2026 Notre Dame Football Preseason Guide: Gross Strength


  1. Miami (FL)
  2. BYU
  3. SMU
  4. Navy
  5. North Carolina
  6. Michigan State
  7. Boston College
  8. Wisconsin
  9. Stanford
  10. Purdue
  11. Syracuse
  12. Rice

Miami (FL)

The Hurricanes finished the 2025 season with a +258 overall differential. They put up 459 points, compared with 237 points by all of their opponents. Their largest statistical win was a +42 route of Bethune-Cookman and their most significant losses were -6, to SMU and Indiana.

BYU

BYU finished the 2025 season with a +172 overall differential. They tallied up a total of 440 points, compared with 268 points by all of their opponents. The Cougars beat Portland State with a +69 differential but dropped two games to Texas Tech.  The regular season loss was by a -22 differential and the postseason loss had a -27 differential.

SMU

The SMU Mustangs finished the 2025 season with a +152 overall differential. They recorded 419 points throughout the season, compared with 267 points by their opponents. SMU beat Boston College and Louisville by +32 differentials. The team’s most significant loss was -11 to TCU.

Navy

Navy finished the 2025 season with a +84 overall differential. They tallied up a total of 409 points, compared with 325 points by all of their opponents. Navy’s biggest statistical win was +45 against the Virginia Military Institute and their most significant defeat was -39 to Notre Dame.

North Carolina

The North Carolins Tar Heels finished the 2025 season with a -63 overall differential. The team put up 231 points, compared with 294 points by their opponents. They beat Richmond with a +35 differential and roped a -34 game to TCU.

Michigan State

Michigan State football finished the 2025 season with a -64 overall differential. They recorded 295 points throughout the season, compared with 359 points by their opponents. Michigan State pulled off +17 wins against Western Michigan and Youngstown State and dropped -25 games to UCLS and Indiana.

Boston College

Boston College finished the 2025 season with a -88 overall differential. They tallied up 305 points, compared with 393 points by their opponents. Their biggest statistical victory was a +56 win over Fordham and their most significant loss was -41 to Pitt.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin finished the 2025 season with a -105 overall differential. The team put up 154 points, compared with 259 points by all of their opponents. Their largest win margin was +32 against Middle Tennessee State and their largest loss margin was -37 to Iowa.

Stanford

The Stanford Cardinal finished the 2025 season with a -124 overall differential. They recorded a grand total of 226 points, compared with 350 by their competition. Their most significant statistical win was +21 over California and their most significant loss was -35 to Miami (FL).

Purdue

Purdue finished the 2025 season with a -157 overall differential. They tallied up 225 points throughout the season, compared with 382 points by their opponents. Their most decisive win was +31 against Ball State and their most decisive loss was -36 to Washington.

Syracuse

The Syracuse Orange finished the 2025 season with a -177 overall differential. The team put up 242 points throughout the season, compared with 419 points by their opponents. Syracuse’s biggest statistical victory was +42 over Colgate and the biggest loss was -63 to Notre Dame.

Rice

Rice finished the 2025 season with a -180 overall differential. The Owls recorded a grand total of 248 points, compared with 428 points by their opponents. Their most decisive win was +21 against Prairie View A&M and the team’s most decisive loss was -49 to South Florida.