Notre Dame Will Be Ready For The Moment against Pitt

The Irish know the season is on the line, and expect them to come up wi

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, right, celebrates after a touchdown during the second half of a NCAA football game against Navy at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It will be a high noon showdown between Notre Dame and Pitt

Normally, whenever Notre Dame travels to play a game in the noon window, I have concerns about a sluggish start for the Irish as they adjust to the early kick on the road, but not this time. I believe Notre Dame will be locked in and fully engaged for this moment.

Marcus Freeman and his squad understand the position they are in, what's at stake, and how hard the team has fought to get back into CFP position.

I see no chance the Irish aren't fully geared up for this moment in a game that is an absolute must-win to keep the season's dreams alive. Notre Dame will be ready for this battle both physically and emotionally.

9️⃣ in the College Football Playoff Rankings#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/LUEn6qqSrS

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 12, 2025

The Notre Dame defense is hitting its stride

There's no doubt that the Notre Dame defense took a while to find its footing this year. Under new DC Chris Ash, it took a few weeks for the Irish to find the most productive blend of personnel and play calling. Unfortunately, with the first two games against talented Miami and Texas A&M teams, the Irish had very little margin for error and got beaten while trying to stabilize the defense.

Since game two, the Irish have only surrendered an average of 14.4 points per game to opponents while collecting a boatload of turnovers. This is winning defensive football. This effort looks much more like what Irish fans have come to expect from Notre Dame defenses. The Irish are trending up and playing with confidence at the perfect time, the push for the playoff.

The Notre Dame offense forces defenses to make tough decisions

As for the Notre Dame offense, we live in a new world. One in which the Irish can beat teams through the air or on the ground. This is a modern feature for the Irish program and is something that has held the team back in recent seasons.

Now, defenses must pick their poison. Some, like Boston College and Navy, chose to sell out and stop the Notre Dame run game, which provided CJ Carr chances downfield to open the game up. Others, like USC, chose to limit the Irish passing attack, opening the door for a 306-yard rushing performance by the Irish.

There is no easy way to defend a Notre Dame team built this way. Should the Irish win three more games, they will be a tough out in the CFP with this newfound balanced offensive attack.

Some teams fade away and fall apart in November. Others rise to play their best football. This is the track Notre Dame is on, enjoy the ride and whatever comes next.