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Notre Dame Football: Irish on upset alert vs Wake Forest

By Matthew Bartlett

SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 21: Notre Dame Fighting Irish players react on the sideline in the first quarter of a game against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 21: Notre Dame Fighting Irish players react on the sideline in the first quarter of a game against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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1. Notre Dame has done nothing to deserve any confidence

The box score statistician would be fooled into believing the 3-0 Irish with a win over No. 14 Michigan must be a great football team. The ceiling on this program might be that high, but their current level of play is hovering just above mediocre, at best.

Notre Dame followed up a seven-point win over Michigan with an eight-point win over Ball State and a five-point win over Vanderbilt. It’s too early to tell if Michigan is going to live up to their preseason billing, but the talent discrepancy between Notre Dame and their two most recent opponents paints a picture that couldn’t be any more clear.

Wake Forest is a capable team, but it doesn’t really matter who’s lining up on the other end of the field if Notre Dame is going to continue to find ways to beat themselves. Until they prove otherwise, Notre Dame is an average football team with several noticeable problems that are too pervasive to look past and hide in the early season beauty pageant that is the AP Top 25.

Programs of this caliber often earn themselves the benefit of the doubt. Notre Dame hasn’t done that yet, so it’s no surprise they’re an upset candidate once again in Week 4.

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