Herbstreit Changes Tune on Notre Dame’s Schedule
If you’ve been following college football lately, you might have noticed that ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit seemed quite fond of Notre Dame, even going so far as to predict they’d win the national championship. However, that enthusiasm appears to have faded.
In a recent interview with Mike Greenberg from ESPN, Herbstreit criticized the Irish, labeling their schedule as an “embarrassment.”
“Notre Dame plays just two games where they will actually face a challenge,” Herbstreit pointed out. “One of those is against BYU, where they’re favored, and the other is at home against Miami.”
Herbstreit further elaborated, “Just think about what teams like Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State are up against. This sort of scheduling can’t keep happening. It’s not only embarrassing; it’s incredibly unfair.”
Indeed, Notre Dame’s schedule doesn’t inspire fear. In 2026, they face three ranked teams, including two in the top 10—one of which is on the road.
Is it the toughest schedule out there? Not really. But calling it an “embarrassment” seems a bit excessive.
Interestingly, he didn’t mention Miami when addressing weaker schedules. Miami, part of the ACC and partnered with ESPN, has only one ranked opponent on its schedule: Notre Dame.
If Notre Dame’s three ranked opponents, including two top 10 teams, are considered an “embarrassment,” how can Miami’s lone ranked opponent escape similar scrutiny? Or is Herbstreit selectively criticizing teams that don’t have broadcast ties to his employer?
Miami isn’t the only top 10 team judging by a relatively weak schedule compared to Notre Dame. Texas Tech, for example, has only two ranked opponents—neither ranked higher than 18th.
When it comes to BYU, who faces Notre Dame this Saturday, they too have just two ranked opponents: Notre Dame and Utah, with only Notre Dame currently in the top 10—Utah sits at 11th.
So, why isn’t Texas Tech or BYU referred to as an “embarrassment”? Why aren’t they being urged to step up? Does anyone genuinely think Herbstreit doesn’t know about the leniency in the schedules of Miami, Texas Tech, and BYU?
Herbstreit began his broadcasting career as someone known for being straightforward—he even went out of his way to show fairness to Michigan to avoid any bias accusations due to his Ohio State background.
But now, years later, he seems to have joined the ranks of other analysts. He criticized Notre Dame last year while defending Alabama’s place in the playoffs—yet another team with a broadcast deal with ESPN, which raised eyebrows.
He spent the offseason touting Notre Dame as the top college football team, but now he’s reverted to his earlier critical stance.
It’s puzzling when exactly that shift occurred, but it’s somewhat disappointing to see him fall into the same pattern as many other commentators.
A network mouthpiece.
