Top-ranked Clemson visits fourth-ranked Notre Dame in a clash of college football titans in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus on Saturday night. Notre Dame could definitely use a win to stay in the top four — and in the College Football Playoff. This could be a preview of the ACC Championship, but that would be a neutral-site game, so Notre Dame would love to get the win now. Another factor in the Irish’s favor is the fact that Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence remains out due to ACC COVID-19 protocols. This is a chance for Notre Dame finally to make a statement against elite teams; in recent years, Notre Dame has not done well in games against the top five. In 2018, Clemson dealt them a 30-3 whipping in the CFP semifinal, and in 2012, Alabama blew the Irish’s doors off in the BCS Championship game. This year, though, Notre Dame is 6-0, with five of those wins coming by at least two touchdowns. The outlier is an ugly five-point home win over Louisville.
Can the Irish knock off Clemson, or will the Tigers win even with Trevor Lawrence watching from the sideline? Don’t miss our college football betting preview.
NCAAF: Clemson at Notre Dame (Saturday, November 7)
When: Saturday, November 7, 2020, 7:30 pm ET
Where: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN
TV: NBC
Radio: Clemson Tigers Network / Notre Dame Radio Network
Live Stream: Hulu
NCAAF Odds: Clemson -5.5
Why should you bet on the Tigers?
Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei is a true freshman, but it didn’t take him long to show some seasoning against Boston College. He went 30 of 41 for 342 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and he also ran for 25 yards and a touchdown. Tailback Travis Etienne went off for over 200 all-purpose yards, so Uiagalelei won’t have the whole burden of the offense on his shoulders in this game. Clemson’s offensive line has struggled to open up holes for Etienne at times, and the Irish will try to keep Etienne between the tackles. Notre Dame opponents have just run for 3.1 yards per attempt this season; can Clemson break through?
On defense, Clemson’s secondary is second in the ACC in pass efficiency. Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book is having a decent year, and he can bring the ball down and run, with five rushing touchdowns on the season. If Clemson can keep the game in front of them, they should be able to dictate the flow, and Book is not known as a deep passer. We saw that the Clemson defense could elevate its game after a dreadful first quarter against BC. If you like Clemson, you don’t see them digging a similar hole for themselves this week.
Why should you put your money on the Fighting Irish?
Notre Dame is fifth in the ACC in points per game (34.8) and yards per play (6.1). The strength of the offense comes from their line, arguably the best in the conference. That’s why the Irish run the ball 57 percent of the time and average 5.1 yards per attempt. Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree have been the featured backs. Clemson won’t have Xavier Thomas for the first half, afte rhe picked up a targeting call in the second half against BC, so the Tigers will have to step up collectively to slow down the Irish offense.
On defense, Notre Dame only allows a 52.2 percent completion percentage and is tops in the ACC in pass efficiency defense. No one has thrown for more than 260 yards against Notre Dam this season. Safety Kyle Hamilton makes great plays across the top, and Clarence Lewis, TaRiq Bracy and Nick McCloud make a solid threesome of cornerbacks. Look for Amari Rodgers to get the most targets from Uiagalelei, but Cornell Powell, Frank Ladson and Braden Galloway should also get targets, and Etienne can also catch passes out of the backfield.
Final Score and Prediction
This line started out at Clemson -6.5 and has edged downward as action has poured in on the Notre Dame side of the wager. It’s hard to see a backup quarterback leading Clemson to a win at Notre Dame, but after the first quarter, the true freshman looked fearless. I like Clemson to keep it close, but I see Notre Dame winning late, with a final score of 27-23.
College Football Betting Odds
Love betting NCAA football? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date college football lines
