Paul Finebaum Reveals What Could Trip Up a College Football Powerhouse

The 2026 college football season is a couple of weeks away, as teams are in the middle of fall camp.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are one of the most talked-about teams heading into the season. The Fighting Irish have been one of the better teams in college football over the last three seasons, winning double-digit games all three years.

The 2024 season was their best year, as Notre Dame went 14-2, made the College Football Playoff and advanced to the national championship game. It looked as though the Fighting Irish were going to return to the playoff last season after going 10-2.

Notre Dame Enters 2026 with CFP Expectations

However, Marcus Freeman's team was snubbed from a playoff berth after the Miami Hurricanes jumped them in the final College Football Playoff rankings, despite neither team playing in the conference championship weekend.

Still, there is a lot of optimism surrounding Notre Dame in 2026 as it looks to end a four-decade drought. They enter the season with aspirations for the College Football Playoff and the national championship.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr (13) looks to pass. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Paul Finebaum Says the BYU Game Could Define Notre Dame's Season

ESPN's Paul Finebaum is also very high on the Fighting Irish this season. However, on "The Paul Finebaum Show," he admitted that there is one game that could define their season.

"I think that game at BYU, I think, is going to be determinative of that season," Finebaum said. "If they can beat BYU, I don't think the outcome of the Miami game is going to be critical. They're a top 15 team, and the circumstances of the game could be complicated... I'm pretty optimistic about Notre Dame this year."

CJ Carr Gives Fighting Irish Reason for Optimism

A major reason Notre Dame has a chance to meet those expectations is quarterback CJ Carr. He threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions last year in his first season as the starter. He has the highest odds of winning the Heisman Trophy, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

If Carr can improve while continuing to protect the football, Notre Dame should have the offensive stability needed to navigate a difficult schedule. Ultimately, though, the BYU matchup could tell us a lot about whether Notre Dame is truly ready to make another deep playoff run.

If the Fighting Irish can win in Provo, Finebaum believes the path becomes much clearer. For a program chasing its first national championship since 1988, that could be the first major statement of the 2026 season.

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