Surely Notre Dame is worthy of entry into the College Football Playoffs.

Yet, facing the results of last night’s games, what more can the Irish do to prove their worthiness?

Trial by Fire

A 50-gallon drum of burning refuse and offal is placed before Brian Kelly. He reaches in and pulls out the remnants of Michigan’s Revenge Tour. If Kelly is uninjured, then he is worthy to lead his team into the playoffs. If he also pulls any remnant of Michigan’s pride, he’s a miracle-worker.

Trial by Combat

One player from Notre Dame and one player from another team, selected at random, are closed in a 9’ by 12’ room and given two beds, two chairs, two desks, and two wardrobes. They may attack each other with any of these implements. If the Irish player walks out of the room under his own power, carrying either the sink or the radiator he has wrenched out of the wall, both he and Notre Dame are deemed worthy to enter the playoffs. Notre Dame players will have an advantage in this contest, because it’s also called “Freshman year in Dillon, Alumni, and Zahm.”

Witch Dunking

The Leprechaun is hurled into St. Mary’s Lake. If he sinks, he was good and the Irish are worthy of a playoff spot. If he floats, he is evil and Notre Dame’s season is over. Sorry to cheer against you little fella, but here’s hoping your green tuxedo and genie shoes are lined with lead. And don’t worry – we’ve got plenty more short, feisty, hirsute men on campus.

Duel

Clark Lea and Dave Clawson (Wake Forest’s head coach who scored the most points on the Irish this season with 27) are each given a rapier, and then clash until one is touched…or stabbed a little bit…three times. However, while the blade of Clawson’s sword is 26.01 inches long, Lea’s blade is 33.59 inches long, reflecting the difference in time of possession. In the alternative, each man is given a blowgun and, standing 10 yards apart, they use the strength of their lungs to shoot darts at each other. Clawson has only 398 darts, but Lea gets 566 darts, commensurate with total yards in the game. Either way, when Clark Lea wins, Notre Dame is acknowledged as being a worthy playoff team, and Dave Clawson has the distinction of being the only man left bleeding in the wake of the Irish twice in one season.

Tial by Poison

Brian Kelly has to watch the entire compilation of ESPN’s coverage of Notre Dame from the entire season, without a single break. If he doesn’t soil himself or go insane with rage, the Irish go to the playoffs.

The Bridge Troll

In order to prove that Notre Dame is worthy of competing in the playoffs, two Irish captains must answer three complex and tricky questions. Drue Tranquill (majored in mechanical engineering) and Sam Mustipher (majored in computer science) are presented with the three queries. Since actual hunched green dwarves who live under bridges are in short supply, the questions will be written by a substitute troll – Desmond Howard (majored in…communications).

EFS CSC

The post Good Fridays w/Padre: WORTHY! appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

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 (7-2) vs Louisville (2-7), Fri 7:00 PM ET on ESPN2

via GIPHY

Syracuse is quickly becoming a force thanks to future Notre Dame Head Coach Dino Babers. This Friday night matchup won’t be close — the betting line currently has the Orange favored by three touchdowns, but Irish fans *will* get to drink in some sweet Brian “No Spaces In My Last Name” VanGorder as he (probably) wraps up his tenure as defensive coordinator for Louisville. While there’s still a slim chance Notre Dame will see Louisville head man Bobby Petrino when the season kicks off next year, this will probably be the closest we get to a BVG sighting.

Irish fans looking ahead to next week’s showdown in Yankee Stadium should look at Louisville’s offensive yards-per-play, as the Orange defense isn’t known to be too stingy.

Also this Week

Other Upcoming Opponents

• Southern Cal (5-4) vs California (Sat 10:30 PM ET, ESPN)

Past Opponents

• Wake Forest (4-5) at NC State (Thu 7:30 PM ET, ESPN)
• Northwestern (5-4) at Iowa (Fri 3:30 PM ET, Fox)
• Vanderbilt (4-5) at Missouri (Sat 12:00 PM ET, SEC Network)
• Navy (2-7) at UCF (Sat 12:00 PM ET, ESPN2)
• Michigan (8-1) at Rutgers (Sat 3:30 PM ET, Big Ten Network)
• Virginia Tech (4-4) at Pittsburgh (Sat 3:30 PM ET, ESPNU)
• Stanford (5-4) vs Oregon State (Sat 9:00 PM ET, )

Strength-of-Schedule Rankings

Last week, ND opponents went 4-7. On the year, opponents have a combined record of 56-52 (51.9%) with an average schedule strength of 39.

