Is Notre Dame’s Early Bye Week a Smart Break — or Bad Timing?

Notre Dame's 2025 season started with a dud of sorts Sunday, as the Fighting Irish fell at Miami, 27-24. The loss didn't knock Notre Dame out of the top 10 of the AP Poll, but did drop it from the No. 6 spot it was previously in, to No. 9 this week.

Now Notre Dame gets a full week off before game week for Texas A&M, which invades South Bend on the evening of September 13. It's that awkward week in-between we're focusing on today, though.

Is it better that Notre Dame is off, on the heels of losing at Miami, or would it be better for Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame if it were playing this Saturday?

The Case Against Notre Dame's Early Bye Week

The case against Notre Dame having a bye week this week comes from what happened this past Saturday night. It wasn't a slew of injuries that cost Notre Dame the game against Miami, it was being outplayed and being outphysicaled by the Hurricanes.

What good does a bye week do? Notre Dame just had over seven months off of games to get physically ready for Miami and it was pushed around the yard all day.

This team needs a confidence boost and something to feel good about before Texas A&M gets to town, and a cupcake MAC school or something of the sort would do the body good about now.

The Case for Notre Dame's Early Bye Week

How quickly do you forget that Notre Dame has dropped two of Marcus Freeman's three home-opening games to date, with the losses coming against (sarcasm incoming) powerhouse programs Marshall and Northern Illinois.

If Notre Dame were to have, just say, Central Michigan on the schedule this week, what good would it actually do? Would the players who struggled against Miami feel that much better about themselves and their skill levels if they beat the tar out of a middle-tier Group of Six team?

That's if Notre Dame wins at all. The Miami football team was enough of a test; now factor in the ridiculous heat that the game was played in, and you'll realize that beats up bodies and makes the next week incredibly difficult to prepare for. There are no guarantee Notre Dame plays a middling Group of Six team and wins this week (see Northern Illinois last year), and you're certain they'd build confidence by mopping the floor?

Nick Shepkowski's Ruling:

If you're Notre Dame and want to play the schedule you do, it's pretty much a given that two of your first three weeks are going to be played against traditionally strong teams.

When one of those is played in the hot heat and humidity of Texas or Miami, it automatically makes the following week that much more difficult from a recovery standpoint.

If Notre Dame were to have won last week, then it's optimal to have the week off and be looking 2-0 in the eye with an extra week to prepare.

Now its flipped, looking to avoid 0-2, and the certain loss of a potential home playoff game if Notre Dame is to lose next Saturday.

It's not a fun way to spend 13 days after a loss, but at this time and with what's coming next, it's best that Notre Dame isn't playing this weekend.