The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a tremendous opportunity in front of them on Saturday night when they welcome the #1 ranked Clemson Tigers to South Bend. Regardless of the narratives surrounding the game with so many people out for Clemson, the stage is set for them to make their case.
So make it a good one.
If you have listened to Brendan and I ramble on the OFD Podcast about the recruiting differences between the Irish and Clemson, then you know that the biggest thing separating them is the quality skill positions and that so-called “elite” quarterback. Their actual team recruiting rankings are remarkably similar, and carry equal depth.
So a couple of things to consider here:
- Is D.J. Uiagalelei going to be able to operate on anywhere near the same level as Trevor Lawrence while making his first road start?
- Can D.J. throw it to anyone other than Amari Rogers or RB Travis Etienne?
- Will the Irish consistently pound the middle of Clemson’s depleted defense with the running game?
- How will the Irish be able to manufacture some chunk plays in the passing game to keep Brent Venebles honest?
Don’t let anyone cheapen this game — win or lose. There’s a lot going on here, and we should all be buzzing for a top 4 matchup under the Golden Dome.
Because Notre Dame is doing the FULL ACC thing this season, we are going to go all in as well. We are picking ALL the ACC games every week. The tabs hold all the picks — straight up, against the spread, and the over / under.
This week’s games are:
- Miami-Florida Hurricanes @ N.C. State Wolfpack
- Liberty Flames @ Virginia Tech Hokies
- North Carolina Tar Heels @ Duke Blue Devils
- Boston College Eagles @ Syracuse Orange
- Pittsburgh Panthers @ Florida State Seminoles
- Louisville Cardinals @ Virginia Cavaliers (POSTPONED)
We are using Tallysight this year. You can click on the each game to see what explanation we give for our selection.