Notre Dame came one game away from its first National Championship since 1988 last season. The Irish should once again be in the College Football Playoff hunt, although Notre Dame lost a couple of key contributors from last year’s 14-2 team.
Like many of the National Championship contenders, Notre Dame enters the 2025 season with uncertainty at the quarterback position. The Irish go from veteran Riley Leonard to one of the least experienced quarterback rooms in the country. The quarterbacks on the roster have a combined three career pass attempts. On the bright side, all three were complete.
Redshirt freshman CJ Carr or sophomore Kenny Minchey will be under center when Notre Dame travels to Miami on Aug. 31. Carr is athletic and has a cannon for an arm. Head coach Marcus Freeman loves his upside, although the battle between the two quarterbacks is reportedly “neck and neck.”
Whoever wins the job, Notre Dame will be relying on an untested quarterback to beat Miami and Texas A&M in his first two career starts. That’s a lot to ask, even though the Irish will likely be favorites in both games.
Notre Dame also needs to replace three starters on the defensive line, although Freeman has done an excellent job of building a deep, talented roster. The Irish have an experienced offensive line, a loaded secondary and one of college football’s top running backs in Jeremiyah Love.
Besides Leonard, Notre Dame’s biggest offseason loss might have been defensive coordinator Al Golden, who left for the NFL. Golden is one of the top defensive minds in football right now, and under his leadership the last two seasons, the Irish allowed just 15.7 points per game. Chris Ash takes over for Golden after serving as a scout for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.
Freeman has built a championship roster that should be in the playoff discussion every year. If one of the young quarterbacks emerges, watch out for the Irish as the season progresses.
Let’s look at Notre Dame’s futures odds and how bettors should approach the Fighting Irish this season.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish odds (via FanDuel)
- +1400 to win National Championship
- To make CFP (Yes -168, No +134)
- Win total 10.5 (Over +124, Under -152)
I believe Freeman is the right coach to win a championship at Notre Dame. The Irish’s schedule is top-heavy with Miami and Texas A&M, then it eases up considerably. There are a couple of tough tests at home against Boise State and USC, but there is a good chance Notre Dame is favored in every game this season.
The way I look at it, the Irish need to split with Miami and Texas A&M. Then Notre Dame could probably afford one more loss and still reach the College Football Playoff. Let’s be honest, a two-loss Notre Dame team makes the field most seasons.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish best bets
- Notre Dame to make CFP (-168)
I’m surprised, given the Irish’s talent and manageable schedule, that they are just -168 to reach the CFP. I make that number north of -200. That’s a better wager than taking the Over on Notre Dame’s win total at 10.5 because the Irish can lose twice and you still likely cash the bet. Even with the questions at quarterback, I would be surprised if Notre Dame isn’t one of the 12 playoff teams again this season.
When it comes to the National Championship, I recommend waiting on Notre Dame. If the Irish drop one of their first two games, you’ll get more favorable odds than +1400. I might be interested in Notre Dame at around +2000. I expect the Irish to be a better overall team later in the season once the young quarterback gets a few games under his belt.
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