3 underrated games you need to watch in College Football Week 10

3. #4 Clemson at Notre Dame Dame football, 7:30pm, ABC

Notre Dame football was largely dismissed from national relevancy after their loss against Marshall in week 2. Since that loss though, they’ve gone on a 5-1 run. While it doesn’t help that the sole loss was a rather embarrassing one to a bad Stanford team, the Fighting Irish seem to be back to playing solid football.

This was captured last week, when they took down #20 Syracuse on the road 41-24. Michael Mayer has continued to establish himself as one of the top tight ends in the country, as he has accumulated 580 receiving yards and has six of Notre Dame’s 13 receiving touchdowns on the season. The running back trio of Audric Estime, Logan Diggs, and Chris Tyree have played a pivotal role in the Irish offense, and have been producing, with over 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns combined.

This Notre Dame team is largely viewed as Clemson’s final test before the ACC championship, and really a potential playoff. They haven’t been convincingly dominant, however they’ve been good enough to get to 8-0. This has come largely on the back of running back Will Shipley, who has been the Tigers’ most consistent player, rushing for 739 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season.

Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has been good but not great, and the offense largely rides with him. He’s had some fantastic games, such as against Wake Forest, where he threw for almost 400 yards and five touchdowns. His play has been shakier as of late though, and got benched for freshman Cade Klubnik in their comeback against Syracuse. The quarterback situation will be one to watch going forward, and could be a cause for concern against Notre Dame.

With two powerhouse programs going against each other, it’s wild to call this an underrated game. However, with both teams not looking like their elite selves, this is the situation we’re in. Make no mistake though, both of these teams are solid, and could create a great game.