Well, let’s try this again.
Notre Dame ended in agony last weekend, a 17-14 loss to Ohio State fouling up what had been such a tantalizing few hours in South Bend. The Irish were good enough to beat the Buckeyes, that much became obvious. They were good enough to beat anyone on their schedule, reason to suspect they’d been underrated by pollsters and experts. And not only that, but they had the marks of a well-coached team: no turnovers committed in that game, no sacks allowed, penalties a non-issue, a physical running game on point.
ESPN’s mobile “GameDay” studio had gone to the right place. It was a clash made for prime time, and the Irish nearly came out on top. But then — yes, you’ve heard — the Irish inexcusably played their final two defensive downs with only 10 men on the field and surrendered a last-ditch, 1-yard touchdown plunge under a cloud of real embarrassment.
“It was a learning opportunity for myself and everyone involved with the program,” coach Marcus Freeman said.
No. It was an amateur-hour bumble.
No. 11 Notre Dame (-5½) at No. 17 Duke (6:30 p.m., ABC 7, 780-AM) sets a similar stage only seven nights later. Too soon for the Irish? We’ll see. “GameDay” is in Durham, N.C. The Blue Devils aren’t merely one of college football’s early surprises; they’ve manhandled all comers, including Clemson in Week 1 and Northwestern two games after that.
In the opener, Clemson, the bully of the ACC, made foray after foray into Duke territory only to be rebuffed. The defense the Blue Devils have under coach Mike Elko, who was Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator in 2017, is not to be underestimated.
Nor is the team’s rugged quarterback, Riley Leonard, who’s starting to show up as a 2024 first-rounder on some NFL mock draft boards. Which QB will have the upper hand, Leonard or the Irish’s Sam Hartman, who played well against OSU but was unable to rise above the chaos of the game in Heisman Trophy fashion?
So, the question: Is the timing of this game right for the Irish? Is it too soon? Or is it exactly what they need, when they need it?
It’s a huge night for Freeman and his team. Of course, it’s no less so for Elko and his squad.
But I’m going with the Irish by 11 — 31-20 — because 10 is one too few.
OTHER WEEK 5 PICKS
No. 6 Penn State (-26½) at Northwestern (11 a.m., BTN, 720-AM): Another tip of the helmet to the Wildcats for coming all the way back to beat Minnesota last weekend. That really was something. But Goliath doesn’t care. The Nittany Lions are still spitting pieces of Iowa out of their teeth. PSU, 41-6.
No. 8 USC (-21½) at Colorado (11 a.m., FOX 32): Not only were the Buffaloes put in their place by Oregon in Week 4, but superstar QB Caleb Williams and the Trojans are looking to pile on after a lifeless win against Arizona State. That kickoff is awfully early, though, for a bunch of dudes from L.A. Now we find how good a job Deion Sanders is doing in Boulder. Trojans, 38-28.
Illinois (+1) at Purdue (2:30 p.m., Peacock, 890-AM): How many bad teams are going at it at Ross-Ade Stadium? One or two? The Boilermakers aren’t stopping anybody under new coach Ryan Walters, who was coordinator of a stellar Illini “D” last season. The Illini are a weaker-than-weak 2-2, not having played a good game yet. Don’t the Illini have better guys, though? It seems so, and they need this one badly. I-L-L, 26-20.
Northern Illinois (+13) at Toledo (2:30 p.m., ESPNU): No QB Dequan Finn for the Rockets is a huge deal, his injury a potentially crushing blow to what could have been a runaway team in the MAC. But the Huskies are such a mess offensively — can’t throw it, can’t run it — that it’s impossible to see them winning. The Rockets run it, run it again and run it some more and it’s enough, 31-13.
No. 1 Georgia (14½) at Auburn (2:30 p.m., CBS 2): Is this where the Bulldogs’ 21-game winning streak ends? Not if Auburn can’t figure out how to throw the ball at a less-than-comically-bad level and release Hugh Freeze’s offense from the clutches of all-out disaster. The Tigers can sling some heavy “D,” though, and that will challenge the champs. Dogs, 24-13.
My favorite favorite: No. 13 LSU (-2½) at No. 20 Ole Miss (5 p.m., ESPN): I took a spin on the Rebels last week to upset Alabama, and it was a mistake. Coach Lane Kiffin just hasn’t gotten it done against top opponents, and the Boys from the Bayou are hotter than catfish grease offensively. Too much Tigers in the end.
My favorite underdog: No. 24 Kansas (+17½) at No. 3 Texas (2:30 p.m., ABC 7): Can the Jayhawks pull off what would be their biggest win in many years, or at least since 2021, when they stunned the Longhorns in a bonkers overtime thriller? Maybe not, but this team never stops fighting for whatever it can get. ’Horns win, ’Hawks cover.
Last week: 7-3 straight-up, 5-4-1 against the spread.
Season to date: 24-8 straight-up, 17-13-1 against the spread.
