Notre Dame Football: Game-by-game predicitions for 2018

After a three-year hiatus, the rivalry is back on. The first of a two-game home and home series commences in 2018, and it couldn’t be at a better time for both programs.

Both head coaches actually have something to prove in this game. Jim Harbaugh wants to bring Michigan back to national prominence, and Brian Kelly is looking to restore things after a few dismal years and two years with vacated wins and bowl appearances.

This is the perfect way to begin the season for both teams. With both teams likely in the top-25, and Notre Dame in the top-10, this is definitely a good barometer to see where the teams are at. Since it’s early on in the season, we should expect the defenses to be ahead of the offenses, though. So, we should expect a low-scoring game, unlike the last bunch of high scoring games that came later in the season when the offenses were more fine-tuned.

Prediction

In the end, it will be a game that makes the teams look like they’re not quite ready, but it’s only Week 1. That said, it’ll come down to the final drive, and it may end up being the determining factor for both of them making the College Football Playoff.

Michigan 13
Notre Dame 17