The three most interesting stretches of Notre Dame’s 2026 football schedule

The three most interesting stretches of Notre Dame’s 2026 football schedule

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The three most interesting stretches of Notre Dame’s 2026 football schedule
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – NOVEMBER 19: A general view of the game as Drew Pyne #10 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish hikes the football in the second half against the Boston College Eagles at Notre Dame Stadium on November 19, 2022 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Football schedules are a funny thing. We spend months and months analyzing the twelve games printed on paper, and then we watch as many of our thoughts turn into ash as the season goes on all over the country. Notre Dame’s schedule, for example, has received a ton of criticism from fans and foes alike for being too soft this year.

That particular argument is pretty boring as we rapidly approach July. Personally, I think the schedule will be much tougher on paper by the end of the season than it does right now, but there’s no point in talking it up or talking it down.

So let’s talk about a personal favorite thing of mine… three game stretches. Three games is one quarter of a season, and when I look at the schedules, I tend to look at three game groupings and what impact they bring to the season and to the overall story.

So what are the three most interesting stretches of the season? If you do it chronologically, that covers three fourths of the season — which can make a less than extraordinary schedule a bit more exciting. Of course, you can pick any of the three game stretches available, but I like to cover more ground with my quarter method.

In all honesty, this exercise seems pretty easy.

  1. AT BYU Cougars, Navy (Neutral), VS Miami Hurricanes
  2. VS Boston College Eagles, VS SMU Mustangs, AT Syracuse Orange
  3. Wisconsin Badgers (Neutral), VS Rice Owls, VS Michigan State Spartans

The BYU — Miami stretch is an easy one. BYU will likely be ranked and a road game in Provo just sounds like real fun. Navy, while not a big game at all, allows fans to see a fullback on the field. Miami could be ranked in the top 5, and perhaps, we see a No. 1 vs No. 2 matchup.

The BC — Syracuse stretch has SMU in the middle of it, and the Mustangs could be undefeated or with one loss which should have them inside the top 15. It’s also the last three games of the season, and it follows the BYU — Miami stretch… which will either be redemption or exclamation.

Yes, the Wisconsin — Michigan State stretch has Rice in the middle of it, but I could make an argument that this group could be the 2nd most interesting stretch. The first game of the season is against a Big 10 team inside Lambeau Field, you get a home cupcake to pump up some stats, and then an old rival is back on the schedule for some old school hate. It’s the opening statement for the season, and as much as Notre Dame wants to leave no doubt, the first three games are crucial in setting the tone.

Argue about it in the comments below.

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