Florida State-Notre Dame and Florida State-Clemson were the two ACC games people really wanted to see this year, but earlier in the season, Notre Dame-Louisville looked like it could be “sneaky good.” Despite the departures of Teddy Bridgewater and Charlie Strong, the Cardinals looked talented, while Notre Dame was undefeated heading into its game at FSU.
How to watch Louisville vs. Notre Dame: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
Can the Irish turn things around?
But now, there isn’t nearly as much hype surrounding this game. Notre Dame has taken a significant blow, losing on the last play at FSU, then getting blown out at Arizona State and falling at home to 4-6 Northwestern. The Irish have fallen out of the national rankings and look like they could enter full meltdown mode.
Meanwhile, Louisville has been disappointing in that all three of its losses were close games that could have gone either way. This game could have meant a ton in a week without many good matchups. But instead, it’s just a slightly above average matchup in the middle of November.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Online streaming: NBC Sports Live Extra
The numbers
Rankings and records: Both Louisville and Notre Dame are 7-3. Louisville is ranked 24th by the College Football Playoff selection committee. Notre Dame is unranked.
Vegas: Notre Dame opened as a nine-point favorite. The line is now down to three with an over/under of 53, per OddsShark.
Weather forecast: High of 42, low of 40 and a chance of rain.
Two things at stake
Right now, bowl positioning is really all either of these teams can play for, but Notre Dame, especially, needs a win to avoid a meltdown from the team and the fan base.
A win here would finally give Louisville a signature win and could launch the Cardinals to a respectable 9-3 season in Bobby Petrino’s first year back.
One big matchup
Notre Dame offense vs. Louisville defense: The Louisville defense has been up-and-down at times, but overall it’s been a solid unit that could take advantage of Notre Dame’s turnover issues. Irish quarterback Everett Golson has more turnovers than 84 teams, and after being done in by turnovers or the second straight week, particularly in the red zone, Notre Dame needs to turn that around. The turnover battle could end up deciding the game.
Further reading
Read Card Chronicle for more on Louisville and One Foot Down for more on Notre Dame.
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