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✦ TOP STORYLINES: NOTRE DAME VS. PITT BY LOU SOMOGYI THREE UP, THREE DOWN Notre Dame's trio of opponents from Oct. 13-27 — Stanford, Brigham Young and at Oklahoma — were the most chal- lenging three-week stretch the 2012 Fight- ing Irish were going to face. Conversely, the trio of Pitt (Nov. 3), at Boston College (Nov. 10) and Wake For- est (Nov. 17) is considered, on paper, the "easiest" three-week stretch during the 2012 season. Pitt probably would be con- sidered the most challenging, but even the Panthers are 17-point underdogs. Pitt is in reconstruction with its fourth head coach in three seasons and lost this year's opener at home, 31-17, to Foot- ball Championship Subdivision opponent Youngstown State. Boston College head coach Frank Spa- ziani was on the hot seat prior to the sea- son, and the program might be demoral- ized after a 2-6 start, most notably a 34-31 setback to then winless Army, which piled up 516 yards rushing versus the Eagles. Wake Forest consistently maximizes its potential under head coach Jim Grobe, but the Demon Deacons and Navy, a 50-10 loser to the Irish in the opener, were deemed possibly the two least threaten- ing opponents on the 2012 slate. Through eight games, Wake Forest ranked 91st or lower nationally in the four major offen- sive categories. Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has taken much pride in preparing his teams for the closing stretch in November and using it as a gauge of how the staff's mes- sage has resonated with the players the previous months. Two years ago under Kelly, the Irish limped into November with a 4-5 record — but responded with their best foot- ball of the season, defeating No. 15 Utah (28-3), grounding Army's triple-option at- Senior running back Ray Graham has bounced back from a knee injury he suffered in 2011 to log 134 carries for 622 yards (4.6 per attempt) and seven touchdowns through eight games. PHOTO COURTESY PITT ✦ PAGE 8