Stanford will end the 2025 season Saturday with what appears to be its toughest test.

Fresh off reclaiming the Axe in a dominant 31–10 win over Cal , the Cardinal (4-7) will host No. 9 Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. The Fighting Irish (9-2) have won nine games in a row and almost certainly has to beat Stanford to remain in the hunt for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Stanford interim coach Frank Reich said that the opportunity is exactly the kind of test he envisioned when general manager Andrew Luck convinced him to come for one season.

“When I put the tape on yesterday, I was like ‘Wow,’” Reich said. “This is the real deal. This looks like the best team we’ve played all year. … It’s an opportunity to measure our program against someone like that.”

Stanford’s defense is

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