Man, talk about a heartbreaker! Our Washington Huskies gave it absolutely everything, but ultimately fell 25-21 to the USC Trojans in a gut-wrenching battle. You could feel the Emerald City holding its breath right to the final whistle. While that one still stings, it actually shines a light on something interesting brewing down in college football, specifically with Notre Dame’s schedule. Everyone’s been calling their 2026 slate “soft,” but after Week 5, that narrative might need a serious rewrite.
The Irish’s Early Season Roll Gets A Reality Check
Let’s be real, Notre Dame has been steamrolling teams, making that “easy schedule” talk look legitimate early on. They took a minute to get going against the Wisconsin Badgers in the season opener, then totally whooped ’em 42-13. Then they welcomed the Rice Owls to South Bend and sent them packing with a brutal 52-0 loss. Michigan State gave them their best shot, but still went down 27-10. Purdue got absolutely covered, losing 49-10 in a game that was never close. Even against North Carolina, where the Irish ran into a bit of a clunker and some rain, they still pulled out a 37-26 win. No wonder they’re popular picks for the national championship! But here’s the kicker: some of those opponents are starting to show some serious teeth.
Week 5’s Wild Swings Prove This Ain’t No Cakewalk
This is where things get interesting, and why that “easy schedule” narrative might be heading for the dumpster. Take a look at some of these Week 5 results for teams Notre Dame has already faced, or will face:
* The Wisconsin Badgers, whom ND stomped, just rolled over Michigan State with a convincing 31-3 win. Wisconsin is sitting at a respectable 4-1.
* Michigan State, fresh off that loss to Wisconsin, is now 2-3.
* Purdue, another ND victim, actually got a W against Illinois, 24-17, moving their record to 2-3.
* Rice Owls are struggling at 1-4 after a 16-14 loss to UTSA.
* Stanford, who Notre Dame plays next, took a massive 57-3 L from Wake Forest, putting them at 2-3.
But hold up, because here’s the real punch to that “easy schedule” talk: Two of Notre Dame’s future opponents are absolutely *balling out*. The BYU Cougars pulled off a 17-10 win against TCU and are sitting pretty at 4-0, ranked #8 in the AP Top 25. And then there’s the Miami Hurricanes, who crushed Clemson 41-13, pushing their record to an unblemished 5-0 and earning them the #4 spot nationally! We also saw SMU beat Boston College 25-16, putting SMU at 4-1 and #24 in the AP poll. Even Syracuse got a nail-biting 42-41 win over UConn. When you’ve got two top-10 teams on your schedule, and another top-25 squad, that “not tough” talk starts looking pretty laughable.
What’s Next: The Stakes Get Real
Notre Dame’s next game is back home to face the Stanford Cardinal for the Legends Trophy, and they’ll definitely be favored. But with BYU and Miami looking like legitimate national title contenders themselves, and holding top-10 rankings, Notre Dame’s path to a championship isn’t going to be the stroll in the park everyone predicted. While the Irish are still a popular pick for the national championship, their strength of schedule might actually matter way more than folks thought just a few weeks ago. It’s not just about winning for them, it’s about *how* they win against increasingly impressive competition. For us in the Emerald City, we’ll be watching how it all unfolds, still thinking about our Huskies and waiting for their next chance to prove what we already know they can do.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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