Colin Cowherd used Notre Dame’s season-opening rout of Wisconsin to argue that college football is healthier when historic national brands can still chase a title.
The official account for “The Herd” posted a clip from Cowherd’s Fox Sports Radio and FS1 show Tuesday with the quote: “Was college football really purer when 3 southern teams battled for the title? When Notre Dame can compete for a title – it’s college football.”
The post shares that Cowherd argues Notre Dame’s success is a sign that college football is alive and well. The clip drew more than 90,000 views within hours.
No. 4 Notre Dame beat Wisconsin 41-13 on Sunday night at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in a Shamrock Series game. The Irish led only 13-10 at halftime before outscoring the Badgers 28-3 after the break.
Quarterback CJ Carr threw two touchdown passes. Running back Aneyas Williams rushed for 90 yards and two scores. Colorado transfer DJ McKinney returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.
The Associated Press poll released Monday moved Notre Dame to No. 3. Ohio State remained No. 1. Georgia rose to No. 2. Texas, Indiana and Oregon rounded out the top six.
Cowherd’s point tapped a long debate about geography and power in the sport. From 2006 through 2022, teams from the Deep South won 16 of 17 national championships. Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Florida, Auburn, Clemson and Florida State dominated that stretch.
The Southeastern Conference has won six College Football Playoff titles since the four-team format began in 2014. The conference’s record in playoff games has been the strongest of any league.
Notre Dame claims 11 national championships, the last in 1988. The independent program remains one of the sport’s most recognizable brands, with a national television contract and a fan base that stretches far beyond Indiana.
The Irish were left out of the 12-team College Football Playoff last season despite a 10-2 record and a 10-game winning streak to close the regular season. The snub fueled arguments about scheduling, committee process and whether independents face a different standard.
Cowherd has said for years that the sport suffers when only a handful of Southern programs remain viable. He has argued that Notre Dame, Michigan, USC, Oregon, Penn State and Miami help the product by giving more regions a stake in the title race.
Notre Dame’s 2026 schedule includes home games against Miami, SMU and Stanford and road games at BYU, Purdue and Syracuse. ESPN’s Football Power Index entered the season projecting the Irish as favorites in every game.
Marcus Freeman is in his fifth season as head coach. The Irish returned a large share of production and entered the year determined to leave no doubt after last December’s playoff omission.
College football’s map has shifted with conference realignment, name-image-likeness deals and the expanded playoff. Big Ten and SEC programs still control much of the talent and resources. Programs outside those leagues must win convincingly to stay in the conversation.
Cowherd framed Notre Dame’s early statement as evidence the sport is not a closed Southern club. A national independent sitting in the top three after Week 1, he suggested, is closer to the sport’s traditional identity than a three-team race among familiar regional powers.
Whether the Irish can sustain that status through November will test the argument. For one September afternoon on television, Cowherd treated their presence near the top as a feature, not a flaw.
