Up next: Notre Dame vs. Stanford, October 10, 2026 — the belt is on the line
Notre DameAP No. 3Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame NBC
100% to defend, per our Elo estimate · 49% to hold the belt into the offseason (full season outlook) · line Notre Dame -38.0, O/U 54.5 (Bovada)
How to watch Notre Dame vs. Stanford
| When | October 10, 2026 · 3:30 PM ET |
|---|---|
| TV | NBC |
| Where | Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame |
| Why it matters | Notre Dame puts the lineal College Football Belt on the line; beat the holder and Stanford takes it. |
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Notre Dame hosts Stanford with the belt on the line
Notre Dame hosts Stanford with the College Football Belt on the line. The Irish are heavy favorites in this matchup, bringing dominant recent form and a commanding head-to-head advantage into their home stadium.
Worth watching
- Notre Dame's offense vs Stanford's defense: The Irish have scored 49, 52, 41, 37, and 27 points in their last five games, while Stanford has allowed 57, 45, 35, and 7 points in recent contests.
- Stanford's ability to stay competitive: The Cardinal have won only one of their last five games (37-27 vs Hawai'i) and face an Irish team that has not lost since claiming the belt.
The numbers
Notre Dame owns a 25-14 series advantage and has dominated recent meetings decisively, winning 56-23, 49-7, and 49-20 in their last three matchups. Stanford's sole recent win in the series came in 2022 by 16-14, but the Irish have won every contest since, suggesting a clear power gap has emerged. Stanford's recent form is concerning—the Cardinal are 1-4 in their last five games with losses of 57-3, 45-6, and 35-7.
Notre Dame 48, Stanford 14
Notre Dame is the clear choice to retain the belt. The Irish have won three straight against Stanford by an average margin of more than 20 points, and their recent five-game run shows consistent dominance: wins of 52-0, 49-10, 41-13, 37-26, and 27-10. Stanford's form has deteriorated sharply, with four losses in their last five games including a 57-3 defeat to Wake Forest and a 45-6 loss to Miami. The Cardinal's lone bright spot came against Hawai'i with a 37-27 victory, but that is insufficient evidence they can compete with an Irish team riding this kind of momentum. Notre Dame should control this game from start to finish and extend their dominance in the series.
Written by Claude from the stats and forecast on this page — a for-fun editorial call, not betting advice or a guarantee. If it stops being fun, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-522-4700.
Last 5 games
Notre Dame
- W 37–26 at North Carolina October 3, 2026
- W 49–10 at Purdue September 26, 2026
- W 27–10 vs Michigan State September 19, 2026
- W 52–0 vs Rice September 12, 2026
- W 41–13 vs Wisconsin September 6, 2026
Stanford
- L 3–57 at Wake Forest October 3, 2026
- W 34–27 vs Georgia Tech September 26, 2026
- L 7–35 at Duke September 19, 2026
- L 6–45 vs Miami September 4, 2026
- W 37–27 vs Hawai'i August 29, 2026
All-time series
Notre Dame leads the series 25–14
| Season | Matchup | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Notre Dame at Stanford | 49–20 |
| 2024 | Stanford at Notre Dame | 7–49 |
| 2023 | Notre Dame at Stanford | 56–23 |
| 2022 | Stanford at Notre Dame | 16–14 |
| 2021 | Notre Dame at Stanford | 45–14 |
| 2019 | Notre Dame at Stanford | 45–24 |
| 2018 | Stanford at Notre Dame | 17–38 |
| 2017 | Notre Dame at Stanford | 20–38 |
From the shop
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