No. No. 7 Notre Dame travels to No. 20 Texas A&M in a marquee matchup for both programs to open the 2024 season. The Fighting Irish were picked in the preseason top 10 and are a heavy favorite for the College Football Playoff. Third-year coach Marcus Freeman has a career record of 19-8 but has yet to lead his team to a top-10 ranking.

The Aggies are entering a new era under first-year coach Mike Elko, who quickly turned Duke into a winner at his last stop. Elko was aggressive in the transfer portal to replace depth, landing the No. 4 overall pick with 28 commits. Quarterback Conner Weigman has struggled with injuries, but is a potential breakout star if he can stay healthy.

Notre Dame has played Texas A&M five times in its history and has a 3-2 lead. However, the Aggies won the most recent game, a 24-3 win in 2001. The latter is the only historic game between the two teams at Kyle Field, with three games taking place at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas between 1988 and 1994.

Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M: Need to know

New offensive era: Marcus Freeman was aggressive in revamping his offense and brought in two of the top free agents on the market. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock comes to South Bend after coaching Jayden Daniels to the Heisman Trophy at LSU. He has a new signal caller to work with after Riley Leonard transferred from Duke. Leonard missed much of the 2023 season with injuries, but threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns while, ironically, playing for current Texas A&M coach Mike Elko.

Renewed program: Texas A&M hired Elko to lead the program and his unique fingerprints are already all over it. Offensive coordinator Collin Klein has embraced the quarterback run and spread concepts. The defense will rely more heavily on the defensive line and pass rusher Nic Scourton. By all accounts, Texas A&M will simplify and embrace its playmakers.

Battle at the Edges: Notre Dame lost projected offensive tackle Charles Jagusah to a season-ending injury, and now freshman Anthonie Knapp will start for the Irish. Notre Dame will start three sophomores and two freshmen overall, and it comes against a Texas A&M defensive front that could be one of the best in college football. Defensive end Nic Scourton led the Big Ten with 10 sacks last season and could be the Aggies’ best edge rusher since Myles Garrett. Shemar Turner, Shemar Stewart and DJ Hicks were all nationally top-75 recruits with a lot of experience. There’s a real chance that Notre Dame’s line is simply overmatched.

How to Watch Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M live

Date: Saturday August 31 | Time: 7:30 PM ET
Location: Kyle Field – College Station, Texas
TV: ABC | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)

Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M Prediction, Pick

Despite the ranking difference, Texas A&M is a slight favorite over Notre Dame. If you look at the rosters, that advantage is not without reason. The Aggies can ruin the game in the trenches and potentially cause real headaches with their stacked defensive line. The big questions for Texas A&M come on offense, but the Aggies will do just enough to leave Kyle Field with their first signature win under Mike Elko. Pick: Texas A&M -3

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