Notre Dame Fighting Irish is 1-0 on the season, 1-0 against the spread, and holds a power rating of +27.7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish enters the season with a power rating of +27.7, placing them above average relative to the FBS midpoint. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish host Rice next in Week 2. In 2025, Notre Dame Fighting Irish went 10-2 overall, 6-6 against the spread, and 6-6 on totals.
In Week 1 of 2026 the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Power Rating of +27.7 is 27.7 points above the FBS average according to Blue Chip Analytics. Notre Dame Fighting Irish have logged 429 miles of travel so far, out of a season total of 6,979 miles, ranking 70th heaviest in the FBS.
CJ Carr QB, Jordan Faison WR, Jaden Greathouse WR, Micah Gilbert WR, Mylan Graham WR, Quincy Porter WR, Guerby Lambert OL, Will Black OL, Anthonie Knapp OL, Ashton Craig OL, Charles Jagusah OL, Aneyas Williams RB, Nolan James Jr. RB
Drayk Bowen LB, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa LB, Leonard Moore CB, Adon Shuler S, Brauntae Johnson S, Francis Brewu DL, Tionne Gray DL, Jason Onye DL, Elijah Hughes DL, Boubacar Traore EDGE, Bryce Young EDGE, Keon Keeley EDGE
Spencer Porath K, Jasper Scaife P
| After | Record | ATS | O/U |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-1 |
| Week 3 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 1-1 |
| Week 4 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 2-1 |
| Week 5 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 3-1 |
| Week 6 | 3-2 | 2-3 | 3-2 |
| Week 7 | 4-2 | 3-3 | 3-3 |
| Week 8 | 5-2 | 3-4 | 3-4 |
| Week 10 | 6-2 | 3-5 | 3-5 |
| Week 11 | 7-2 | 4-5 | 4-5 |
| Week 12 | 8-2 | 5-5 | 4-6 |
| Week 13 | 9-2 | 6-5 | 5-6 |
| Week 14 | 10-2 | 6-6 | 6-6 |
A season record is a record, not a forecast. Blue Chip Analytics' own research finds that beating the closing line repeats at close to zero from one season to the next - see most underrated and overrated teams. Read the table as what happened, not as what is likely to happen next.
Opened +22.9 in the preseason and finished +29.8 after the postseason, a move of +6.9 points. High +29.8 (the postseason), low +22.9 (the preseason).
PrePost
SP+ is an independent opponent-adjusted efficiency rating, one of the systems blended into the Blue Chip Analytics power rating rather than a Blue Chip Analytics number itself. Defensive SP+ measures points allowed, so a lower figure is a better defence - the rank beside it already accounts for that.
Source spread is how far apart the independent rating systems are on this team, not a margin of error on our own number. A wide spread means the models disagree, which is itself worth knowing.
The measured and applied home field advantage agree to within 0.9 points here, so smoothing changes little for this venue.
| Opponent | Met | Record | ATS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 1 | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Michigan State | 2 | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Purdue | 3 | 3-0 | 3-0 |
| North Carolina | 4 | 4-0 | 4-0 |
| Stanford | 9 | 6-3 | 5-4 |
| BYU | 1 | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Navy | 9 | 8-1 | 6-2-1 |
| Miami | 3 | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Boston College | 5 | 5-0 | 4-1 |
| Syracuse | 5 | 5-0 | 4-1 |
No meeting on record since 2016: Rice, SMU.
Week 06,979 mi total
| Week | Opponent | Distance | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 0 | - | Bye | |
| Week 1 | Wisconsin | 214 mi | 429 mi |
| Week 2 | Rice | Home | 429 mi |
| Week 3 | Michigan State | Home | 429 mi |
| Week 4 | Purdue | 94 mi | 617 mi |
| Week 5 | North Carolina | 556 mi | 1,730 mi |
| Week 6 | Stanford | Home | 1,730 mi |
| Week 7 | BYU | 1,328 mi | 4,387 mi |
| Week 8 | - | Bye | |
| Week 9 | Navy | 771 mi | 5,930 mi |
| Week 10 | Miami | Home | 5,930 mi |
| Week 11 | Boston College | Home | 5,930 mi |
| Week 12 | SMU | Home | 5,930 mi |
| Week 13 | Syracuse | 525 mi | 6,979 mi |
| Week 14 | - | Bye | |
| Week 15 | - | Bye | |
| Week 16 | - | Bye | |
| Postseason | - | Bye | |
With the departure of top running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, the offense now runs through quarterback CJ Carr. In his debut season, Carr threw for 2,741 yards with a 24-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The coaching staff is expected to give him more responsibility this year, moving beyond the conservative game management of 2025. His accuracy and poise make him a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, and the Irish will lean on his arm to carry the scoring load.
Notre Dame boasts an unusually deep group of wide receivers. Jordan Faison, the team's leading receiver in 2025, returns alongside Jaden Greathouse, who starred in the 2024 national championship game, and Micah Gilbert. Ohio State transfers Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter add further firepower. This is the most versatile and explosive set of pass catchers the Irish have had in years, giving Carr multiple reliable options on all levels of the field.
The defensive line gets a boost from transfers Francis Brewu (Pitt) and Tionne Gray (Oregon), who join returnees Jason Onye and Elijah Hughes. Defensive end Boubacar Traore is poised for a breakout season, while Bryce Young and Alabama transfer Keon Keeley add depth. On special teams, the Irish hope to fix their kicking woes with Spencer Porath, who made 15 of 17 field goals at Purdue in 2025, and Australian punter Jasper Scaife takes over the punting duties.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish is 1-0 against the spread in the 2026 season, covering 100% of games.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish holds a Blue Chip Analytics power rating of +27.7, representing their expected point margin against an average FBS team on a neutral field.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish's home field advantage rating is 2.2 points, the venue adjustment Blue Chip Analytics applies for games at their home stadium.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish's consensus regular-season win total for 2026 is 11.5 wins, priced at +150 over and -205 under. This is the betting market's expectation, not a Blue Chip Analytics projection.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish travels 6,979 miles in the 2026 season, ranking 70th heaviest in the FBS.
Cumulative travel distance counts both the outbound and return journey for every away game. For example, if a team travels 374 miles to play an away game, Blue Chip Analytics counts 748 miles (374 miles there, 374 miles back) toward the cumulative total. Home games and bye weeks add zero miles. The per-week Distance column shows the one-way distance only, as the return trip happens after the game is played.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 1-0 overall, 1-0 ATS, power rating +27.7 (2026 records).
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