Rank	Team		Record	Weekly Change
6		Stanford	5-4	↑ 3
11		Northwestern	5-4	↑ 9
17		Pittsburgh	5-4	↓ 2
18		Michigan	8-1	↑ 5
22		Southern Cal	5-4	↓ 14
33		Vanderbilt	4-5	↓ 6
35		Florida State	4-5	↑ 3
46		Notre Dame	9-0	↓ 1
48		Wake Forest	4-5	↓ 1
51		Virginia Tech	4-4	↑ 10
64		Navy	2-7	↑ 9
74		Syracuse	7-2	↑ 2
90		Ball State	3-7	↑ 11

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

Who To Watch

Syracuse (6-2) at Wake Forest (4-4), Sat 12:00 PM ET on ACC Network

via GIPHY

The Irish have a primetime kick in Chicago, but there’s an early game of note. Syracuse is newly ranked and hoping to keep making noise on the national stage with their potent offense led by QB Erik Dungey. Wake Forest, on the other hand, is trying to stop the bleeding on the defensive side of the ball. You should expect this to be a high-scoring affair, and Dino Babers should have his squad highly tuned to meet Notre Dame in two weeks.

Also this Week

Other Upcoming Opponents

• Florida State (4-4) at NC State (Sat 3:30 PM ET, ABC)
• Southern Cal (4-4) at Oregon State (Sat 10:00 PM ET, Fox Sports 1)

Past Opponents

• Ball State (3-6) at Toledo (Wed 7:30 PM ET, ESPN2)
• Pittsburgh (4-4) at Virginia (Fri 7:30 PM ET, ESPN2)
• Navy (2-6) at Cincinnati (Sat 3:30 PM ET, ESPNU)
• Michigan (7-1) vs Penn State (Sat 3:45 PM ET, ESPN)
• Virginia Tech (4-3) vs Boston College (Sat 3:45 PM ET, ACC Network)
• Stanford (5-3) at Washington (Sat 9:00 PM ET)

Strength-of-Schedule Rankings

Last week, ND opponents went 5-6. On the year, opponents have a combined record of 52-45 (53.6%) with an average schedule strength of 42.

Rank	Team		Record	Weekly Change
8		Southern Cal	4-4	-3
9		Stanford	5-3	+2
15		Pittsburgh	4-4	+3
20		Northwestern	5-3	+3
23		Michigan	7-1	-3
27		Vanderbilt	4-5	-12
38		Florida State	4-4	+16
45		Notre Dame	8-0	-9
47		Wake Forest	4-4	-6
61		Virginia Tech	4-3	-2
73		Navy	2-6	+12
76		Syracuse	6-2	+5
101		Ball State	3-6	+7

The post Opponent Watch: An Orange Tree in a Wake Forest Edition appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Who To Watch

Northwestern (4-3) vs Wisconsin ( 5-2), Sat 12:00 PM ET on Fox

via GIPHY

Notre Dame has the late game on the Left Coast, so you can settle in early and watch this B1G matchup you *definitely* had marked on your sports calendar preseason. But here we are: the Wildcats riding a three-game win streak as a 5-point home dog against a flawed Wisconsin team. The winner will be in the driver’s seat for Big Ten West consideration, and nervous Notre Dame fans can fantasize about Future Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald.

Also this Week

Other Upcoming Opponents

• Florida State (4-3) vs Clemson (Sat 12:00 PM ET, ABC)
• Southern Cal (4-3) vs Arizona State (Sat 3:30 PM ET, ABC)
• Syracuse (5-2) vs NC State (Sat 7:00 PM ET, ESPN2)

Past Opponents

• Ball State (3-5) at Ohio (Thu 7:00 PM ET, CBS Sports Network)
• Virginia Tech (4-2) vs Georgia Tech (Thu 7:30 PM ET, ESPN)
• Vanderbilt (3-5) at Arkansas (Sat 12:00 PM ET, SEC Network)
• Wake Forest (3-4) at Louisville (Sat 12:00 PM ET, ACC Network)
• Pittsburgh (3-4) vs Duke (Sat 3:30 PM ET, ACC Network)
• Stanford (5-2) vs Washington State (Sat 7:00 PM ET, )

Strength-of-Schedule Rankings

Last week, ND opponents went 5-5. On the year, opponents have a combined record of 47-39 (54.7%) with an average schedule strength of 43.

