US LBM Coaches Poll No. 3 Notre Dame will welcome Boston College to South Bend on Saturday for the 29th edition of its historic rivalry. 

The Fighting Irish (8-1) and the Eagles (4-5) will meet in the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl, better known as the “Holy War,” as they battle for the coveted Ireland Trophy.

Notre Dame will also face Boston College coach Bill O’Brien for the second year in a row. O’Brien and the Eagles lost 25-10 to the Irish in 2025.

“To be a part of this game is really what college football is all about, to say that you played in this game at Boston College and then obviously at Notre Dame, at these stadiums,” O’Brien said at his press conference on Thursday. “To be part of an iconic rivalry like this, we embrace it. I think it’s awesome.”

O’Brien has been the head coach at Boston College for three seasons so far. He has compiled a 13-20 overall record and a 7-14 mark in the ACC.

In 2002, O’Brien was briefly Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator but left before he started coaching. He was a head coach at Penn State in the early 2010s and compiled a 15-9 record in two seasons.

O’Brien was also at the helm of the Houston Texans from 2014 to 2020. He racked up a 52-48 record and led the Texans to four playoff appearances.