One Foot Down writer Patrick Sullivan predicts Notre Dame will beat Purdue 48-16 Saturday. He expects CJ Carr to pass well and the Irish defense to force turnovers, while Purdue finds success through the air before Notre Dame pulls away in the fourth quarter.
Sullivan said safeties Brauntae Johnson and Luke Talich would miss the game with injuries. He identified freshman safety Joey O’Brien, who had played only 22 snaps in games 1–3, and defensive backs other than star corner Leonard Moore as potential targets for Purdue’s passing attack. He also said pressuring Carr and slowing Notre Dame’s inconsistent run game could help Purdue.
Sullivan said Notre Dame was generally viewed as a top-10 NIL spender. The Athletic estimated spending on the 2026 roster at about $41–48 million, ranking it seventh nationally. Sullivan named alumni Tom Mendoza and Brian Moynihan and donor collectives as sources of support, while saying he did not know all the fundraising details.