Rank	Team		Record	Weekly Change
5		Southern Cal	4-3	+6
11		Stanford	5-2	-1
15		Vanderbilt	3-5	+17
18		Pittsburgh	3-4	-3
20		Michigan	7-1	+11
23		Northwestern	4-3	-15
36		Notre Dame	7-0	-2
41		Wake Forest	3-4	+9
54		Florida State	4-3	-15
59		Virginia Tech	4-2	+4
81		Syracuse	5-2	+2
85		Navy	2-5	+4
108		Ball State	3-5	+5

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

Who To Watch

Wake Forest (3-3) at Florida State (3-3), Sat 3:30 PM ET on ESPN2

via GIPHY

IT’S THE BYE WEEK, Y’ALL and I hope you’re catching up on rest or that honey-do list you’ve been neglecting, because the Irish are sitting pretty for at least another week before they head down to San Diego.

If you *must* watch football this weekend (and there are precious few football Saturdays each calendar year so you absolutely should) let me get you some middling mid-afternoon mid-Atlantic ACC action: Wake Forest and Florida State. Both teams were on the losing end last week, with Clemson stomping Wake by 60 points, while the Seminoles surrendered a large lead against Miami and ended up losing by a single point. The stats favor FSU by a touchdown or more, but continued unsteadiness from Willie Taggart’s group portends well for Notre Dame’s final home game chances next month.

Also this Week

Other Upcoming Opponents

• Northwestern (3-3) at Rutgers (Sat 12:00 PM ET, Big Ten Network)
• Syracuse (4-2) vs North Carolina (Sat 12:20 PM ET, ACC Network)
• Navy (2-4) vs Houston (Sat 3:30 PM ET, CBS Sports Network)
• Southern Cal (4-2) at Utah (Sat 8:00 PM ET, Pac-12 Network)

Past Opponents

• Stanford (4-2) at Arizona State (Thu 9:00 PM ET, ESPN)
• Michigan (6-1) at Michigan State (Sat 12:00 PM ET, Fox)
• Ball State (3-4) vs Eastern Michigan (Sat 3:00 PM ET, ESPN+)
• Vanderbilt (3-4) at Kentucky (Sat 7:30 PM ET, SEC Network)

Strength-of-Schedule Rankings

Last week, ND opponents went 5-3. On the year, opponents have a combined record of 42-34 (55.3%) with an average schedule strength of 45.

Rank	Team		Record	Weekly Change
8		Northwestern	3-3	-2
10		Stanford	4-2	-1
11		Southern Cal	4-2	-4
15		Pittsburgh	3-4	+7
31		Michigan	6-1	+12
32		Vanderbilt	3-4	+13
34		Notre Dame	7-0	-16
39		Florida State	3-3	-3
50		Wake Forest	3-3	-3
63		Virginia Tech	4-2	-13
83		Syracuse	4-2	-1
89		Navy	2-4	+10
113		Ball State	3-4	-6

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

Who To Watch

Southern Cal (3-2) vs Colorado (5-0), Sat 10:30 PM ET on Fox Sports 1

via GIPHY

Here’s something you don’t see every day: a 5-0 Colorado squad as a touchdown road dog against a 3-2 USC. The Buffaloes have surprised some folks early this year with victories over Nebraska, UCLA, and Arizona State, notable programs but in all instances teams in the first year of rebuilding under new coaching regimes. The back half of Colorado’s schedule is much more difficult, with Oregon State as the sole game remaining that seems like an achievable win.

USC, on the other hand, has not fared well in the early-goings of 2018, but has a more manageable schedule starting with this upstart Colorado game. Aside from a road test at Utah in two weeks, they’re on track for a 9-2 (or, at worst, 8-3) resume when Notre Dame arrives in Los Angeles for the season-ending tilt on Thanksgiving weekend. Southern Cal hopes their young offensive talent starts to make growth strides starting this week, or else they’ll have a tough time in conference play.

