Notre Dame football stumbled on the big stage with a loss at BYU on Saturday night. Now both teams are in the AP’s top 5 — No. 2 BYU and No. 4 Notre Dame — but the pressure on the Irish will be greater with a smaller margin for error.

As ND begins its off week, Blue & Gold’s Eric Hansen and Tyler James dive into the issues BYU exposed and what the Irish can do to correct them to make a College Football Playoff run.

On this week's Football Never Sleeps:
• The most troubling parts of Notre Dame’s loss to BYU
• What the Irish must improve before meeting No. 1 Miami
• The difficulty of balancing Navy preparation while addressing season-long development
• Our confidence level in ND’s CFP outlook

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Order BGI's new book — The Gold Standard: The Best of Notre Dame Football, 1976–2025 — here: https://bluegoldonline.com/store/The-Gold-Standard-The-Best-of-Notre-Dame-Football-1976-2025-p838457929

Next week's "Football Never Sleeps" will air Monday at 7 p.m. EDT.

Want to watch "Football Never Sleeps" on YouTube? Catch it on Blue & Gold's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@notredamefightingirish

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Tom Lemming, legendary recruiting analyst for Prep Football Report, discusses Notre Dame's 2026 season, how BYU has built its program, if Notre Dame made a mistake in the 2025 quarterback recruiting cycle with Bear Bachmeier and Deuce Knight, concern of ND QB commit Champ Monds' lack of experience, who has the higher ceiling between freshman QBs Noah Grubbs and Teddy Jarrard, Notre Dame's recruiting targets in Chicago, Marcus Freeman's recruiting efforts and much more.

Then Eric Hansen and Tyler James answer questions from X/Twitter and The Lou Somogyi Board (28:22).

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📗Order BGI's new book — The Gold Standard: The Best of Notre Dame Football, 1976–2025 — here: https://bluegoldonline.com/store/The-Gold-Standard-The-Best-of-Notre-Dame-Football-1976-2025-p838457929

👀 Tune in Monday at 7 p.m. EDT for the next edition of Football Never Sleeps on the Blue & Gold YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NotreDameFightingIrish

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No. 2 Notre Dame football enters the second half of the 2026 season unbeaten, but how close are the Irish to becoming a national championship-caliber team?

With a top-10 showdown against No. 8 BYU looming Saturday night in Provo, Utah, Blue & Gold's Eric Hansen and Tyler James take a deep dive into Notre Dame's College Football Playoff outlook, the team's biggest strengths and remaining concerns, and the players who could help elevate the Irish over their final six regular-season games.

Topics include:
• National championship measuring stick: How does Notre Dame stack up statistically against the nation's other top contenders?
• Midseason report card: Where have the Irish improved the most, and which areas still need attention?
• Notre Dame vs. BYU preview: Key storylines, matchup challenges and the latest from Marcus Freeman as the Irish prepare for a pivotal road test.

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code ON3 for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.

Subscribe to BlueandGold.com: https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/join/?utm_source=publisher&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=subscriber_referral&ref=1041164

Order BGI's new book — The Gold Standard: The Best of Notre Dame Football, 1976–2025 — here: https://bluegoldonline.com/store/The-Gold-Standard-The-Best-of-Notre-Dame-Football-1976-2025-p838457929

Next week's "Football Never Sleeps" will air Monday at 7 p.m. EDT.

Want to watch "Football Never Sleeps" on YouTube? Catch it on Blue & Gold's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@notredamefightingirish

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.