Notre Dame vs Pitt Prediction: The Irish’s Last Barrier to the CFP
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This is it. This is the last barrier between Notre Dame, and a spot in the College Football Playoff …
Maybe.
Even at 10-2, there’s still the question of who else will be available. Will the committee take other options when the regular season is over, or will the No. 9 spot currently occupied stay firm through the process?
That, and Notre Dame still has to beat Syracuse and Stanford, but …
Pitt controls a whole slew of key parts of the CFP puzzle. First Notre Dame, then back into ACC play at Georgia Tech, and then Miami to close. Win three more games and it’s in the playoff.
Notre Dame vs Pitt Preview
How To Watch Notre Dame vs Pitt
Date: Saturday, November 15, 2025
Game Time: 12:00 PM ET
TV: ABC
Location: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
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Why Notre Dame Will Win
Pitt hasn’t seen anything like the Notre Dame running game.
The Irish had no problem whatsoever with Navy, they ran at will on USC, woke up to run on Boston College, and now it’s Pitt’s turn to try holding up.
So far this year, the Panthers have been terrific against the run, but that’s partly because of the pass rush and the ability to get behind the line. West Virginia ran and ran some more, and that set up a late rally to pull off the overtime win.
But the Irish are more than that. Try stopping the Irish ground game, and CJ Carr will go off. He and the passing game have been brilliant to the point of being almost criminally underappreciated.
Carr has thrown just two picks in the last seven games. He’s been razor sharp in the last two wins, and …
Why Pitt Will Win
Carr hasn’t seen a pass rush like he’s about to deal with.
Pitt might not be destroying backfields like it did over the past few seasons, but it stepped up last week by getting its mail in the Stanford backfield.
It has the pop to keep getting to Carr and making him rush, and the rest of the defense knows how to thrive when the pressure is on.
The Panthers force interceptions, and they’re going to keep attacking all game long.
And then there’s the other side of the ball and Pitt’s own passing game.
The Irish got hit by USC for well over 300 yards, and just about everyone else has been able to at least crank up at least 200 yards. Notre Dame, welcome to Mason Heintschel, one of the nation’s hottest passers.
Pitt has roared for over 300 passing yards in four of the last five games, and it’s about to give the Irish secondary a very, very long day, but …
Notre Dame vs Pitt Prediction, Betting Lines
Notre Dame will be more than happy to play along in the shootout.
For Pitt, it’s been a simple formula. Throw a lot, force the other side to keep up, and win. There’s just one problem with that …
That worked against a bunch of okay teams. Notre Dame has the firepower to more than keep up the pace, and the running game will take over in the second half after Carr does his part to match Heintschel shot for shot.
This will be a blast.
Notre Dame 42, Pitt 30
Line: Notre Dame -12.5, o/u: 54.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Must See Rating: 4.5
Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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This story was originally reported by College Football News on Nov 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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