Also this Week

Other Upcoming Opponents

• Northwestern (2-3) vs Nebraska (Sat 12:00 PM ET, ABC)
• Navy (2-3) vs Temple (Sat 3:30 PM ET, CBS Sports Network)

Past Opponents

• Vanderbilt (3-3) vs Florida (Sat 12:00 PM ET, ESPN)
• Ball State (2-4) at Central Michigan (Sat 3:00 PM ET, Watch ESPN)
• Virginia Tech (3-2) at North Carolina (Sat 7:00 PM ET, ESPNU)
• Michigan (5-1) vs Wisconsin (Sat 7:30 PM ET, ABC)

Strength-of-Schedule Rankings

Last week, ND opponents went 3-8 — a tough week with wins coming only for Northwestern, Michigan, and USC. On the year, opponents have a combined record of 37-31 (54.4%) with an average schedule strength of 46.

Rank	Team		Record	Weekly Change
6		Northwestern	2-3	+1
7		Southern Cal	3-2	-4
9		Stanford	4-2	+4
18		Notre Dame	6-0	-3
22		Pittsburgh	3-3	-1
36		Florida State	3-3	+1
43		Michigan	5-1	—
45		Vanderbilt	3-3	+45
47		Wake Forest	3-3	+33
50		Virginia Tech	3-2	+39
82		Syracuse	4-2	+15
99		Navy	2-3	+13
107		Ball State	2-4	+11

The post Opponent Watch: California Dreaming After Dark 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.

Who To Watch

Miami vs North Carolina (Sat 3:30 PM ET ABC)

Credit: Miami Herald

The Irish have a late kickoff against Stanford, so here’s a good afternoon game. Notre Dame’s next coach Larry Fedora has the Tarheel offense clicking, but Miami’s defense has shown signs of life this season.

Will Miami’s offense keep up with UNC’s scoring? The winner of this game will be in good position in the ACC’s Coastal Division.

Strength-of-Schedule Rankings

Last week, ND opponents went 6-6. On the year, opponents have a combined record of 37-28 (56.9%) with an average schedule strength of 55.

Other Upcoming Opponents

• Army vs Lafayette (Sat 12:00 PM ET CBS Sports Network)
• Southern Cal at Arizona (Sat 3:30 PM ET Fox)
• Virginia Tech at Syracuse (Sat 3:45 PM ET ESPNU)

Past Opponents

• Duke at Louisville (Fri 7:00 PM ET ESPN)
• NC State at Clemson (Sat 12:00 PM ET ABC)
• Michigan State vs Northwestern (Sat 3:30 PM ET Big Ten Network)
• Texas vs Iowa State (Sat 7:00 PM ET ESPN3)
• Nevada at San Jose State (Sat 10:30 PM ET CBS Sports Network)

The post Opponent Watch: Look What the Hurricanes Blue In appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Who To Watch

Miami vs Florida State (Sat 8:00 PM ET ABC)

Credit: Miami Herald

As Hurricane Matthew encroaches on the southeastern United States, sit down to watch a good ol’ primetime matchup in the Sunshine State. This rivalry hit its heyday in the early ’90s with missed field goals aplenty, but first-year coach Mark Richt (did you know he went to Miami?) has the ‘Canes rolling thus far. However, as you’ll see below, they’ve not been tested with top-tier competition as yet.

That will change on Saturday night, as the Seminoles bring solid, if not top-flight talent, to Doak Campbell Stadium. FSU is reeling from consecutive losses to a very good Lamar Jackson Lousiville squad and a boooooming kick last week at the final gun by North Carolina. FSU has a thing with kickers, so we’ll see if this one is tight. Brad Kaaya will probably be the best quarterback that Notre Dame faces this season, which should scare anyone who’s seen the Irish defense play.

Strength-of-Schedule Rankings

Last week, ND opponents went 4-5. On the year, opponents have a combined record of 31-21 (59.6%) with an average schedule strength of 66.

Other Upcoming Opponents

• Navy vs Houston (Sat 3:00 PM ET CBS Sports Network)
• Virginia Tech at North Carolina (Sat 3:30 PM ET )
• Army at Duke (Sat 3:30 PM ET ACC Network)
• Southern Cal vs Colorado (Sat 4:00 PM ET Pac-12 Network)
• Stanford vs Washington State (Sat 10:30 PM ET ESPN)

Past Opponents

• Texas vs Oklahoma (Sat 12:00 PM ET Fox Sports 1)
• Michigan State vs BYU (Sat 3:30 PM ET )
• Syracuse at Wake Forest (Sat 7:00 PM ET ESPN3)
• Nevada vs Fresno State (Sat 7:00 PM ET ESPN3)

The post Opponent Watch: Hurricanes in a Hurricane? appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.