Two undefeated teams will be looking to keep their playoff hopes and national championship dreams alive when the 6th ranked Fighting Irish of Notre Dame head into Death Valley to take on the 12th ranked Clemson Tigers. The winner of this game becomes a legitimate favorite to land a final four spot, while the loser might be all but eliminated. Who will come away with the signature win?
Here's what Notre Dame needs to do to be victorious tonight.
1. Pressure and contain Watson. Clemson quarterback DeShaun Watson is an elite talent, and could wreck havoc on the Irish defense if he has time to throw or room to scramble. I don't think Notre Dame's secondary can shut down the Clemson wide receivers on their own, so getting pressure from the front seven, particularly the defensive line will be vital. Sheldon Day figures to play well as he has all year, but the Irish will need pressure and containment from their ends in order to stop Watson from making big plays.
2. Run, run, run. The forecast is calling for rain throughout the night, so the field will likely be a mess. I believe Notre Dame can run the ball on any team in the country, and they will need to tonight. The Irish won't win this game unless the have at least 150 yards rushing, so running it early and often will be necessary.
3. Take some deep shots. While Notre Dame should have success and needs to pound the rock, they also need to open up the playbook and let DeShone Kizer sling it. I believe the only way Clemson can stop the Irish rushing attack is if they crowd the box with eight men fronts. If that proves to be the case, dailing up a few deep balls to Will Fuller or Chris Brown should result in a few big chunk plays.
I expect this to be an extremely close game and the difference could be turnovers with a slick football and sloppy track. Despite the unfavorable weather, I still expect a relatively high scoring game.
Prediction: Notre Dame 31, Clemson 27
-Eric Tichelbaut
@etichel07
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