It may not fit in with the more official rivalry weekend, but No. 4 Notre Dame (10-1) traveling to 13th-ranked Stanford (9-2, 8-1 in the Pac-12) could have as many national implications as any other matchup this weekend.
Notre Dame vs. Stanford 2015: Start time, live stream, TV schedule and 3 things to know
A last-ditch run at the College Football Playoff for the winner?
The Irish fell out of the College Football Playoff top four this week after skating by Boston College 17-14, but a win out of the No. 9 team in the rankings would be up there with any marquee win any of the top four teams possess at the moment. Notre Dame might still need a loss from one of the current top four, but they’d be right there with the winner of Bedlam as one of the next teams up.
Stanford's path to the playoff is much more rocky and would need multiple top-10 teams falling apart, but a win would still be a pretty big resume point, assuming that David Shaw's Cardinal then go on to take care of business next week in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, FOX
Radio: Notre Dame, Stanford
Online streaming: FOX Sports GO Link
Spread: Notre Dame is favored by 2 points.
Make friends: Irish eyes can view all the chatter on this matchup at One Foot Down, while fans of the Cardinal can do the same over at Rule of Tree.
Three big things to know
1. A Heisman Moment?
Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey seems a step behind some of the other tailbacks as a Heisman Trophy candidate, but he’s arguably the more well-rounded back compared to Alabama’s Derrick Henry, and a big performance against Notre Dame’s stout defense would be a pretty strong resume point.
2. Jaylon Smith
If you’re a fan of linebacker play, Notre Dame’s junior is one of the best you’ll watch. He has 98 tackles on the season and projects as a high first-round draft pick. The matchup with Smith on McCaffrey, as a runner and receiver out of the backfield, will be as strong of an individual matchup as there will be this weekend.
3. Big-play Bill
All Notre Dame wideout Will Fuller does is make big plays. He averages more than 20 yards a catch and scores a touchdown for every fifth reception. He had the game-winner against Virginia this season and caught three touchdowns in Notre Dame’s gut-check win over Pitt. And Stanford’s defense has been vulnerable to big plays, ranking 75th in the nation in pass defense IsoPPP.
See More:
