Perfect Opportunity: Notre Dame Looks to Reset After 0

It may be hard for Notre Dame fans to believe but the 2025 college football season is only three weeks old. After waiting eight months for it to return after last year's trip to the national championship game, Notre Dame has sputtered to an 0-2 start following Saturday night's 41-40 loss to Texas A&M.

In three weeks Notre Dame has dropped a physically and emotionally exhausting game at Miami in the final minutes, recovered through an off week, and now lost a heartbreaker in the final seconds against Texas A&M. Sure, Notre Dame only lost the two games by a combined four points, but things certainly feel off in Notre Dame Land.

While the defense struggles to do anything particularly well through two games, Notre Dame has perhaps gotten more from redshirt-freshman quarterback CJ Carr than it anticipated to start the season. Regardless, things need to get turned around in a hurry if this season is to be at all salvaged.

Purdue is Just What Doctor Ordered for Notre Dame

Just over a year ago, Notre Dame was stunned in its home opener against Northern Illinois. The Fighting Irish were the laughingstock of college football, just a week after walking into Kyle Field at Texas A&M and snatching a victory.

The long road back to respectability, and eventually the national championship game began the following week at Purdue. Notre Dame didn't seem to lack any focus that afternoon in West Lafayette, dominating the Boilermakers 66-7 and handing the in-state rival the most lopsided loss in program history.

Now comes another battle against Purdue, but this one comes at home in South Bend. It's not a game that should be close, even with Purdue seemingly being improved since last season, and that's exactly what Notre Dame needs right now.

Purdue Is Improved Since Last Season

2024 saw a Purdue football team that was arguably the worst in program history. It went just 1-11 with its only win coming against Indiana State, and lost nine of its 11 games by 17 or more points. It didn't just lose, it failed to be competitive.

Early returns for Purdue in 2025 aren't that of a great team, but certainly a more respectable one. The Boilermakers will enter Saturday's contest with a 2-1 record, sporting wins over Ball State and Southern Illinois as well as a 33-17 home loss to USC this past weekend.

Purdue may be better than it was a year ago, but it can take great strides and still be a football team that won't reach a bowl game.

Notre Dame has had very little to feel very good about through two games. That's what can happen when you open against the likes of Miami and Texas A&M. However, it's still a very good football team that can win a lot of games this fall.

Purdue offers the next chance to get things back on track, and even if the Boilermakers are much better than a year ago, I fully expect their trip to South Bend to be exactly the medicine the doctor ordered for a Fighting Irish team that isn't currently feeling great about itself.