Joel Klatt Predicts Notre Dame’s Dream Home College Football Playoff Matchup

Notre Dame Stadium has never played host to a team coached by a former Notre Dame head coach, but could that change?

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates a touchdown scored during the first round of the College Football Playoff between Notre Dame and Indiana University at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Few people in college football media are as connected as Joel Klatt of Fox Sports. Not only is the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback on the call for Fox's Big Noon Kickoff game each week, he's also the host of a big-time podcast that supplies big-name guests all year long.

Klatt had a sit-down with Marcus Freeman earlier this summer, where he called Notre Dame Stadium his "favorite place in all of college football" and also rated the Irish sixth nationally in his preseason rankings.

Well, Klatt is back for more preseason coverage, this time releasing his College Football Playoff predictions as the season kicks off this weekend, and let's just say he sees something big headed to Notre Dame Stadium this December.

Joel Klatt Predicts Notre Dame to Host Home College Football Playoff Game

Notre Dame fans celebrate during the second half of a game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in South Bend. Notre Dame defeated Indiana 27-17. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last December, Notre Dame played host to the first-ever on campus College Football Playoff game as it beat Indiana 27-17 in a game that wasn't as close as the final score indicated. The environment was nothing short of electric, and not one that would be easy to match, let alone top.

However, if Klatt's prediction were to come true, the electricity in Notre Dame Stadium would blow last year's playoff game out of the water.

Klatt predicts Notre Dame to make the playoff, but fall short of a first round bye. Instead, he has the Fighting Irish as the seventh overall seed, and playing host to No. 10 LSU in the first round.

Joel Klatt breaks down his Preseason CFP Bracket Predictions.

Who do you want to see in the National Championship? pic.twitter.com/Z5WsDdCrll

— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) August 19, 2025

That's right, Klatt has Brian Kelly making his return trip to Notre Dame Stadium for a College Football Playoff game.

Nick Shepkowski's Final Thought on Joel Klatt's Predictions:

Look, we all make predictions at the start of the year and almost all the time they're incredibly off base. That's part of the fun of it, and dreaming up a scenario where Brian Kelly is faced with winning a massive road game at Notre Dame Stadium would be college football theater at its fullest.

However, the thing I take away most from his projected playoff bracket is how generous of path Notre Dame would get in it.

Do you agree with @joelklatt's Preseason CFP Bracket Predictions? pic.twitter.com/7VJuoYHRGv

— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) August 18, 2025

LSU is coming north in December under a coach who has struggled mightily in big moments, then a trip to take on Texas in what would likely be the Cotton Bowl. I know the Longhorns are the preseason No. 1 team in the country in the AP Poll, and Arch Manning is the real deal, but that's a roster that has a ton of overhaul from last year and one I'm selling whatever stock I have in before it kicks off at Ohio State.

Get ready Notre Dame fans, this season has the makings of another deep playoff run, whether the national media wants to get on board with that thought quite yet or not.