Following its second and final bye, Syracuse football returns to the field this Saturday afternoon when the Orange travels to surging Notre Dame.
The 'Cuse has lost six straight and hasn't scored more than 18 points in any of those setbacks. Most recently, on November 8, the Orange fell to then-No. 18 Miami on the road by a final score of 38-10.
After Syracuse football plays at No. 9 Notre Dame, which is firmly in the mix for a berth to the 12-team College Football Playoff after reaching the national championship game last season, the Orange will wrap up its 2025 regular season by hosting another struggling Atlantic Coast Conference team, Boston College, on November 29.
For the Fighting Irish, after losing to Miami and Texas A&M to start this campaign, Notre Dame has since rattled off eight consecutive triumphs. The Fighting Irish is an independent in football and, therefore, won't play in a conference title contest.
As such, for Notre to make the 12-team CFP, it must beat the Orange and then Stanford on the road to get to 10-2 overall, experts say.
Syracuse football at No. 9 Notre Dame odds, spread and total
When I wrote this article, FanDuel had the 'Cuse as a huge 35.5-point betting underdog on the road against the Fighting Irish, with the over/under set at 51.5 points.
Syracuse football at No. 9 Notre Dame how to watch
Date: Saturday, Nov. 22
Game Time: 3:30 pm EST
Venue: Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Ind.
TV/Streaming: NBC and fuboTV
Notre Dame's record: 8-2 overall
Syracuse's record: 3-7 overall, 1-6 in the ACC
Syracuse’s full 2025 schedule: Click here
Syracuse football at No. 9 Notre Dame prediction and pick
In their all-time series together, according to SU Athletics, the Orange is 3-8 against Notre Dame, and the Fighting Irish has captured five in a row. The last time that the programs played was in October of 2022, when Notre Dame won at the 'Cuse, 41-24.
Candidly, Saturday's non-conference encounter is a bad match-up for the 'Cuse, For one, Notre Dame is No. 8 nationally in points scored per game, at 38.3. Secondly, the Orange defense is No. 15 in the ACC in points allowed per contest, at 31.5.
Additionally, the Fighting Irish has one of the top running backs in the country in junior Jeremiyah Love. He's No. 4 around the nation in total rushing yards this season, at 1,135. He's averaging 6.4 yards per carry and has scored 14 touchdowns on the ground.
That doesn't bode well for a 'Cuse defense that is also No. 15 in the ACC in rushing yards given up per game, at 163.4. On Monday, via cuse.com, Syracuse football's projected depth chart at quarterback listed freshman Joseph Filardi first, followed by freshman Luke Carney and then redshirt sophomore Rickie Collins Jr.
Syracuse football's projected depth chart on the SU Athletics Web site for the game at No. 9 Notre Dame this Saturday lists freshman Joseph Filardi first at QB, followed by freshman Luke Carney and then redshirt sophomore Rickie Collins Jr. Thoughts? https://t.co/Venhk7pxpC
— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) November 17, 2025
Saturday is a homecoming of sorts for Syracuse football redshirt junior quarterback Steve Angeli, who transferred from the Fighting Irish to the Orange this past offseason. Angeli was leading the country in total passing yards in 2025 before he suffered a season-ending injury in the team's win at Clemson in September. Oh, what could have been, as the 'Cuse was 3-1 after that victory.
I don't expect this game to be close at all. Hopefully, I'm wrong, which is often the case. In any event, I'll go with Notre Dame to knock off Syracuse football, 41-14.