A lot is at stake in the Fighting Irish’s first match of the 2018 NCCA season, with the team taking on rival Michigan. Many experts predict that the outcome of this match will greatly affect the success of Notre Dame throughout the rest of the season.
The good news is that the Irish will have homecourt advantage in the September match. But that’s no reason for the Irish to be complacent. The Wolverines will come out in full force, especially as they look to have revenge for their embarrassing 31-0 defeat at the hands of the Irish in their last meeting in 2014.
Image source: irish.nbcsports.com
Moreover, Notre Dame simply cannot afford to start the season with a loss. College football history is not in favor of teams losing their initial matches: in fact, no team has gotten to the national championships after starting with a 0-1 record since the onset of the Bowl Coalition Era in 1992. And no such team has won the title since 1983.
The players to watch are transfer QB Shea Patterson, who is a hard-to-scout wild card, as well as Wolverines’ defensive line standout Rashan Gary. Also, many analysts think that despite Michigan’s tough schedule this season, the team is a likely 10-win team. And if Notre Dame is to really build a good momentum moving forward on its own challenging sked, it must not let the Wolverines claw their way into this opening game.
Image source: upi.com
Hello, my name’s Tom Colton, a student at the University of Notre Dame. I’m a huge fan of our Fighting Irish football team. For more Notre Dame football reads, visit this blog.
Tom Colton 
