Football Never Sleeps: How Notre Dame turns national title ambitions into reality

Notre Dame football is 2-0 and ranked No. 3 in the latest AP Top 25, with Marcus Freeman’s Fighting Irish continuing their pursuit of a College Football Playoff berth and national championship in 2026.But how does Notre Dame turn its early-season promise into a team capable of winning it all?Blue & Gold’s Eric Hansen and Tyler James break down what the Irish still need to tweak, where Notre Dame has made meaningful progress and which new faces could emerge as bigger factors Saturday against Michigan State and beyond.With Notre Dame likely to be a heavy favorite until at least its mid-October road test at BYU, the challenge is about more than simply stacking wins. It’s about continuing to build a championship-caliber team.Topics include:• Which young Notre Dame players who saw action in the 52-0 win over Rice warrant another look against Michigan State?• What early statistical trends should concern Marcus Freeman and the Irish?• The biggest takeaways from Freeman’s latest press conference heading into the Notre Dame-Michigan State rivalry renewal• Could a No. 1-vs.-No. 2 showdown eventually be coming to Notre Dame Stadium?• The latest Notre Dame football recruiting buzz and what’s next for the IrishDownload 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=1041164Order 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-p838457929Next 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.