Notre Dame football fans should get ready for a return to the National Championship Game.
They should make those precautions if they believe Andy Staples knows what he’s talking about. The On3 analyst released his “way too early” estimate for the 2026 College Football Playoffs, and Irish supporters will be delighted that he believes Marcus Freeman and company are ready to make another run at the title.
However, being excited about someone having that kind of vision for Notre Dame football has a disadvantage. Staples feels that while the Irish will return to the big game, they will lose again. And it’s basically identical to the 2025 National Championship game.
NEW: 2026 College Football Playoff Projection by @Andy_Staples 👀
Would you agree? 🤔https://t.co/n3buMGkCH8 pic.twitter.com/dX1fMJIVgs.
— On3 (@On3sports), February 3, 2025
Notre Dame football has return ticket to National Championship Game
This time, Staples predicts the Golden Domers will face the Texas Longhorns. And the probably Arch Manning-led Texas club will triumph.
Staples predicts Texas will defeat Ohio State in the semi-finals, implying that if everything else goes as planned, the championship game might be rematched. Marcus Freeman and company would most likely like a game between Notre Dame and Ohio State. A chance for payback would be good, but the majority of the public would prefer to see a fresh opponent, most likely.
So, what does the On3 expert believe is Notre Dame’s path to the playoffs? He believes Freeman’s team will be the No. 6 seed and will host the Florida Gators in South Bend next season.
Then it’s a game against the Clemson Tigers (which will be a fascinating revenge game in and of itself), followed by a semifinal versus the No. 2 seed Oregon Ducks.
You can look over the entire bracket above, but one thing is certain. With Notre Dame football making a lot of early playoff predictions, Marcus Freeman has many convinced they’re one of the best in the country, even if the team’s signal caller in 2025 remains a mystery.
