Notre Dame Football: Ranking each 2019 opponent by toughness

Since it is independent, Notre Dame football has to have a tough schedule. Which games will be the most difficult for the Irish in 2019?

Scheduling Notre Dame football games is different than anything else in college. Since the Irish are outside of the Power Five, they have to schedule tough opponents. Since they are independent, they have complete control over who they play. They don’t have to play a division’s worth of teams. They schedule opponents across the country.

Last season, some early games against tough opponents helped them prove that they deserved to go to the College Football Playoff with a 12-0 record. This year, the games will be even tougher. They will have to play on the road against both Georgia and Michigan, as well as their normal rivals. Many of their toughest opponents are on the road. To make it back to the CFP, the Fighting Irish will likely have to go 12-0, which will be incredibly tough.

Despite playing multiple teams with playoff aspirations this season, the entire schedule isn’t tough opponents. Their schedule is incredibly top-heavy. They are likely to go undefeated at home.

If Notre Dame wants to succeed this year, they will have to see growth from Ian Book at quarterback. They relied heavily on Dexter Williams and his ability to control the pace of the game on the ground. They also had a stronger defense. With three of their best players gone from last year’s team, pressure will be on Books’ shoulders.

So, how do Notre Dame’s games rank against each other? This takes into consideration the talent of the team, the location of the game, and when the game is scheduled.