• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Her Loyal Sons

A Notre Dame Football Blog

  • Home
  • Discord
  • ND Bowl Tie-Ins
  • Merch
  • Extra Life
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • RSS
Home > College Football > Opponent Watch: Cheeseburger Edition

Opponent Watch: Cheeseburger Edition

November 30, 2018 by IrishElvis

Each week in this space, we examine two things: Notre Dame’s strength of schedule (from USA Today‘s Sagarin rankings), and who Irish opponents are facing. For those of who want to scout future opponents, I’ll give you my recommendation for who to watch when you’re not watching Notre Dame Football.

Who To Watch

Pittsburgh (7-5) vs Clemson (12-0), Sat 8:00 PM ET on Fox

via GIPHY

There are some formalities remaining, but let’s start some postseason football, y’all. Pittsburgh likes to play spoiler, and they held Notre Dame to a closer-than-comfortable final earlier this season, but they take on the Clemson Tigers this weekend for the ACC crown. A high-scoring affair favors Dabo Swinney’s squad, as Pitt prefers to keep things more of a defensive slog, where their scheme and coaching prowess can overcome elite offensive playmaking ability.

Should the expected results hold, Irish fans watching this game will see Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence and tailback Travis Etienne against a Panther defense that is….well, it’s not as good as Clemson’s squad. The Tigers are statistically solid across the board, and this one shouldn’t be close.

Also this Week

  • Virginia Tech (5-6) vs Marshall (Sat 12:00 PM ET, ACC Network)
  • Stanford (7-4) at California (Sat 3:00 PM ET, ACC Network)
  • Northwestern (8-4) vs Ohio State (Sat 8:00 PM ET, Fox)

Strength-of-Schedule Rankings

Last week, ND opponents went 6-6. On the year, opponents have a combined record of 75-67 (52.8%) with an average schedule strength of 41.

Rank

Team

Record

Weekly Change

13 Stanford 7-4 ↑ 3
15 Florida State 5-7 ↑ 10
19 Pittsburgh 7-5 ↑ 3
23 Southern Cal 5-7 ↑ 6
26 Northwestern 8-4 ↓ 22
29 Michigan 10-2 ↑ 7
39 Vanderbilt 6-6 ↓ 13
44 Notre Dame 12-0 ↑ 5
53 Wake Forest 6-6 ↓ 13
58 Virginia Tech 5-6 ↓ 10
64 Syracuse 9-3 ↑ 13
66 Navy 3-9 ↓ 6
90 Ball State 4-8 ↑ 5
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Tweets
IrishElvis
Staff Waiter, #HLSrecap Inventor

Powered by SC schadenfreude, husband to Mrs. IrishElvis (not pictured), rabble rouser. TCB.

Tweets
Latest posts by IrishElvis (see all)
  • Lost And Found: A Twitter Summary - December 6, 2021
  • See You Never, Rival - October 22, 2021
  • The Sandman Cometh - October 6, 2021

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

Filed Under: College Football, Notre Dame Football, Opponents Tagged With: Clemson, Opponent Watch, Pitt, Pittsburgh, Schedule Strength, Strength of Schedule

About IrishElvis

Staff Waiter, #HLSrecap Inventor

Powered by SC schadenfreude, husband to Mrs. IrishElvis (not pictured), rabble rouser. TCB.

Previous Post: « HLS Podcast: Week 14 Picks
Next Post: Good Fridays w/Padre: WORTHY! »

Primary Sidebar

Latest Podcast

Click here to support the pod!

Recent Posts

The Cowboy Beebop "See You Space Cowboy" ending title frame with the HLS logo.

Epilogue

HLS Podcast Finale

Manti Te'o Faux Cover

The Final Fiesta: Notre Dame vs Oklahoma State NCAA ’14 Sim

Penultimate Picks Pod

2021 Bowl Picks: Week 2

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework · Login

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.