Not only is every game a must-win for the rest of the season for Notre Dame, but the Fighting Irish need to make a statement each week, given they’ve already been dealt two losses.
Those defeats to No. 3 Miami and No. 6 Texas A&M don’t look too bad right now, but it doesn’t mean the Irish have any margin for error.
Boise State (3-1) is also in must-win mode, looking to set the record straight after their Week 1 loss to South Florida.
A win over Notre Dame would put the Broncos right back on the radar for the College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame put together their most impressive win of the season in Week 5. The Fighting Irish went into Fayetteville and obliterated Arkansas, 56-13.
The victory got the Irish back to .500, but it also signaled that Marcus Freeman’s bunch were not going to go quietly into the good night when it comes to their playoff chances.
They’ll need more wins like that to have a hope, as Notre Dame’s remaining schedule doesn’t feature any true heavyweights, especially after USC lost to Illinois last weekend.
That means Notre Dame will need to leave a lasting impression on the selection committee, and the best way to do that is to put together more performances like the one they pulled off at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium seven days ago.
Freshman quarterback CJ Carr was ridiculous against the Hogs, throwing for 354 yards and four touchdowns, but this is still a team that will want to feed running back Jeremiyah Love as often as they can, especially since Boise State’s run defense has struggled this season, allowing 168.3 yards per game.
And while that gameplan should work well enough to get the Irish the victory on Saturday, it will also keep the clock moving, which is not good news if you’re laying three scores.
Boise State’s offense should also be able to find some success in this game, as they’ve found a groove after the dud they threw up against South Florida in Week 1.
Notre Dame’s defense isn’t easy to topple over, but we’re not asking the world of the Broncos here. Given how wide the spread is, a couple of scores from the visitors, plus a run-heavy gameplan from the Irish should get us to the window.
The Play: Boise State +20.5 (-110, FanDuel)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.