Noah Cahill
1-7 Boston College should pose no threat to a Notre Dame team coming off a bye week, riding a five-game win streak. While a rivalry matchup on the road may have been circled on schedules in the past, the 2025 iteration of the Eagles doesn’t bring much to the table on either side of the ball.
The Irish, on the other hand, have found their stride offensively while tightening up on defense. They overcame freshman quarterback CJ Carr’s worst performance of the season against the Trojans, while making just enough plays on the other end to hold on. That represented one of the toughest remaining tests on the road back to the College Football Playoff. However, with injuries piling up, taking care of business quickly on Saturday may be just as important. I believe head coach Marcus Freeman’s group will have no trouble doing it.
Prediction: Notre Dame: 48, BC: 10
Chris Dailey
Freeman learned his lesson. Notre Dame’s head coach will no longer take these seemingly “smaller” games with an approach that is anything less than that of a championship-winning team. Everyone around the country knows that Boston College is a 1-7 team. The Eagles lost to the Cardinal of Stanford, 30-20. How is Stanford doing? Well, they were just thrashed by No. 10 Miami, 42-7 last week. Let’s not forget this Irish team lost to the Hurricanes on the road by three in the first start of Carr’s career.
Needless to say, Notre Dame will be bringing that elite mentality with them to Chestnut Hill. Expect them to do their best to dominate on both sides of the ball early and often so starters can earn even more rest before the final few games of the season. Whether it’s through the air, on the ground or defensively, this Irish team should out-class Boston College in all areas of the game. Don’t expect this to be a close one.
Prediction: Notre Dame: 52 , BC: 17
Ben Hicks
Yes, this is a rivalry game. And yes, Notre Dame is on the road. But this is a bad Boston College team whose worst units make this an even tougher matchup against the Irish. With much of the top-10 holding serve across the country, head coach Marcus Freeman’s bunch isn’t assured a spot in the College Football Playoff just by winning out. The Irish will need to win all five games in November, and do so pretty convincingly if they want to extend their season. That has to start this weekend in Chestnut Hill.
The Eagles haven’t captured the Holy War since pitching a shutout in 2008, and this version of BC’s defense isn’t likely to replicate that showing. Excluding their week one win over FCS Fordham, the Eagles have allowed at least 28 points in every game, and have conceded at least 38 in each of their last four outings. That doesn’t bode well against an Irish attack featuring freshman quarterback Carr and junior running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Led by the offense, Notre Dame will win big, and that should go a long way as the Irish continue their postseason push.
Prediction: Notre Dame: 56, BC: 10
Henry Lytle
Coming off the bye, the Irish will be well rested against a 1-7 Boston College team that has struggled with just about every opponent. They are allowing nearly 38 points per game on defense and only scoring 21 on the offensive side – not a recipe for success against a scorching hot offense with one of the most vicious run games in the country. Notre Dame is too explosive on both the ground and the air for me to give Boston College much of a chance at stopping them.
The only chance I will give the Eagles at keeping this close is if they can unlock the big play and keep up the scoring. That said, the Irish have been steadily improving on defense, especially in the turnover margin, where they are back to 11th in the country. I think this game serves as a springboard to set up the Irish for the rest of the season, where they will be favored in every game. This week, Notre Dame rolls.
Prediction: Notre Dame: 42, BC: 13
Tyler Reidy
I’m with Henry as far as this week’s prediction goes. Sure, Boston College was close for a while with a top-20 Louisville team last weekend. But how often do you see that type of performance two weeks in a row? Though the 28.5-point spread for Saturday’s game may be a touch on the high side, I don’t see Boston College being in the game for very long.
Since last September’s loss to Northern Illinois, the Irish have made a habit of comfortably beating inferior teams – Arkansas and NC State being two of the top examples this year. Notre Dame also tends to dominate games against ACC competition, which it will see plenty of down the stretch in November. Look for this week’s result to be a signal that the Irish are still locked in as ever and that they remain a tough Playoff selection out with two losses, even with the concerns about multiple bids in the ACC and Big 12.
Prediction: Notre Dame: 42, BC: 14
Claire Watson
As the Irish have rounded out their three-game homestand, they now look ahead to Boston College. The junior running back duo of Love and Price leads the offense with the help of Carr, who has shown the Notre Dame fanbase why he can be just as much of an anchor as the backfield. Combined, Love and Price have a total of 23 touchdowns, while Carr has 16 of his own, throwing 14 and rushing for two.
Boston College comes into this game 1-7, with its sole win against Fordham in its season opener. That being said, they should not be taken lightly, as several other games were close losses. Should Notre Dame utilize Carr’s ability to throw downfield, they will take the game comfortably. They should not neglect the strong team that is Boston College, though.
Prediction: Notre Dame: 27, BC: 18
