Notre Dame Football: 5 reasons not to panic just yet about 2018

Notre Dame football has had a slow start to the 2018 season, but there’s still reason for confidence as the Irish head into Week 4.

Over the course of his nine year tenure with the Irish, head coach Brian Kelly has been notorious for his struggles against some of the nation’s top competition. However, Kelly’s team has fallen flat at points in each of their three games this season. Against the likes of Michigan, Ball State, and Vanderbilt, Notre Dame has failed to win a game by over one possession.

Most of the Irish’s struggles so far fall on the shoulders of quarterback Brandon Wimbush and the Notre Dame offense, a unit that has averaged only 366 yards per game this season. The defense has been spectacular at times, but has also shown signs of fatigue in games where the offense has provided little help.

However, there’s still hope for this Notre Dame team as they look to improve, especially in terms of offense. Here are five reasons why Notre Dame fans should wait another week before panicking.

5. The Irish only have two ranked teams on their schedule

Heading into the 2018 season, it seemed as if the Irish could potentially have five ranked opponents on their schedule. With Michigan and Stanford essentially givens, there was a good chance that Virginia Tech, Florida State, and USC could find themselves with a top 25 ranking by the time they faced off against Notre Dame.

However, both USC and Florida State have already fallen twice this season, the Trojans to Stanford and Texas and the Seminoles to Virginia Tech and Syracuse. These losses leave only (7) Stanford and (13) Virginia Tech on the slate this season.

With Notre Dame struggling to get things going so far, lesser competition could play a huge role in the Irish’s Playoff chances. While avoiding a conference championship is often a double-edged sword, an undefeated record paired with wins over No. 7, 13, and 14 teams should be more than enough to earn the Irish a playoff spot.

While Notre Dame actually finishing undefeated isn’t exactly likely, this simply goes to show that a playoff spot is feasible, if anything. Don’t get me wrong, the Irish aren’t on a path to the Playoff if things continue this way. However, the path is clear if Kelly finds a way to flip the right switch, but it has to happen soon.