As the first full Saturday of the college football season gets underway, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit is calling his shot on the 2026 national champion. The ESPN analyst believes Notre Dame will be the last team standing.
The Fighting Irish missed the College Football Playoff last season despite a 10-2 record. Now, Herbstreit expects Notre Dame to break through and produce the program’s first national championship since 1988.
Notre Dame begins this season ranked No. 4 in the AP poll. The Fighting Irish kick off with a matchup vs. Wisconsin from Lambeau Field on Sept. 6 (7:30 p.m. ET/NBC).
Marcus Freeman’s team has a favorable slate to make a run, with no games against ranked opponents until Oct. 17 at No. 14 BYU. The Fighting Irish will definitely have the No. 7 home game vs. No. 7 Miami marked. Notre Dame fell to the Hurricanes in last season’s opener, which factored heavily in Miami and not the Fighting Irish making the CFP.
Notre Dame stands as co-favorites with Ohio State according to sportsbook odds. Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman has produced 3 consecutive seasons with double-digit victories.
Against Wisconsin, Notre Dame leads the all-time series 9-6-2. In the most recent matchup, the Fighting Irish beat the Badgers 41-13 on Sept. 25, 2021 in Chicago.
