The Anti-Preview: #10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish VS Duke Blue Devils

College football is back, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are back — and of course the Anti-Preview is back. WE BACK BAYBEEEE!

It’s the ACC opener, and that means David Cutcliffe and the Duke Blue Devils are making the trip up from Tobacco Road to welcome the Irish to the conference. It’s all so quaint — until it ain’t.

Duke Blue Devils

I have nothing but respect for David Cutcliffe and what he’s done for Duke football over the years — it’s amazing. Still, there is just a ridiculous talent gap here from top to bottom. That doesn’t mean Duke doesn’t have ome really good football players though. I like running back Deon Jackson quite a bit, and defensive end Victor Dimukeje can be a problem. The real x-factor for Duke, however, will be how well quarterback Chase Brice performs this year.

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

What should you be drinking?

It’s called, “The Force.” There really isn’t much more to be said about its dominance with a name like that. The recipe comes from a friend (and a HUGE closet Notre Dame fan) Michael Felder AKA @InTheBleachers. This is what we do for home openers — we kick it with, “The Force.” Yep, it’s called tradition. Forget uniforms, turf preferences, or even fullbacks — this is what TRADITION really is.

THIS DRINK IS NOT FOR THE WEAK

We like to make ours in a Gatorade cooler, the type with the spout on the bottom so that there’s no dippage, I’m a germaphobe.

• 24 cheap beers (Natural Light is our go to)
• 1 half gallon cheap vodka (Aristocrat will do)
• 1 19 oz Country Time Lemonade POWDER
• *optional is a fifth of everclear (not suitable for freshman)
• *suggested is frozen lemonade or fruit punch concentrate (ice without watering things down)

Pour the case of beer into the cooler, add the vodka, stir in the lemonade powder. We like to put frozen blocks of ice in ziploc bags to keep it cold but strong. I will warn you that everyone’s first experience ends badly. I passed out for the first half of the UNC-Rutgers game in 2006, woke up, everyone was at the game and I was still at the house.

It is delicious though, I’ve seen it called Moose Juice and Summer Beer as well.

What should you be eating?

Well it ain’t boneless wings — that’s for sure. That would be tempting fate with the divine as boneless wings are creations of the beast, and come from the great abyss.

Let me help you out:

What should you be wearing?

I feel like a dad telling his kids “NO” to things — but I am what I am. So:

• No pajamas. You should get dressed.
• No masks. There’s no need for a mask because 99.9% of you (or greater) won’t be at the game.
• No terrible “The Shirts”. Just stop it already.

But now that we have that out of the way — it’s your call. You earned it after everything 2020 threw our way. Here’s a random google image of people tailgating at Notre Dame. So, something like this (or opposite).

3 reasons to HATE Duke

• They are a conference opponent.
• Grayson Allen.
• Really just everything about the basketball program.

At the end of the day...

Brendan made an excellent point on the OFD Podcast. Do you really think the Notre Dame depth chart is set up that way for any other reason than to pound the football on the ground? I really can’t speak to Duke’s physicality at this point, but in the first game coming off of the coronavirus pandemic — I have to believe Notre Dame is bigger, stronger, and faster. The Irish will want to bully Duke around, and sure LFG!

IRISH WIN, 41-10