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

The post Opponent Watch: Cheeseburger Edition appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Who To Watch

Syracuse (4-1) at Pittsburgh (2-3), Sat 12:20 PM ET on ACC Network

via GIPHY

First things first: apparently “have your mascots available in gif form” is a thing that Pitt does (let’s pour one out to the vastly superior ND media/video group for their social media idiocy). But onto the game: this early Saturday matchup gets you two future ND opponents. Syracuse falls out of the Top 25 after a close loss at Clemson, so they’ll try to bounce back as a three-point road dog at Pittsburgh.

Pitt will need to constrain Cuse’s high-octane offense, and the strategies employed on both sides of the ball should be instructive to the Irish coaching staff later this season. Syracuse’s defense allows just over 21 points per game on average, albeit against a weaker slate of opponents. Pitt will also attempt to counter Syracuse’ various offensive weapons, and the extent to which they can contain the QB run threat and a balanced pass/run attack should shape how the Irish structure their offensive gameplan next week.

Also this Week

Other Upcoming Opponents

• Northwestern (1-3) at Michigan State (Sat 12:00 PM ET, Fox Sports 1)
• Florida State (3-2) at Miami (Sat 3:30 PM ET, ABC)
• Navy (2-2) at Air Force (Sat 3:30 PM ET, CBS Sports Network)

Past Opponents

• Michigan (4-1) vs Maryland (Sat 12:00 PM ET, ABC)
• Ball State (2-3) vs Northern Illinois (Sat 3:00 PM ET, Watch ESPN)
• Wake Forest (3-2) vs Clemson (Sat 3:30 PM ET, ESPN)
• Vanderbilt (3-2) at Georgia (Sat 7:30 PM ET, SEC Network)
• Stanford (4-1) vs Utah (Sat 10:30 PM ET, ESPN)

Strength-of-Schedule Rankings

Last week, ND opponents went 7-4. On the year, opponents have a combined record of 34-23 (59.6%) with an average schedule strength of 59.

Rank	Team		Record	Weekly Change
3		Southern Cal	3-2	-1
7		Northwestern	1-3	+12
13		Stanford	4-1	+21
15		Notre Dame	5-0	+13
21		Pittsburgh	2-3	+15
37		Florida State	3-2	+17
43		Michigan	4-1	+15
80		Wake Forest	3-2	-30
89		Virginia Tech	3-1	+67
90		Vanderbilt	3-2	-52
97		Syracuse	4-1	+60
112		Navy	2-2	-9
118		Ball State	2-3	-40

The post Opponent Watch: Oranges Have Seeds, Not A Pitt Edition appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

• Fill out this form (do not post your predictions in the comments section of this blog post)
• Your score predictions and weekly prop are each good for one point, with bonus points for getting the score exactly right.
• The quote section is optional…but like how washing your hands after going to the bathroom is “optional.” Sure, you can skip it, but on the inside you know what you’ve done, and you are a terrible individual for having done so.

Last Game’s Best Quotes: Usually, we use the best of the best here, but let me tell you, we were all very terrible. Like, very terrible. So, who was the most terrible?

@KyNDfan:

Game is well in hand by halftime. Temple comes out in 2nd half inspired. Scores quick, but it only makes ND angry. And they won’t like it when ND is angry. Irish D shuts them down the rest of the way and Wimbush plays most of the 4th quarter.

ND fans were pretty angry for most of the game. Brian Kelly got pretty angry, and I’m sure David Grimes didn’t like it, but unclear where Temple feel in this regard. No points.

@BrendanMcP:

I’ll be at the game today, and I’m really looking forward to witnessing the dreams of thousands of my neighbors die at the hands of our Irish. Hoping ND will blow out the spread and the over/under and make a statement that we know how to win on the road again… but as long as we get the W that’s all that matters, because frankly, I’ll be at @PhillyKelly’s tailgate and probably blackout drunk by kickoff.

Your formula of boasting about drinking with PhillyKelly will only get you so far! Heck, at this point I’m just sad I didn’t get to drink with her. Seems like y’all had a good time. My revenge is petty and uninspired: no points.

TxDomer97:

Hooters show up to play the first quarter but proceed to not give a hoot. Irish uncharacteristically strong from opening kickoff and pluck the Owls. Fuller gets some Heisman House votes this week.

I’ll confess, your use of owl/bird related puns had me on the fence…I really thought about giving you points. Really, I did…

@Danny_Concannon:

DATELINE: Philadelphia, PA

Birds of a feather may flock together, but Temple never really gets their claws into ND’s jerseys. After a painfully stupid turnover by ND in the first few plays of their first possession, Temple scores their only touchdown of the night, making the Irish wonder if hexes beat clovers — but after that, a bad moon starts to rise for Temple fan(s?). Cole Luke snags a poorly-timed pass in the 3rd quarter, evening out the turnover margin, and Temple’s only other points on the night come in a garbage time drive with most of the Irish first string cooling their heels.

37-10 F in Philly, sending us to our weird noontime game in Pittsburgh to begin beating on the other half of William Penn’s woods.

– D. Concannon, ACN Sports

A news clip! Puns! A character from my favorite TV show of all-time! So many boxes checked. I defer judgment until I see how we fair versus William Penn’s woods.

HLS_Whisky:

This game starts like most of them have this year, ND trails early and then goes to halftime where Kelly and VanGorder dole out the super-punch that reminds the team that they don’t friggin’ suck!

You were the only one who thought it’d be a touchdown or less. Points!

Last Games’s Results:

Can’t stress this enough. We were all v. terrible.

Overall Standings:

Congratulations to our new overlord!

Staff Picks:

Gulliver’s TAILS

Gulliver, what say you?

#CatStats:

5-3 Straight Up
3-5 Against the Spread

The post Game Predictions! Notre Dame vs. Pitt appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.