FIW Staff Backs Notre Dame to Beat Purdue, Sweeping 4 Picks in Week 4

Q: Does a predictable blowout against a heavy underdog actually boost a playoff resume during a weekend of high-stakes ranked matchups?

Not much by itself. If Notre Dame does what everyone expects and routs Purdue, it helps more as a “no-damage” result than as a major playoff boost. That is because playoff résumés are built more on who you beat than on how predictably you beat a weak opponent. Purdue is widely framed as a heavy underdog with a productive quarterback in Ryan Browne but clear roster and defensive limitations. A comfortable win would confirm Notre Dame handled business, and if the Irish look sharp on both sides of the ball, it can modestly strengthen the committee’s view of them as complete and consistent. But on a weekend filled with ranked matchups such as Texas-Tennessee, Oregon-USC, Iowa-Michigan and Texas A&M-LSU, the biggest résumé movement is far more likely to come from teams earning high-value wins or absorbing damaging losses. Those games create direct comparison points that a Purdue blowout cannot fully match. For Notre Dame, the real value is twofold. It preserves an unbeaten record in the 12-team CFP race, where the Irish must finish in the top 12, and it can improve style-of-play perception if the offense looks cleaner, especially in the running game, while the defense continues to perform at an elite level. A sloppy or narrow win would raise more questions than a blowout would answer. So the game matters, but mostly as maintenance. A dominant win keeps Notre Dame on track; it does not carry the same résumé weight as beating a ranked opponent on a loaded Saturday.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 25

All 4 FIW staffers picked Notre Dame to beat Purdue in Week 4, with projected margins ranging from 28 to 59 points in the Irish’s final Big Ten game of 2026.
Notre Dame’s edge rests on two double-digit wins over better Big Ten teams and a defense staffers described as among the nation’s best, even as the Irish still search for a more consistent running game.
Purdue’s main threat is quarterback Ryan Browne, who has completed 73% of his passes for 1,024 yards and 7 touchdowns, but staffers said the Boilermakers lack the overall talent to keep up.
Across 6 top-25 matchups, FIW was unanimous on No. 1 Texas over No. 14 Tennessee and No. 24 Mississippi State over No. 19 Missouri, while split on games including Ole Miss-Florida, Iowa-Michigan, Texas A&M-LSU and Oregon-USC.