Notre Dame Football Bombshell: Schedule Shake-Up, Star Transfers & 2025 Playoff Path Revealed

PITTSBURGH — Notre Dame football is flexing its November muscle again. Midway through the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium, the No. 9 Fighting Irish have raced to a 14-0 advantage over No. 22 Pittsburgh thanks to a 56-yard touchdown sprint from sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love and a 37-yard pick-six by sophomore corner Tae Johnson. Love’s score pushed his season rushing total beyond 1,000 yards and reminded scouts why the explosive St. Louis native has climbed into early first-round NFL Draft conversations. Johnson’s interception was his fourth of 2025 and the Irish defense’s 17th takeaway, reinforcing a unit that entered Week 12 ranked top-10 nationally in scoring defense. Key storylines to watch the rest of the afternoon: 1. College Football Playoff math Notre Dame entered the weekend at No. 9 in the CFP rankings. A convincing road win over a ranked Panthers squad would keep Marcus Freeman’s club firmly in the at-large hunt, especially with No. 7 Texas idle and No. 8 Oregon facing a tricky rivalry game later tonight. The Irish still need help, but style points in November matter. 2. CJ Carr’s growth curve Freshman quarterback CJ Carr has looked poised in his first true hostile-environment start. The Michigan product completed eight of his first 11 throws and used tempo to keep Pitt’s pass rush on its heels. Avoiding turnovers is Carr’s primary mandate; the Irish are 7-0 this season when they win or tie the turnover battle. 3. Third-down dominance Defensive coordinator Al Golden dialed up multiple safety blitzes that produced two early sacks and forced Pittsburgh into three consecutive three-and-outs. If the trend holds, Notre Dame’s defensive front — led by tackle Howard Cross and edge rusher Jordan Botelho — could bottle up Panthers freshman phenom Mason Heintschel all day. 4. Special-teams questions linger The lone blemish so far is a missed 46-yard field goal by junior kicker Erik Schmidt. Freeman stuck with Schmidt after two misses in last week’s win at Navy, but another shaky effort could open the door for freshman Miguel Vega before the postseason. What’s at stake • A win would give Notre Dame (8-2) its fifth straight victory and preserve a perfect November record under Freeman. • It would be the Irish’s second road conquering of a top-25 opponent this fall, strengthening their résumé against the SEC-heavy competition for the final playoff slot. • Love is now 197 yards shy of Kyren Williams’ modern-era single-season school rushing record; continued success keeps him in the Doak Walker Award conversation. Pittsburgh (7-2) still controls its path to the ACC Championship Game but cannot afford a home loss if it hopes to crash the New Year’s Six party. The Panthers’ defense must corral Love on early downs and generate pressure without blitzing to give Heintschel manageable situations. Bottom line Notre Dame football is doing exactly what a playoff hopeful should: jumping on an opportunistic upset contender early, riding its star tailback, and letting a veteran defense feast. If the Fighting Irish maintain this level for another 30 minutes, the national conversation Sunday morning will center on whether anyone wants to face Freeman’s balanced, battle-tested roster down the stretch.