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We finally made it, week one of the college football season is here. There are a lot of good matchups to keep an eye on this weekend, and one that you won't want to miss will be on Saturday night between Texas A&M football and Notre Dame football. The Aggies and Fighting Irish are both ranked to start the season, and this is a crucial year for both teams. They will be playing at Texas A&M and it will be under the lights with a 7:30 ET kick.
The new college football year got started with week zero on Saturday and things got going with a bang as #10 Florida State was knocked off by Georgia Tech. It was a fantastic start to the season (sorry Seminoles fans) as the game came down to the wire, but now we have a full slate of college football to take in over the course of five days.
Week one action will begin on Thursday and there are a lot of intriguing matchups to take in. Deion Sanders and Colorado will be taking on North Dakota State, and there are a few ranked teams in action as well. NC State, Kansas, Utah and Missouri will all start their season on Saturday as well.
There will even be some good games Sunday and Monday as well. USC and LSU have one of the biggest games of the week and that one is on Sunday, then Florida State will look to bounce back from their week zero loss on Monday against Boston College. It’s going to be a great Labor Day weekend.
There's no doubt about it, Saturday’s matchup between Texas A&M football and Notre Dame football is one of the best of the week. Let's take a look at where both of these teams are heading into week one of the 2024 college football season as both squads prepare for a very important opener.
Mike Elko is entering year one with Texas A&M football
Mike Elko will make his Texas A&M coaching debut on Saturday night against Notre Dame, and it doesn’t get much better than this for a season opener. At home, under the lights against a top-10 in the country. It won’t be easy, but the Aggies have an incredible opportunity in front of them to start this season off with a bang.
There is definitely some pressure on Mike Elko despite this being his first year at Texas A&M, and that preseason ranking certainly adds to that. Elko definitely doesn’t get as much leeway as other first-year head coaches, and that’s because he doesn’t really have much to rebuild. The Aggies have a lot of talent. They consistently had top recruiting classes under Jimbo Fisher, but they couldn’t put it all together. The talent is there for this team to have a big year, and Elko needs to put everything together and make it work.
Texas A&M fans are so eager for success because they constantly have these elite recruiting classes and a high preseason ranking, but nothing ever comes from it. Now, with a new head coach, there is hope in College Station. If Elko starts out his career with a win over #7 Notre Dame… look out.
Notre Dame football is hoping to break through
This will be year three for Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame, and he is hoping to finally get the Fighting Irish into the College Football Playoff. They have had a couple of solid years, but they haven’t been able to play consistent, good football for the entire season under Freeman.
Year one got off to a sloppy start as Notre Dame lost some ugly games early in the season, but they ended up salvaging the year and finding some success. Last season was completely different.
At the beginning of last season, Notre Dame football looked like a College Football Playoff team. They were impressive to watch during the first month, but a tough loss at home against Ohio State took the wind out of their sail a bit. That was a game that the Fighting Irish should have won, and if they had, the season could have gone completely different.
Now, with the College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams, it would be a big disappointment if the Fighting Irish miss the CFP. They need to get things started with a win this weekend.
This is going to be one of the best games of the weekend, and you’re not going to want to miss it. Here are three predictions for Saturday’s contest:
Riley Leonard will throw for 225 yards and one touchdown
One thing to keep an eye on Saturday will be the play of Notre Dame football quarterback Riley Leonard. The Fighting Irish once again have an ACC transfer QB, and this time, it is Duke transfer Riley Leonard. It's going to fun to see this matchup this weekend because Leonard's coach at Duke was Mike Elko, the new coach of Texas A&M.
The road environment under the lights is going to be tough for Leonard and it won't be his best game, but he will do enough to get Notre Dame the win.
Notre Dame will give up less than 20 points
Don't be surprised if this one is a low-scoring slugfest. Texas A&M football has a tough task going up a good Notre Dame defense, and it is Conner Weigman's first game back from injury. The Fighting Irish on the other hand are going into one of the toughest environments in college football, and it's a night game. It could be low-scoring, and the Aggies especially won't score a lot.
Notre Dame football will win by two scores
This would be a huge win for Mike Elko in his first game with Texas A&M, but unfortunately, it's not going to happen. The Aggies aren't quite going to be at the level at Notre Dame. They always seem to be ranked to start the year, but they always disappoint. Don't be fooled by the 20 next to their name. It will be close for awhile, but Notre Dame football will go home with a comfortable win. Final score: 27-17.
Texas A&M and Notre Dame will get things going at 7:30 ET Saturday night from Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. The game will be airing on ABC, and the Aggies are currently favored by three points.
