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Pat Forde: Notre Dame Won’t Leave Its Playoff Fate to Anyone Else This Season
Sports Illustrated • • general
Key Points:
- Notre Dame's 2025 football season ended in disappointment after a controversial College Football Playoff exclusion and a decision not to play in a bowl game, contrasting sharply with their deep playoff run the previous year.
- The team and coaching staff have taken responsibility for the outcome, emphasizing the need to "leave no doubt" and control their own destiny moving forward.
- For 2026, Notre Dame returns a strong defensive unit ranked in the top ten nationally, an experienced offense led by quarterback CJ Carr, and key coaching staff, positioning them as a potential top team in the nation.
- A major focus for the upcoming season is improving their historically slow starts, as early losses in 2025 proved critical in missing the playoff.
- Notre Dame opens the 2026 season on the road against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, with a relatively manageable schedule thereafter, making a strong start essential to avoid another disappointing season.
