LAS VEGAS — The last time Notre Dame won a national football title, in January 1989, Tim Murray was 15 months old.
Touchdown Jesus, the fists-up leprechaun and the rest of the Golden Dome lore would seep into his psyche, thanks to alum/father Chris and sister Beth, part of the Fighting Irish’s first female lacrosse team in the late 1990s.
His Nationals did win the World Series in 2019.
“But Notre Dame football is No. 1, and it’s not close,” Murray said. “Notre Dame football is the reason I’m a sports fan, the reason why I work in sports. A Notre Dame national championship . . .
“It would be hard to put into words what it would mean.”
The 38-year-old Maryland native co-hosts the Vegas Sports & Information Network’s weeknight ‘‘PrimeTime’’ show, with Matt Youmans.
Since Marcus Freeman took over as coach in 2022, Notre Dame’s legion of football aficionados have been spoiled by the squad’s 64.8% (34-18-2) record against the spread, best in the nation.
Ridiculous returns on their investments.
Only one element is missing.
Notre Dame last won it all when Lou Holtz guided it to that 34-21 victory over West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2, 1989.
Caution
In tapping experts about Notre Dame’s chances to go undefeated this season and to win a national title, my first call went to Murray, due to his Irish fervor.
In an initial release of pigskin odds, FanDuel in mid-March made Notre Dame’s win total 11½ (+158 over, -196 under).
Only Texas Tech shared that projection, but has been downgraded after quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s gambling allegations.
William Hill tabbed the Irish as the early +600 national-title favorite.
Murray believes this Irish iteration is poised for its best shot at a national title since 1993, with its most-skilled quarterback, in sophomore CJ Carr, since the Brady Quinn era (2003-06).
“Notre Dame will be favored in every regular-season game, with an amped-up focus after last year’s playoff snub,” he said. “It will have, arguably, the best defense in the country. And no opponent, on a neutral field, would be more than a three-point favorite against the Irish.”
Still, he doesn’t gauge +160 as a rewarding return on an undefeated campaign.
To make the national playoff, though, BetMGM had the Irish at an overwhelming -700, trailed by Indiana (-300), and Miami and Oregon (both -275).
Murray will, at some point this preseason, “have a title ticket in pocket.”
Up to +750
On Tuesday, Circa and Station Casinos, at +750 (or risk $100 to win $750), had the best title odds on the Irish. BetMGM, DraftKings and the Westgate SuperBook were +700.
Youmans predicts Notre Dame to be a double-digit favorite in 10 games. He could only wager under that 11½ total, though, so he passes.
“As deep and talented as this Notre Dame team will be, what happens if CJ Carr gets injured?” he said. “If you bet over 11½, you need the best-case scenario to play out for three months.
“But in football, there are always injuries and bumps in the road. Hopefully, Carr stays healthy and develops, and we see this play out in the playoff this time.”
Land mines
Long Island handicapper Tom Barton believes Notre Dame’s opener against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field will be challenging.
Ultimately, Notre Dame’s coaching and talent is supreme, he says, but Miami, SMU and BYU also concern him.
“Too many land mines, and they only have to step on one,” Barton said. “Plus-600 is tempting . . . but I won’t bet anyone who isn’t at least 10-to-1.”
In Texas, Sean Higgs calls Miami the toughest test and BYU “tricky.” He forecasts that an undefeated Notre Dame might be “too cocky” for likely ranked SMU.
So he dodges the total, too, and discounts a national title.
“I like Texas and [quarterback Arch] Manning,” Higgs said, “to finally live up to all the hype.”
True value
Also in the Lone Star State, ’capper Paul Stone’s power ratings show Notre Dame being a double-digit favorite 10 times, favored by seven against Miami and BYU.
The schedule is enviable, Stone believes Carr could challenge for the Heisman Trophy and nine of the Irish’s top 10 tacklers return to that stout defense.
However, Stone dislikes both sides of that 11½ total. Most college teams, he says, have at least one unexpected “hiccup” in a season.
Notre Dame is among his typical national-title contenders, but he pinpoints 14-1 LSU and new coach Lane Kiffin as value.
“Kiffin is the self-proclaimed Portal King, and nobody did better,” Stone said, highlighting former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt’s transfer to Baton Rouge.
“If Leavitt can stay healthy and return to 2024 form, I could see the Tigers making a serious run at the title.”
The drought
Tim Murray has been figuring which Notre Dame game he’ll attend this season. He’s been to nearly three dozen.
He has replaced Manti T’eo, his devoted Lab mix that passed away last summer, with nearly identical Clover.
Wife Emily and he raise young son Sawyer who, of course, raves about Notre Dame football and covets the No. 4 Jeremiyah Love jersey he got for Christmas.
Sawyer is 8. Does Tim foresee Sawyer celebrating a Fighting Irish football national championship before he turns 38?
“God, I hope so!” Tim said with a laugh. “But yes!”
NOTRE DAME
2026 Football Season
9/6 Wisconsin (in Green Bay)
9/12 Rice
9/19 Michigan State
9/26 at Purdue
10/3 at North Carolina
10/10 Stanford
10/17 at BYU
10/31 Navy (in Foxborough, Mass.)
11/7 Miami
11/14 Boston College
11/21 SMU
11/28 at Syracuse
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
National Title Odds
Odds Team
+650 Texas
+750 Notre Dame, Oregon and Ohio State
+800 Indiana
+900 Georgia
11-1 Miami (Fla.)
14-1 LSU
Source: CircaSports.com
ATS RECORD
Since 2022
Pct. Team
.648 Notre Dame (34-18-2)
.632 Texas Tech (33-19-1)
.630 Troy (34-20)
.616 Ohio State (33-20-3) and Oregon (34-21-1)
.610 Hawaii (30-19-1)
.608 James Madison (31-20)
.606 Missouri (31-20-1)
Source: TeamRankings.com