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The Notre Dame football team started their season off with a bang last Saturday after they and transfer quarterback Sam Hartman crushed Navy 42-3 in Dublin, Ireland. The Fighting Irish had the early advantage of being put on display in one of the Week 0 spotlight matchups. With their performance against the Midshipmen, Notre Dame has now become the talk of all of college football, with analysts and fans alike now full of overreactions in regards to the rest of the season. But the Navy game was only one game, and one that was obviously a mismatch in talents. Notre Dame has a plethora of big games remaining on their schedule that will be the true test to see what kind of team they have.
Notre Dame vs. NC State
The Wolfpack was supposed to be the dark horse team of the ACC last season. But then they lost two out of three of their first conference games, and then two more later in the season. However, that doesn't mean this should be a team to sleep on. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong will be key to their success. Luckily, he'll have a fairly veteran offensive line to work with. The defense is the worrisome part for the Wolfpack as they lost several key starters. That won't bode well for them if Sam Hartman is slinging the ball around like he did against Navy.
This will be Notre Dame football's first real test of the season, with their next game being against Tennessee State. It will also be two games before the big showdown with Ohio State. This will be a noon kickoff, on the road in Raleigh. This could easily be a trap game, and we know how crazy those noon kickoffs can get.
Notre Dame vs. Ohio State
In my Notre Dame football, Navy overreaction piece, I said two things: 1.) Sam Hartman was the best quarterback since Brady Quinn, and 2.) Notre Dame was going to beat Ohio State. (They're called overreactions for a reason, folks.) Do I fully believe that? I'm not sure. But Hartman looked phenomenal in his first game playing for the Fighting Irish. If you've kept up with him at all, you know he can put up monster numbers. But can he do that against an Ohio State football defense?
Ryan Day brought in Jim Knowles last season from Oklahoma State to improve the defense. And while the Buckeyes definitely seemed improved, that faltered when it mattered most, namely against archrival Michigan and Georgia in the semifinal playoff game. If Notre Dame is undefeated by this game, this could easily be a top 10, top 5 even, matchup. There'll be a lot of eyes on this game if so. If Ohio State is still uncertain about their quarterback situation, that also makes the game even more intriguing.
Notre Dame vs. Duke
Duke is one of those sleeper teams in the ACC. It's highly unlikely that they're going to win the conference or even be in the title game, but don't be surprised if they challenge some teams within the conference this year. They won nine games last season, which was the first time since 2014. That just doesn't happen for the Blue Devils often. This will yet be another game where the Fighting Irish have to travel to the state of North Carolina. Duke could easily give them some fits.
Notre Dame vs. Louisville
Back-to-back road games for Notre Dame here against another ACC opponent. The Cardinals are bringing in a new head coach, Jeff Brohm from Purdue, to replace Scott Satterfield who left for Cincinnati. With lingering questions at quarterback and a new coaching staff, Louisville could be just uncertain enough to be dangerous for Notre Dame in an early October matchup. The good news for the Irish is that Hartman has enough experience against most of these ACC teams, including Louisville, who he has a winning record against.
Notre Dame vs. USC
This is probably the game most college football fans have circled on their schedules this season. We saw both of them play in Week 0, with both coming out victorious. If either team can come into this game undefeated or maybe with just one loss, this game will be huge. It's not only a huge rivalry game, but if both teams are still ranked and Notre Dame is in the top 10 or higher, this will have massive playoff implications. Not only that, but this could have a major impact on the Heisman race. We already know that USC football's Caleb Williams will most likely be seeking his second award, but if Hartman keeps looking how he did in the Navy game and keeps Notre Dame football in the playoff hunt, he'll be in the discussion as well.
Notre Dame vs. Clemson
No one will be able to say that Notre Dame football didn't play anybody this year. As of right now, they'll face three of the top 10 ranked opponents in the preseason AP Poll. If they can get to November unscathed or even just with one loss, it will be a miracle when they head to Clemson to face the Tigers. Like the USC game, this game could have huge playoff implications, and depending on how things work out, may be a rematch in the playoffs. Hartman will most likely have a huge test in the form of the Clemson defensive front, though. And don't be surprised if this is a primetime night game in Death Valley, too. Clemson football doesn't lose very often at home.
