Notre Dame fans have had September 13, 2025, circled on their calendars for some time now. That's the date that the Aggies of Texas A&M will head to South Bend for what will be one of the most important early games of the 2025 college football slate.
Up to this point, this game has been the focal point of the early portion of next year's Irish schedule. But that has all changed in an instant.
As it turns out, the battle with the Aggies will not in fact be Notre Dame's first huge test that will shape the 2025 season because it has been announced that the Irish will travel to Miami to face the Hurricanes over Labor Day Weekend.
The Irish having 2 epic battles with teams that are sure to be highly ranked to start the year must be tough news for the "Notre Dame doesn't play anybody" crowd.
In the first half of the Notre Dame schedule next year, the Irish will face Miami, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Boise State, and USC.
It is safe to say that Notre Dame's playoff hopes will be determined largely by what occurs in these early season games. The road will be tough for the Irish, especially if they roll with a younger, inexperienced QB to start the season.
If Notre Dame goes 2-0 against the Aggies and Canes, they will be in prime playoff position the entire year. Should it spilt these games, life will be tough as the Irish will likely then have to win out the rest of the way from mid-September on similar to this year to make the field.
And should Notre Dame drop both games and have 2 losses by mid-September, it could be a long year in South Bend.
This schedule is tough and offers no runway. Notre Dame must be ready to play playoff-caliber football from Game 1 on in 2025.
For more Irish news & notes follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your preferred audio podcast provider.
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