Notre Dame Football: 3 reasons the Irish will upset Clemson in Week 10

Every Notre Dame football player has had this game circled on the calendar as Clemson stands in the way of a playoff berth.

Notre Dame needs to make a statement. It’s been six games and the Irish are undefeated, but their best win is against Pitt or maybe Florida State or maybe Louisville.

You see the problem? The Irish don’t have any true playoff resume wins because all three of those “best” wins were against unranked middle-of-the-road ACC foes. Many would argue that some of those teams are bottom-dwellers this season.

A win over Clemson would surely change things on Saturday night. The Irish aren’t being given much of a shot to beat the No. 1 Tigers even though they’re hosting Clemson.

But here’s why the Irish will upset Clemson in Week 10.

3. Notre Dame’s elite defense

Defense wins championships and if the Fighting Irish want to win the ACC title, they’ll have to keep that same intensity they’ve had through the first six games in this one.

Sure, Clemson might have the best offense they’ve faced to date, but the Fighting Irish have one of the best defenses in the country, led by an elite defensive line. That means that DJ Uiagalelei might be running for his life all night long and feeling uncomfortable in the pocket. If he’s never comfortable, that means mistakes are bound to happen.

An elite defense against a young quarterback in his first career road start is a recipe for disaster if you’re the Tigers. If you’re Notre Dame, this is music to your ears.

Expect Clark Lea to let his guys loose on Uiagalelei all night long, forcing a few big turnovers.