Renowned CFB expert predicts the Notre Dame 2026 season, including an ideal playoff and National Title scenario
Prominent College Football analysts are busy making their final CFB Playoff predictions. There are some high expectations for Notre Dame.
Notre Dame football is set to kick off fall camp on Thursday, putting the Fighting Irish just weeks away from the 2026 college football season.
With that excitement in the air, predictions for head coach Marcus Freeman and his team are rolling in from across the sport. One of the biggest endorsements yet comes from Josh Pate, one of the most respected voices in college football who has done work for On3, Yahoo Sports, and ESPN over the years.
Every year, Pate releases updated playoff predictions heading into the season. On Tuesday, he dropped his 2026 version, and Notre Dame fans should pay attention.
Pate, who has been accused in the past of carrying a bit of an SEC bias in his rankings, is fully buying in on the Fighting Irish. He has Notre Dame securing the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff field and winning the national championship.
Pate’s hypothetical bracket for Notre Dame
In the hypothetical playoff bracket Pate put together, Notre Dame earns a first-round bye as the top seed. The Fighting Irish then host the winner of No. 9 Oklahoma against No. 8 Oregon, with the Ducks coming out on top in that matchup. In the home quarterfinal, the Irish take down Oregon and advance to face No. 5 Indiana in the next round.
That semifinal carries extra weight as a battle for the state of Indiana. In Pate’s simulation, Freeman and Notre Dame defeat head coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers, punching their ticket to the national title game for the first time since the 2024 defeat to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
A dream matchup with Texas in the title game
On the other side of the bracket, Pate has the No. 6 Texas Longhorns cutting through USC, Miami, and Ohio State to reach the championship. A Notre Dame-Texas title game would be one of the more entertaining matchups college football could produce.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian, quarterback Arch Manning, and the Longhorns are the betting favorites by many to win it all in 2026.
In Pate’s hypothetical, the Fighting Irish come out on top as the No. 1 seed, completing a perfect run through the bracket. Pate clearly believes Notre Dame will go 12-0 in the regular season and win every game under Freeman in their quest for a first national title since 1988.
What a world it would be if the Fighting Irish put that type of run together. Notre Dame fans can only hope Pate is a little prophetic with his outlook for the 2026 season.
