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Around CFB: Very little standing between Notre Dame and undefeated season

October 2, 2018
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Those who detest Notre Dame, want two Southeastern Conference teams in the College Football Playoff or support teams in the Big 12 or Pac 12 should consider this:

The biggest remaining obstacle between Notre Dame and an undefeated regular season is a team that lost to Old Dominion.

Wait … let’s rephrase that.

The biggest obstacle between Notre Dame and perfection is THE team that lost to (1-4) Old Dominion.

Notre Dame (5-0) irks so many because of its refusal to join a conference, its often modest strength of schedule and the favoritism it receives from national media. But facts are facts and the fact is an undefeated Notre Dame will always be included in the four-team playoff field.

The Irish appears well on their way to getting in. And get this … they may even deserve it.

They already have victories over No. 14 Stanford and No  15 Michigan.

Notre Dame is among the nation’s Top 40. Running back Dexter Williams rushed for 255 yards against Stanford after returning from a four-game suspension. Quarterback Ian Book has boosted the offense since supplanting Brandon Wimbush as starter two weeks ago.

"The biggest obstacle between Notre Dame and perfection is THE team that lost to (1-4) Old Dominion."

“(Notre Dame) has a quarterback right now that’s outstanding,” Stanford coach David Shaw said after losing 38-17 to the Irish. “He’s athletic enough to get himself out of trouble. Quarterbacks like this, if you don’t get them down on the ground, it’s going to hurt you.”

Next, the Irish aim to put a hurting on No. 24 Virginia Tech, whose lone loss was by two touchdowns to Old Dominion. Virginia Tech has a productive offense, but has struggled in pass protection.

That could pose a big problem against Notre Dame, which has posted 13 sacks. Defensive tackle Jerry Tillery had four against Stanford.

“This is just the start,” he said after the game. “This defense can still get so much better.”

They probably will. After facing Virginia Tech, the Irish play just one team (26 Syracuse) that ranks among the nation’s top 30 in total offense. Four remaining opponents — Pittsburgh, Northwestern, Florida State and USC — rank between 84th and 112th.

Should Notre Dame defeat Virginia Tech as expected, the second half of the Irish’s schedule would appear to offer just mild resistance.

Pitt, Navy, Northwestern, Florida State, Syracuse and USC are a combined 15-13.

That doesn’t appear to be much of an obstacle to the playoffs.

Heisman watch

1, Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama, QB: Typically he plays three quarters and sits out one. In last week’s win over Louisiana-Lafayette he played one and sat out three. While on the field he completed 8 of 8 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. He’s completed 75 percent of his attempts for 1,161 yards and 14 touchdowns.

2, Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State, QB: He passed for 270 yards and three touchdowns — two in the fourth quarter — in a come-from-behind victory over Penn State. He’s passed for 1,464 yards and 19 touchdowns with two interceptions.

3, Will Grier, West Virginia, QB: Grier recorded his fourth consecutive plus-300-yard passing performance in a 42-34 victory over Texas Tech. He threw for 370 yards and three touchdowns — his lowest touchdown output. Grier has thrown for 1,487 yards and 17 touchdowns in four games.

4, Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin, RB: The Badgers were open last week. In four games he has rushed for 628 yards and five touchdowns. His 157-yards per game average leads the nation in rushing.

5, Kyler Murray, Oklahoma, QB: The caliber of competition is questionable, but Murray has been dominant. He passed for 432 yards and six touchdowns in last week’s win over Baylor. In five games, he’s thrown for 1,460 yards and 17 touchdowns with two interceptions. He’s also rushed for 285 yards and four TDs.

Predicted playoff participants

1, Alabama: The Tide won’t be seriously challenged until November. Maybe not even then.
2, Ohio State: Does come-from-behind win over Penn State mean Buckeyes are vulnerable or invincible?
3, Clemson: It’s all good now, but Kelly Bryant’s transfer may come back to haunt the Tigers.
4, Georgia: You know you got a great team when 38 points is a bad day for the offense. 

This week’s best games

1, No. 19 Texas vs. No. 7 Oklahoma: Longhorns are on a roll, but can’t claim to be “back” without beating OU.
2, No. 5 LSU at No. 22 Florida: Coach Dan Mullen often gave LSU fits when he was at Mississippi State. Maybe he can do the same in Florida.
3, No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 24 Virginia Tech: Probably, the Irish’s most difficult test for the remainder of the season.
4, No. 13 Kentucky at Texas A&M: Kentucky’s rushing offense is ranked 12th in the nation. A&M’s rushing defense is ranked sixth.
5, Indiana at No. 3 Ohio State: Indiana is just good enough to pull off an upset if the Buckeyes have any hangover from last week’s win over Penn State.

Idle thoughts

  • Since falling to LSU in the opener, Miami has won four straight by at least two touchdowns. The best here is that streak extends to five against Florida State this weekend.
  • Nebraska coach Scott Frost called the Cornhuskers “one of the most undisciplined teams in the country.” Uh, isn’t it his job to instill discipline?
  • No offense to Army, but is a team that needed overtime to win at home over the Black Knights really the fifth best team in the nation? The coaches poll says Oklahoma is. Not buying yet. OU’s five wins have come over opponents that are a combined 9-14.
  • The outlook is good for Kliff Kingsbury to post at least seven wins. Texas Tech is 3-2 and still has Kansas, Iowa State, Kansas State and Baylor remaining the schedule. Those teams are a combined 8-11 with wins over Abilene Christian, UTSA, Central Michigan, South Dakota, Rutgers and Akron.
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Around CFB: Very little standing between Notre Dame and undefeated season

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