Notre Dame Enters Final Week Of Season With Everything To Play For

The Irish are in the thick of the CFP hunt as they look to complete a ten game winning streak.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown in the first half of a NCAA football game against Syracuse at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame is on the verge of completing another impressive comeback

Last year, most of America figured the Irish season was over after an inexplicable week two home loss to Northern Illinois. Notre Dame was written off and was out of sight, out of mind for much of the early and middle part of the season.

From week two on, the Irish collected wins, building momentum and rounding into form. Game by game, Notre Dame won, other teams lost, and before you know it, the Irish had gone on a 10-game winning streak and had earned themselves a home playoff game that was a springboard for a run to the national championship game.

In 2025, we find ourselves here yet again. While the Northern Illinois loss hurt in 2024, it was just one loss. This time, Notre Dame dropped two unbelievably frustrating games to begin the season and found itself with its back against the CFP wall in September yet again.

Did the Irish cave and let the season unravel? Not so fast, my friend. With one more win, Notre Dame will have replicated 2024's magic by rattling off 10 wins in a row and hopefully, cementing a spot in the CFP.

The resolve of this program is immensely impressive, and Marcus Freeman deserves a ton of credit. Everyone stayed bought in, everyone believed, and the team is succeeding when most thought they were in line for a failed season. There's never a dull moment in Notre Dame land, folks.

LOVE 4️⃣ HEISMAN 💚#GoIrish🫶 | @JeremiyahLove pic.twitter.com/EW8DdWfyE3

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 23, 2025

Notre Dame must stay awake and defeat Stanford in sleepy Palo Alto

For a team in the heat of a CFP battle, which features the best player in the country, Jeremiyah Love, the Irish won't be facing Stanford in a prime TV viewing window. Instead, the Irish will kick off at Stanford at 10:30 PM ET, which presents its own challenge.

Most of Stanford's stadium will be empty for this game, other than small pockets of Irish fans and a few family members of Stanford players. Combine this with the ultra-late start, and Notre Dame will have to create its own energy and its own spark in this game, a complete change from the fully engaged home crowd this last Saturday on senior day.

The Stanford game is the final piece of the puzzle for the 2025 Irish. Notre Dame must make another statement, blow the Cardinal out, and leave the CFP committee no wiggle room to even consider dropping Notre Dame from the CFP field.

If the Irish can accomplish this, Notre Dame fans will be up late celebrating from coast to coast!