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Notre Dame football score predictions: Fighting Irish vs. Stanford national picks

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•11/24/23•

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Photo by Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

It’s tough to find anybody picking Stanford (3-8) to beat No. 18 Notre Dame (8-3). It actually might be impossible.

The Cardinal have not won a single game at home in 2023. They’re the only FBS team that can say that. Yes, Notre Dame has struggled on the road this season. The Fighting Irish haven’t won away from South Bend since September. But it’s just as tough to find a collective pulse in Stanford Stadium as it is to find anybody predicting an upset in Palo Alto on Saturday.

Of course, somehow, Stanford sprung an upset of the Irish at Notre Dame Stadium last October. In a 3-9 season marred by injuries and objectively poor play, the Cardinal snapped a three-game losing skid in the rivalry series with a 16-14 victory over head coach Marcus Freeman and company.

Freeman remembers the defeat very well. He didn’t shy away from it in his Monday press conference. Everyone involved in Blue and Gold has not forgotten it. That includes junior running back Audric Estimé, who had a costly fumble in the loss. This could be his last game in a Notre Dame uniform, and with the season he’s had (185 carries for 1,103 yards and 14 touchdowns) it’s safe to project Estimé to go out on a strong note.

Here is how a collection of national pundits see the game playing out.

Bleacher Report: Notre Dame 31, Stanford 20

“Notre Dame has been vulnerable outside of South Bend, but Stanford has scored more than 20 points in only two games against power-conference teams. That’s a tough sell for an upset.” — David Kenyon

Sporting News: Notre Dame 48, Stanford 17

“Stanford stunned Notre Dame last season, but the Cardinal are in the midst of a rebuild under Troy Taylor. The Irish are 3-1 ATS in games where they are favored by more than 20 points, a nod that Marcus Freeman learned from those upset losses in 2022. Stanford is 0-5 S/U against ranked teams, and four of those losses are by 35 points or more. This will be another tough lesson in the final game of the Pac-12 Network.” — Bill Bender

Athlon Sports

  • Steven Lassan: Fighting Irish
  • Joe Vitale: Fighting Irish
  • Luke Easterling: Fighting Irish

USA Today

  • Scooby Axson: Fighting Irish
  • Jace Evans: Fighting Irish
  • Paul Myerberg: Fighting Irish
  • Erick Smith: Fighting Irish
  • Eddie Timanus: Fighting Irish
  • Dan Wolken: Fighting Irish

The Athletic’s advanced metrics model: Notre Dame -23

Austin Mock’s model takes in past performance, returning talent and recruiting rankings.

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