Notre Dame Football 2025: Why This Season Is a Make-or-Break Moment

There's plenty to like about Notre Dame in 2025, and some legitimate worries as well

Notre Dame will have one of the most athletic rosters in the country and a schedule that, in totality, doesn't appear to be overly daunting. There are high hopes and reasonable expectations for the Irish to be a CFP team in 2025 and prove their staying power in the big dance.

That being said, there are some legitimate concerns about 2025, too.

How will a QB yet to be officially named handle his first start at Miami? And then back it up next against what is sure to be an athletic and physical Mike Elko-coached Aggie defense? Will there be a drop-off in production from the vaunted Irish defense in the absence of Al Golden?

Many Irish fans believe, and with reason to do so, that the Notre Dame program is now mature enough that it can afford some growing pains in the aforementioned areas while still winning games early in the season. But timing is everything. And it just so happens that most of the Irish's toughest games all come in the front half of the year.

Notre Dame doesn't have to be perfect to win games while settling into the season; just being good enough will be enough to allow the team to be peaking and in playoff position in the second half of the season, with a more comfortable QB and a defense with plenty of time to adjust to its new leader, Chris Ash.

Notre Dame will be a very good team in 2025.

The question is, exactly when will it be a very good team? With Miami, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Boise State, and USC all early in the year, there is no such thing as easing into this slate.

Notre Dame must play winning football early and often, a tough but realistic ask from a program trying to prove it's truly elite again.

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