Notre Dame Football Predictions: Can the Fighting Irish Win 10+ Games in 2022?

It’s an exciting time to be a sports fan in the United States. Now that August is here, we’re less than one month away from the 2022 NCAA college football season, which sees the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looking for their first National Championship in nearly 35 years.

It’s a big year for Marcus Freeman, who enters his first season as head coach at Notre Dame. The 36-year-old is a former 2009 NFL fifth-round draft pack and previously spent the 2021 campaign serving as the Fighting Irish’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

Being one of the biggest football schools in the country means that there’s always a ton of pressure on Notre Dame. Naturally, fans are wondering if the team can challenge for a National Championship this fall and what are the chances that they can win at least 10 or more games.

Fortunately, the latest NCAAF odds on BetOnline Sportsbook help shed some light on the probability of both of those scenarios.

Notre Dame National Championship Odds

CFP National Championship Odds (As of 9:37 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 3)

• Alabama (+180)
• Ohio State (+300)
• Georgia (+350)
• Clemson (+800)
• USC (+2000)
• Texas A&M (+2500)
• Oklahoma (+5000)
• Notre Dame (+6000)
• Michigan (+6000)
• Utah (+8000)
• Texas (+8000)

Odds are via BetOnline Sportsbook.

As you can see, Notre Dame is available at +6000 odds to win this year’s CFP National Championship, putting the Fighting Irish in a tie with Michigan for the eighth-best odds.

Having said that, those odds translate to an implied probability of just 1.6%. For comparison sake, Alabama’s +180 odds equate to an implied probability of 35.7%, which shows that Notre Dame has a bit of a gap to close.

Nevertheless, the Fighting Irish still have a realistic chance of challenging for the championship. They’re viewed as a top-10 unit in the nation and it’ll be up to them to live up to that hype.

One thing that Freeman must bring to the table if a national title is the goal is the same defensive effort he brought last year as the Notre Dame DC. The Fighting Irish only surrendered 19.7 points per game last year, ranking 14th-best in the NCAA.

With Jack Coan gone, Tyler Buchner is the new starting quarterback in town. Buchner’s rushing skills can certainly help in the pursuit of a championship, proven by his 46 carries for 336 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Having said that, Buchner’s passing was a bit shaky at times. Though he completed 60% of his 35 passing attempts, he averaged just 8.5 yards per completion, throwing three TDs to a trio of interceptions along the way.

There are going to be growing pains this season and despite the talent level that Notre Dame possesses, it might be asking a bit much for Freeman to win a National Championship in Year 1.

I think that the Fighting Irish will continue to be one of America’s best teams, however, I don’t think a championship run is in the cards this season.

Can Notre Dame Win 10+ Games in 2022?

Odds to Win 10+ Games (As of 9:54 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 3)

• Notre Dame (+250)

As it stands, BetOnline Sportsbook is giving Notre Dame +250 odds to win 10 or more games in the upcoming NCAAF season. Those odds translate to an implied probability percentage of 28.6%.

Winning at least 10 games is something that hasn’t been an issue for the Fighting Irish lately. They’ve hit the mark in each of the previous five campaigns and have only failed to do so once since 2015.

Looking at Notre Dame’s 12-game schedule, most of the matchups are certainly winnable. Having said that, the three opponents that should give the Fighting Irish a tough time are Ohio State, Clemson and USC.

Mark your calendars. The 2022 schedule is here.#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/dGrcws1Fxg

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 7, 2021

In fact, Notre Dame and Ohio State actually collide in Week 1. The Buckeyes handed the Fighting Irish a 37-35 loss in the Fiesta Bowl to close out the 2021 season, so it’s clear that OSU knows how to handle Notre Dame. Only time will tell if history repeats itself.

It also goes without saying that Clemson is a tough team to beat more often than not. The Tigers have won four of their last five matchups against the Fighting Irish, winning the most recent one, 34-10, on Dec. 19, 2020.

Notre Dame has won four straight matchups against USC, but a season finale against the Trojans won’t be easy either.

If Notre Dame can win at least one of the games against Ohio State, Clemson or USC, 10-plus victories are well within the realm of possibility.

Other NCAAF Articles on Betting News

• 2022 Heisman Trophy Odds: Stroud and Young Lead the Pack
• Big 12 Championship Betting 2022: Can Oklahoma Win Fifth Title in Six Years?