Notre Dame Fights to Overcome Early Losses, Aims for Playoff Redemption

As of November 1st, 2025, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish find themselves in a familiar position—fighting to overcome early-season losses and secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. Under first-year head coach Marcus Freeman, the No. 12 Irish (5-2) have no margin for error heading into their matchup against Boston College (1-7) this Saturday.

Last year, Freeman's tactic of harping on a September loss to Northern Illinois throughout the playoff run helped drive the team to the national championship game. This season, the losses to Miami and Texas A&M, both currently top-10 teams, have put the Irish in a similar predicament. However, Freeman believes the "struggle is there for a reason" and that overcoming these challenges will make his team stronger.

Quarterback CJ Carr, a redshirt freshman, is also looking to bounce back after a subpar performance against USC. Carr threw an interception at the end of the first half, but he remains confident in his abilities and is eager to "eliminate the self-inflicted mistakes" going forward.

With a favorable schedule to close out the regular season, Notre Dame has a chance to reel off another 10-game win streak filled with double-digit scoring margins. This could be crucial as the first in-season College Football Playoff rankings are set to be released next week. The Irish may not finish the season with a win over a team in the final Top 25, so every little talking point matters.