Pat McAfee Names Must-Win College Matchup

ESPN analyst Pat McAfee says Notre Dame faces a “must-win” matchup against Pittsburgh in Week 12 to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive.

sarah

Nov 15, 2025 - 22:57

Pat McAfee Names Must-Win College Matchup

ESPN personality Pat McAfee never fails to share his opinions, and his view on which important programs can't afford to lose in Week 12 was solid. While he's certainly not in a position to fire a coach in the context of the College Football Playoff, McAfee's argument that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish must face the Pittsburgh Panthers in Week 12 is solid.

McAfee's Argument

Speaking about the Irish on College GameDay, McAfee said, "For Notre Dame, this is a must-win game." He further acknowledged that Pittsburgh "is no stranger to derailing seasons that have high expectations."

Notre Dame's CFP Rise

After an 0-2 start, the College Football Playoff seemed out of reach for Notre Dame. But the losses to Miami and Texas A&M, both by a combined four points, are long overdue. And since then, the Irish have bounced back, not only playing undefeated football, but, frankly, without even touching anyone. Notre Dame's closest match since the initial two losses was a 34-24 win over now-ranked USC.

Schedule Status for ND

But the Irish have only one match remaining against a top-ranked team, and that's today's match against No. 23 Pittsburgh. A loss would drop Notre Dame's record against top-ranked teams to 1-3, leaving them with no chance of improving their record against Syracuse or Stanford.

Of course, contrary to McAfee's statement, the Irish are in a strong position in the CFP, and if they can perform well against Pittsburgh, they should advance to the CFP with two 3-7 opponents, with no conference championship game to stop them.

Pittsburgh's Challenging End

Pittsburgh's season is similar to Notre Dame's in some ways. The Panthers have only two losses, and they've lost consecutively to West Virginia and Louisville. Furthermore, the only close victory has been a three-point win over Florida State. But with a 5-1 conference record, the Panthers' schedule ends with three consecutive ranked opponents—today against Notre Dame, then Georgia Tech, and at home against Miami in the regular season finale.

Rumors About Freeman

Notre Dame is undoubtedly also hearing rumors that Marcus Freeman is considering a move to another program. The 39-year-old head coach is one of the top targets nationally, and he has recently tried to quell the rumors on this front. The entire story revolves around a challenging game, which McAfee rightly calls a "must-win" one.