It seems like it was so long ago, but yeah, Boise State and Notre Dame were both in the College Football Playoff last year.
Boise State’s ugly 34-7 blowout loss to USF to start the season kicked things off with a thud, and Notre Dame lost its first two games to make things triple-hard on itself.Â
But both teams are still knee-deep in the mix for the College Football Playoff again. After Saturday, though, one of them won’t be.
There are too many Group of Five options available – the American Conference winner probably gets the call. However, if Boise State beats Notre Dame at Notre Dame, the USF loss isn’t erased, but it’s blurry.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Boise State Broncos Preview
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr (13) warms up before a NCAA football game against Texas A&M at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in South Bend© MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Notre Dame has to win out. And yes, America – and way too many people who do what I do who should know better – an Irish team with two razor-thin losses to two great teams, followed up by a ten-win run, gets it in.
But again, this is just one step along the way. Neither team can lose the rest of the regular season.
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How To Watch Notre Dame vs Boise State
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Game Time: 3:30 PM ET
TV: NBC
Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN
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Why Boise State Will Win
The Broncos had a clunker of an opening, but it’s been fantastic in the three games since.Â
No, they haven’t played anyone as good as USF – and certainly not anyone as strong as Notre Dame – but they’ve been fantastic.
The passing game is averaging close to 300 yards per game, the Ashton Jeanty-less ground attack is going off, averaging close to six yards per game, and Notre Dame’s defensive front can’t stop much of it.
This isn’t the Irish D of last year. It’s having a hard time stopping the run, a harder time stopping anyone from throwing for big yards, and Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen should be able to open things up and keep up the pace, because …
Sep 20, 2025; Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA; Boise State Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen (4) before the game against the Air Force Falcons at Falcon Stadium.© Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Why Notre Dame Will Win
This isn’t the Irish O of last year.
The rushing combination of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price is the best in the nation – those two would start in the NFL right now – and there’s already murmuring that Notre Dame might have a future No. 1 overall draft pick in quarterback CJ Carr.
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Everything is clicking. The downfield passing game is eating up defenses, the ground attack is ripping off yards in chunks, and no one’s stopping this bunch now.Â
The Boise State defense stepped up in the blowout win over App State last week, but it didn’t do anything to stop Air Force, and USF rumbled at will. And …
Notre Dame doesn’t screw up enough to biff this
Historically, Notre Dame loses when it doesn’t run at least 30 times. So there’s a chance that the coaching staff forgets to keep giving the ball to the amazing backs – it happened against Miami this year, and Northern Illinois last year.
But the Irish aren’t turning the ball over, there isn’t a problem with penalties, and despite a great first half by Boise State that will send Irish social media types into their respective panic rooms, everything will break through in the second half.
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Notre Dame vs Boise State Prediction, Betting Lines
Notre Dame 41, Boise State 20
Line: Notre Dame -20.5, o/u: 62.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Must See Rating: 3
Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
–Â CFP Top 12 & Projections
Related: Miami vs Florida State Prediction: Is This the ACC Championship?
This story was originally reported by College Football News on Oct 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.