2019 Notre Dame Football Preview

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Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2019 Notre Dame Football Preview

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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 21 2. Michigan (Oct. 26) While Georgia has been installed as an early 10.5-point favorite versus Notre Dame, the Wolverines have been ear- marked with 7.5-point edge to avenge their 24-17 defeat in last year's season opener. At one point from 1909-93, the Fighting Irish were an impressive 6-3 in Ann Arbor. However, since 1997 they are only 1-7 and have lost four straight beginning in 2007 — including each of the last two under the lights in 2011 (35-31) and 2013 (41-30). Both teams lost stellar defensive personnel, so much will be riding on the seasoned arms and legs of quarterbacks Ian Book of Notre Dame and Shea Patterson of Michigan. The Irish will be coming off a bye, whereas Michigan has to play at Penn State — where it was crushed 42-13 in 2017 — the week prior. 3. Stanford (Nov. 30) Speaking of Notre Dame losing streaks on the road, Stanford will be vying for its sixth straight home triumph against the Irish since 2009. USC (1970-82) and Michigan State (1951-63) hold the record with seven apiece. Furthermore, since 1999 when Notre Dame went to the format where almost every year it caps the regular season in California at either USC or Stanford, the Irish have never won back-to-back finales on the West Coast. That distinction could end this year with a win at Stanford Stadium. A potential CFP bid was at stake when Notre Dame traveled to Stanford in 2015, as was a Big Six invitation in 2017. Both times the Irish lost after failing to hold a lead in the fourth quarter. 4. USC (Oct. 12) Few coaches, if any, in 2019 are believed to be on a hotter seat than USC's Clay Helton fol- lowing last year's 5-7 implosion. Brian Kelly has already competed against four different Trojan head coaches. By the time USC rolls into town having already played Fresno State, Stanford, BYU, Utah and Washington, it could be reeling or rolling while coming off a bye. There is always plenty of talent in the cupboard here to be a bona fide threat. This will mark the 34th time in history Notre Dame will play the Trojans and Michigan the same season, and it has swept the duo seven times in the previous 33 (21.2 percent of the time): 1987-90, 1993, 2012 and 2018. For the first time those two foes will be played back to back (with a bye in between), and USC's visit to northern Indiana matches its earliest ever on Oct. 12, 1963. 5. Virginia Tech (Nov. 2) Both Virginia teams making the trip to Notre Dame this year are dark-horse candidates to give the team the type of battle Pittsburgh did in 2018 before the Irish rallied in the fourth quarter for a 19-14 win. The Virginia Cavaliers (Sept. 28) are the better coached team and could take advantage of Notre Dame's emotions the week after having played at Georgia. However, playing the talented Hokies — who suffered numerous 2018 personnel set- backs that led to many youngsters getting a tough initiation — after back-to-back games against USC and Michigan poses a threat as well. The Fighting Irish will look to avenge their 20-19 loss to the Bulldogs in 2017, when they travel to play between the hedges at Sanford Stadium Sept. 21. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA Top Five Most Anticipated Games 1. Georgia (Sept. 21) The winner likely places itself into the early No. 3 position in college football and in the driver's seat for a CFP bid and a chance to disrupt an Alabama-Clemson V sequel in January 2020. The Bulldogs probably will be ranked No. 3 entering the contest, and Notre Dame has not defeated a top-five team since a 17-10 victory at No. 3 Michigan (which would finish 7-5) on Sept. 10, 2005. Beginning with the advent of the Associ- ated Press poll in 1936, that is the longest stretch where the Fighting Irish have not defeated a top-five foe, easily surpassing the nine seasons from 1996-2004. An estimated 25,000-plus Georgia fans made their way into Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 9, 2017, and that fandom will al- most be tripled and even more vociferous at Sanford Stadium when Georgia attempts to become the first school to improve to 3-0 all time against Notre Dame since Iowa in 1940.

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