Week 1 Will Define the Season for Notre Dame and Other Top 10 Teams

Which teams will start the year off with a huge Week 1 win? The Irish and others face early tests.

Notre Dame's defense runs a drill during a football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Some weeks in each college football calendar simply don't move the needle. Weeks where there just aren't many or any top-tier matchups that will shape the CFP landscape.

Week 1 of 2025 is not one of those weeks.

Notre Dame and many others in the top 10 will have a chance right out of the gate to justify their early high rankings, while others will catch a tough loss early and have to recover practically and perceptually.

Week 1 Matchups Could Shape Notre Dame’s Playoff Hopes and the Top 10

Notre Dame at Miami

This game is likely the most important one for folks reading this article. Mario Cristobal is feeling the pressure to deliver for the Hurricanes as he begins his fourth season in Miami with a 500 record in the ACC.

Notre Dame, however, is on a different mission. Showing it has CFP staying power. This battle will have serious practical and perceptual repercussions for both sides.

Texas at Ohio State

Out-of-conference games don't get any better. This matchup features last year's title winner vs Texas, the team the Buckeyes defeated to claim their spot in the title game against the Irish.

Texas is out for revenge as these two heavyweights from the two power conferences battle for an early CFP position. Credit due to both administrations for scheduling such a dynamite non-conference game early in the year.

Last year, in his third season, the LSU Tigers took a step backward, finishing unranked at 9-4 after dropping three in a row around midseason.

Is head coach Brian Kelly on the hot seat heading into 2025? pic.twitter.com/JrkRu75wca

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 13, 2025

LSU at Clemson

Irish eyes will certainly have a keen interest in this outcome as Brian Kelly tries not to go 0-4 in Week 1 games at LSU. Should LSU win this game, expectations will be sky high that Kelly will finally be able to get LSU into the CFP.

From the Clemson side of things, Dabo Swinney is hoping to get the Tigers back into the elite category of teams and log a Week 1 win over a top 10 SEC team.

The interesting thing about this slate of early games will be the momentum swings and perceptions that will emerge from the outcomes. The teams that win these games will start off the season in a prime CFP position and receive mega media hype.

While nobody likes to lose their first game, the losers from these matchups shouldn't be counted out. It's a long season, and these teams are all very talented.

In the expanded CFP era, there is an opportunity to bounce back, have a strong year, and make the field. The real winners in all of this are college football fans who, after an excruciating wait, will get to see top teams battle it out early.

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