Notre Dame Fighting Irish finally have true test to see if they're title contenders

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish entered the season as a national championship contender, but they haven’t had any tough games.

Notre Dame’s schedule is rather easy, in large part due to them not being in a confernece, but on Saturday, the Fighting Irish will finally be tested.

FANTASY FOOTBALL: QB Rankings: Who To Start Week 6?

The Fighting Irish will go on the road to play the BYU Cougars on Saturday, in what is a must-win game for Notre Dame if they want to be the No. 1 seed. The Cougars have been playing well in the Big 12 and can pose some problems for the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame’s offense has been stellar this season, as quarterback CJ Carr is one of the best in the nation at his position.

More College Football:

• Dan Lanning Should Be On Hot Seat After Oregon Ducks Playoff Hopes End
• Texas Longhorns Have a Steve Sarkisian Problem After Latest Loss
• Nick Saban Compares Keelon Russell To Former Alabama QB
• Kentucky Wildcats, Will Stein Can Become Playoff Contenders In Year 1
• Georgia Bulldogs vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Winner Will Be Team to Beat in CFB

The Fighting Irish’s defense has been solid, but they haven’t played a team like BYU yet. The Cougars are a well-rounded team with a solid defense, and their offense, although it isn’t elite, is still good.

This game will be very telling to see if Notre Dame is a true title contender, as if they can not just beat BYU, but make a statement, it will be very telling for the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame does still have to play Miami later this year, but the rest of their schedule is rather easy. So, if the Fighting Irish can beat BYU, their chances of being the No. 1 seed become very real, as Notre Dame could be the team to beat.

Notre Dame can make a statement against BYU

Notre Dame’s game against BYU is a chance for the Fighting Irish to not only get a top-10 win on their resume, but they’d also do it on the road.

Provo, Utah isn’t an easy place to play, especially at night, which can make things tough for the Fighting Irish. Yet, they are using that as motivation, as Notre Dame knows with a win, they will send a statement to college football that all the talk and noise is justified and they are a legit title contender.

“Let’s go play against the best in their home field, right? In their state and their environment, where it’s us against everybody. And I kinda liked it,” Freeman said to WSBT. 22. “There’s obviously a love playing now, but there’s something about going on a road when it’s us against everybody and it makes you say, okay, we gotta do this thing together, right? And I love it. I mean, I love it, they love it ’cause they’re competitors. We wanna play against the best and this the best. Let’s go! Let’s go do it.”

A road win over BYU would be one of the best wins in the country and keep Notre Dame right in the mix with the Georgia Bulldogs for the top team to beat in college football.

However, BYU is a legit playoff contender, so the game won’t be easy, despite Notre Dame having plenty of confidence.

Related: 2026 CFB Week 4 Top 25: Lindy’s Sports Official Updated Rankings

More College Football News

• Ohio State Buckeyes poised to make statement win over Indiana Hoosiers
• Panthers need Holden Geriner to fix his turnover problem fast, with Boston College, Miami and brutal stretch ahead
• Ducks’ quarterback question gets harder: Dante Moore’s status, Dylan Raiola’s rebound, and a Nebraska reunion looms
• Dan Lanning Should Be On Hot Seat After Oregon Ducks Playoff Hopes End

This story was originally published by Lindy's Sports on Oct 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Lindy's Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.