Notre Dame vs. Clemson is the biggest NCAA week 10 game
Today’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish game against the Clemson Tigers is the biggest college football matchup of the year. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are ranked 4th in the AP Top 25 right behind Clemson in the no. 1 spot. Both teams are undefeated, Notre Dame having played one less game.
The whole country should be tuning in for this game. Notre Dame & Clemson are college football powerhouse, have passionate fan bases, and sport perfect seasons so far. It’s going to be a high-scoring game and will surely go down as one of the most exciting college games in history. Here’s everything to know about today’s big game.
Streaks
Clemson and Notre Dame have their share of streaks, which they’re looking to end tonight. Starting with streaks against AP Top 5 teams, Clemson has never won a road game against an AP Top 5 school. Notre Dame is currently on a hot streak at home, winning their last twenty-two home matchups.
Notre Dame’s last win against an AP Top 5 school was in 2005; the Fighting Irish have struggled in those games. It’s the only win over the previous twenty games against AP Top 5 teams and is on a five-game losing streak against AP Top 5 teams.
Notre Dame hasn’t beaten Clemson since their first matchup back in 1977. Since then, Clemson has dominated the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame is looking to end a forty-three-year losing streak against Clemson tonight.
Notre Dame’s first conferenced season
Notre Dame has never played in an NCAA conference before; the team’s known for its independent status. Teams join conferences in order to schedule games easily, guarantee broadcast spots, and a share in Bowl revenue. Notre Dame is the only independent school with a direct broadcast agreement and is always on TV, so teams have an incentive to schedule Notre Dame.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced Notre Dame to join a conference to ease their ability to create a schedule. Most conferences elected to play in-conference only because of health restrictions. Notre Dame made a season agreement with the ACC to join the conference for just this season. Clemson & Notre Dame’s place in the AP Poll is the highest-ranked ACC matchup in the ACC’s history.
Tonight’s game has massive implications for seeding in the ACC and AP Top 25 rankings. If Notre Dame wins, they’ll overtake Clemson in the ACC & AP Top 25, to be followed by a game against Ohio State to determine final ranking. Regardless of tonight’s outcome, Clemson & Notre Dame will most likely meet again in the ACC Championship Game and the College Football Playoffs, to the delight of fans.
Trevor Lawrence’s absence
Trevor Lawrence tested positive for COVID-19 before Clemson’s week 9 game against the unranked Boston College Eagles. Clemson was down heading into halftime, but in the 2nd half freshman quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei was poised, leading to a Tiger’s victory to remain undefeated. The question is: will Clemson get first or second half Uiagalelei?
Notre Dame is a star on both sides of the ball, but their defense is what really shines. The Fighting Irish holds a 4th-best 10.3 points allowed per game and barely leads Clemson in yards allowed per game. But Notre Dame has yet to play a high-powered offense on Clemson’s level. Clemson records 46.1 points per game, and even without Lawrence under center, Uiagalelei can lean on plenty of offensive talent.
Notre Dame’s defense has dominated the run game, allowing opposing running backs 3.1 yards per carry and under 100 yards per game. The passing game is where Clemson succeeds, and Notre Dame has struggled. Notre Dame allows a 52% completion percentage and 173 yards per game, while Clemson sports 67% completion percentage and 341 yards per game.
Predictions
Film Daily’s sports desk predicts the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to edge out the Clemson Tigers by a field goal, winning 35-32. Regardless, the game promises to be a high-scoring shootout and is likely to come down to a game-winning field goal for the Irish. The Irish have a lot to prove this season. They’re one of the most historic programs in the NCAA – but haven’t won a national championship since 1988.
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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will take on the Clemson Tigers tonight on NBC. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 ET 4:30 PT. Who do you think will win? Let us know your predictions in the comments.
