Week 12 of the 2025 college football season is here, and there are several marquee games, including a significant matchup between the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the No. 22 Pittsburgh Panthers.
ESPN’s “College GameDay” will air its show from Pittsburgh at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday with kickoff scheduled for shortly after noon ET. Notre Dame comes into the game with a record of 7-2 and on a seven-game winning streak. The Fighting Irish will likely need to win all their remaining games to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff.
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Pittsburgh also has a 7-2 record and will likely need to win the ACC championship to secure a playoff spot. The Panthers are 5-1 in the conference, tied for first place with three other teams. On the show “See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack,” the college football analyst shared his prediction for the game.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with quarterback CJ Carr (13).© Michael Caterina-Imagn Images
“You’ve got Notre Dame, so do I,” Pollack said. “I don’t see how it’s going to be close. I think that because (Pittsburgh) won’t be able to run it, they won’t be able to throw it, their defense is going to have to keep them in it. Notre Dame’s pretty well balanced.”
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The Fighting Irish enter the game with the No. 15-ranked offense in college football. They are ranked No. 26 in both passing and rushing. Quarterback CJ Carr and running back Jeremiyah Love are key players for the team. Carr has passed for 2,275 yards with 19 touchdowns and four interceptions. Meanwhile, Love has rushed for 988 yards and scored 16 touchdowns this season.
Pittsburgh ranks 36th in overall offense. The Panthers are 11th in passing but 104th in rushing. Freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel leads the team and has performed exceptionally well since taking over. In just six games, he has thrown for 1,547 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Notre Dame is playing its best football at the exact moment the committee starts sharpening its pencils. Pittsburgh, despite a breakout freshman quarterback, is entering its most precarious stretch with no margin for error.
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Saturday’s game will air on ABC with Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer on the call.
Related: Paul Finebaum Names College Football Powerhouse That’s a ‘Long Shot’ for the CFP
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
