Here is everything you need to know as Notre Dame football takes on the Stanford Cardinal in Week 13 of the college football season.
Notre Dame is coming off an inspired effort against the Navy Midshipmen, but a 24-17 victory won’t be enough to persuade the selection committee to slot the Irish into the College Football Playoff. However, a solid outing against the No. 21 ranked Cardinal may be enough to get their hat in the ring.
Stanford is coming off a close win against California, but are looking to finish the regular season off right against Notre Dame. A win in any capacity would be considered a success for Stanford, especially one coming against the likes of Brian Kelly’s Irish.
With both teams expected to bring their all in Saturday’s contest, a close game is to be expected. However, the Irish will need more than that in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. Here’s how to watch it all go down this weekend.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 25
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Stanford, CA
Venue: Stanford Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: ABC Live Stream or WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
Notre Dame’s key to victory has always been in their run game. However, they might need a more diverse effort against Stanford if they want this game to truly be a blowout. Stanford will likely be dialed in against the run, meaning a lot will fall on quarterback Brandon Wimbush in terms of delivering in the pass game.
The idea will be similar for the Cardinal, although with a little less pressure. Much like Notre Dame’s Josh Adams, Stanford has their own Heisman candidate in the backfield in junior Bryce Love. With Adams struggling as of late, Love could have the chance to establish himself as the field’s best back while grinding down the clock similarly to how Navy did against the Irish.
Prediction
Notre Dame has struggled as of late, but they are clearly the more talented team. They make less mistakes, play sound defense, and establish the line of scrimmage better than most teams in the country. Should they stick to what has given them success this season, they should be just fine.
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However, “just fine” won’t cut it in the eyes of the selection committee. It’s certainly feasible that the Irish blow out the Cardinal considering their ability to blow the doors off some games, but a Stanford team at home will make things tough for Notre Dame. Look for the Irish to get the win, but it may be too close to make a difference.
Final Score: Notre Dame 27, Stanford 24