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

When you see a team like Pitt, you wonder why Notre Dame doesn’t join the ACC in football. (The reason of course remaining a football independent makes more money.) However, if they were to join the ACC in football, they’d get to face Pitt more regularly.

In the last 21 meetings, the Irish have dominated the series. They’ve won 16 of those meetings by an average margin of victory of two touchdowns (aggregate score: ND 702, Pitt 403). Even though three of the last four Notre Dame wins were by less than seven points, the last win in 2015 was decided by 12. Football isn’t played on paper, but it’s a complete mismatch on paper.

Prediction

This will be reminiscent of many Notre Dame-Pitt games. It will not be one to watch if you’re looking for excitement on a Saturday afternoon. Notre Dame wants to prove they belong in the College Football Playoff, and the only way to do that is with style points.

Expect this game to be over by the fourth quarter, but unlike previous games, Kelly won’t take his players out in the fourth quarter of a blowout, because he wants them to be ready after the Bye for the rough schedule ahead.

Pittsburgh 20
Notre Dame 42