It's the first year of Marcus Freeman era in South Bend and hopes are high – as reflected in their futures odds in college football betting – after Notre Dame made waves on the recruiting trail in the offseason.
In 12 seasons under Brian Kelly, the Irish won at least ten games seven times, including each of the last five seasons, and had one of the best ATS records (9-3) in the country last year. Notre Dame has struggled under other first-time head coaches, which Freeman will look to overcome.
Tyler Buchner steps in as the new quarterback, and he'll have new faces surrounding him at most skill positions. The team is expected to lean on one of the better offensive lines in the country and retains Tommy Rees as offensive coordinator. Former Temple and Miami head coach Al Golden steps in as defensive coordinator to lead a unit that figures to be strong yet again.
Here's a look at Notre Dame's schedule with dates, times, opponents, and analysis:
Week 1 – at Ohio State Buckeyes
Date:'September 3
Time: 7:30 p.m.'ET
The Irish head to Columbus to battle with the Ohio State Buckeyes, who rank No. 2 in the country and are led by star quarterback C.J. Stroud and all-world receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
This will be a College GameDay location, the second of two Week 1 games for ESPN's flagship pregame show.
Week 2 – vs. Marshall Thundering Herd
Date:'September 10
Time: 2:30 p.m.'ET
If this game seems somewhat random to you, that's because it is. This marks the first-ever meeting between these two schools. The Marshall Thundering Herd will enter their first year in the Sun Belt after they finished with a 7-6 record a year ago.
Week 3 – vs. California Golden Bears
Date:'September 17
Time: 2:30 p.m.'ET
The first of three Pac-12 teams on the schedule, all of whom reside in the state of California. The Irish will be playing in the friendly confines of Notre Dame Stadium for this one and have won all four prior meetings by an average margin of 27.8 points.
Week 4 – at North Carolina Tar Heels
Date:'September 24
Time:'TBD
The Irish have won four straight in this series and are 20-2 all-time against the North Carolina Tar Heels.