 minutes. About the only bright spot for the Eagles were that they forced 3 Clemson turnovers. Next week’s game against UConn looks like Bill O’Brien’s best remaining opportunity to get a win over an FBS team, and O’Brien’s job security will be worth monitoring as the season goes on. Expectations may be measured for Boston College, but this program still views itself as one that should compete for bowls each season – which they did just last year.
NAVY MIDSHIPMEN
Record: 6-0
Week 7 Result: Won 32-31 at Temple
Recap: ESPN’s Win Probability Index gave Temple a 98.8% chance to win as Navy took the field down 31-24 with 1:16 remaining, but QB Blake Horvath’s 51-yard touchdown run and ensuing 2-point conversion with 39 seconds remaining lifted Navy to the improbable victory. Horvath accounted for 296 total yards and 3 touchdowns on the day, with his heroics earning bowl eligibility for the Midshipmen. Navy is thinking bigger, though, and with games remaining against #19 South Florida and #22 Memphis – in addition to #13 Notre Dame – Navy remains very much in play for the Group of Five’s CFP bid.
PITTSBURGH PANTHERS
Record: 4-2
Week 7 Result: Won 34-31 at #25 Florida State
Recap: Depending on how the rest of the season plays out, we may look back at Pat Narduzzi’s decision to bench QB Eli Holstein in favor of freshman Mason Heinstschel as one of the pivotal moves of the 2025 season. Heintschel threw for 321 yards and 2 touchdowns and ran for 64 more as Pittsburgh came from behind in the fourth quarter to upset Florida State. With winnable games against Syracuse, NC State, and Stanford on the slate before the trip to South Bend, there’s a good chance Pittsburgh enters Notre Dame Stadium with a 7-2 record and ranked in the Top 25. The Panthers close the season with Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, and Miami, so the opportunities will be there for Narduzzi’s squad to crash the CFP.
SYRACUSE ORANGE
Record: 3-3
Week 7 Result: Bye
Recap: The Orange were off this week after 2 consecutive losses following Steve Angeli’s season-ending Achilles injury. You can bet the bye week was focused on finding more offensive consistency with backup QB Rickie Collins heading into the season’s most challenging stretch, beginning Saturday against Pittsburgh.
STANFORD CARDINAL
Record: 2-4
Week 7 Result: Lost 34-10 at SMU
Recap: The Cardinal hung around for awhile but ultimately didn’t have the horses to keep up with the Mustangs on Saturday, getting outscored 17-3 in the second half as SMU pulled away. QB Ben Gulbranson had another strong performance, throwing for 278 yards and a touchdown, and one-time Notre Dame commit WR CJ Williams hauled in 7 catches for 109 yards and a score. Stanford actually had a 13-minute edge in time of possession but as has been a theme for a few Notre Dame opponents this week, could not overcome 2 turnovers, 10 penalties, and a general inability to run the football. Stanford hosts a reeling Florida State team next Saturday night, giving Frank Reich and his squad a chance to steal one against a big-name program.
Story by Andrew McDonough
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