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
Navy (5-1) vs Tulane (5-2), Sat 3:30PM ET on CBS Sports Network
We’ve rightly been preoccupied with Georgia and Michigan on the Notre Dame schedule, but this year’s Navy Midshipmen are pretty good and will make for a nice week of hand-wringing the week of our game later.
Quarterback Malcolm Perry has the offense clicking again after a rough 2018, and both these offenses can put up some serious points. Tulane has a more balanced attack, but there should be plenty of running, scoring, and wishbone sets. This is like an option-inclined Irish fan’s ideal scenario.
Other Upcoming Opponents
- Stanford (3-4) vs Arizona (Sat 3:30PM ET, Pac-12 Network)
- Duke (4-3) at North Carolina (Sat 4:00PM ET, ACC Network)
- Boston College (4-3) at Clemson (Sat 7:30PM ET, ACC Network)
Past Opponents
- Southern Cal (4-3) at Colorado (Fri 9:00PM ET, ESPN2)
- Bowling Green (2-5) at Western Michigan (Sat 12:00PM ET, Watch ESPN)
- Virginia (5-2) at Louisville (Sat 3:30PM ET, ACC Network)
- New Mexico (2-5) vs Hawaii (Sat 4:00PM ET)
Schedule Strength
Last week, Notre Dame’s 2019 opponents went 6-6. On the year, Irish opponents are 49-34 (59% win rate) with an average schedule strength of 61.
Rank |
Team |
Record |
Change |
| 3 |  Stanford | 3-4 | ↓ 1 |
| 5 |  Southern Cal | 4-3 | ↓ 1 |
| 22 |  Louisville | 4-3 | ↑ 24 |
| 38 |  Notre Dame | 5-1 | ↑ 5 |
| 45 |  Virginia | 5-2 | ↓ 4 |
| 50 |  Michigan | 5-2 | ↑ 26 |
| 51 |  Duke | 4-3 | ↑ 21 |
| 64 |  Georgia | 6-1 | ↑ 3 |
| 86 |  Bowling Green | 2-5 | ↓ 16 |
| 90 |  Navy | 5-1 | ↓ 1 |
| 92 |  Boston College | 4-3 | ↑ 7 |
| 102 |  Virginia Tech | 5-2 | ↑ 5 |
| 117 |  New Mexico | 2-5 | ↑ 12 |
Powered by SC schadenfreude, husband to Mrs. IrishElvis (not pictured), rabble rouser. TCB.
- Opponent Watch: Ground Game Edition - October 24, 2019
- Opponent Watch: Royale With Cheese Edition - October 17, 2019
- Opponent Watch: Bee-Deviled Edition - October 10, 2019
