The discourse would suggest otherwise
As we turn to week five of the college football season, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 3-1 and ranked #16 in the country, and will now play host to the 3-0 and #15 ranked Louisville Cardinals.
Much of the early discourse since Sunday paints a tough picture for Notre Dame going into this game — almost as if we should expect a loss. According to FanDual Sportsbook, the Irish are currently 6.5 point favorites with an over/under of 47.5.
Over the past 24 hours, the lines have seen a 2 point change as the odds opened with Notre Dame as a 4.5 favorite, with an over/under of 45.5.
While much of the focus concerning Notre Dame has been centered around quarterback Riley Leonard and the Notre Dame passing offense, the overall picture for the Irish isn’t nearly as grim as it’s being talked about in the media or with fans. The Irish are #18 in rushing offense at 238.2 yards per game and the scoring defense is ranked #10 in the country with 9.75 points per game.
Notre Dame is still, very much, a good football team. One could even argue that there is a lot more untapped potential with this team, and with 8 games left, there is plenty of time and opportunity to become a real playoff threat.