The No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish head to Athens Saturday with a perfect 2-0 record and a return to the College Football Playoff in mind.
Though Georgia is currently a -14.5 point favorite over the Irish, Notre Dame is no joke and should not be taken lightly, as many will tell you.
I’m here to break down in five reasons why the Irish can pull off an upset in this highly anticipated matchup, despite being pinned as such an underdog by the media and even Notre Dame fans.
Let’s dive in.
1: Ian Book
Ian Book, the veteran Notre Dame quarterback, has led his team to the College Football Playoff last year, after a perfect 12-0 regular season.
Book put up 2,628 passing yards last season, to go along with a 68.2% completion rate. Through 2 games in 2019, the senior already has 553 yards passing, and 6 touchdowns through the air.
Overall, Book has a 29-11 touchdown to interception ratio, with no blemishes against Louisville or New Mexico so far this season.
Though he may not be Justin Fields or Jalen Hurts, Book can still win the ball pretty well and escape trouble in the pocket.
We don’t expect the veteran quarterback to put up Trevor Lawrence or Tua Tagovailoa numbers, but his success will play a key factor in the game Saturday. If Book plays really well, the Irish have a great shot at upsetting Georgia.
2: Notre Dame’s defense and the ability to stack the box
Though Notre Dame ranks 120th in the nation for run defense, the Irish are expected to stack the box on Saturday and have the 12th best pass defense in the country.
Notre Dame will try to stop the gauntlet of running backs Georgia has up front, but is much more capable of stopping the Bulldogs’ young and talented wide receivers.
If the Irish are able to stop the run game on Saturday, however, Georgia could be in some serious trouble. George Pickens, Dominick Blaylock and Demetris Robertson have each played a part in pieces of this Bulldog passing offense, but they have not faced a ranked opponent, much less a top team like Notre Dame.
3: Being written off by the media and even fans of Notre Dame
The Irish are being treated like a joke heading into Athens, with many predicting a Georgia win by four scores or more. Notre Dame is ranked No. 7 in the nation after all, and there’s obviously a reason for it.
Yes, the Irish are a bit overrated each season due to brand name and past success, but they are still a very good football team. Terrible teams like Georgia Tech don’t go 12-0 in the regular season like Notre Dame did last year.
The Irish lost almost all of their national respect after losing to Clemson in blowout fashion last season, putting up 3 points in the College Football Playoff.
However, they will be determined to prove the doubters wrong in Athens, putting all of that hate to rest.
4: Notre Dame is 1-18 against Top 5 teams since 1999
Though many may think this is an advantage for Georgia, it could easily help favor the Irish on Saturday. Brian Kelly has plenty of regular season success against lesser opponents at Notre Dame, but no marquee wins.
Kelly is no longer on the hot seat after leading the Irish to the College Football Playoff last season, but still faces the lingering pressure of getting a massive victory.
You just know he’s had this game scheduled on his calendar all summer, hoping to lead Notre Dame back to the playoff. After all, the only wins Kelly has had that are that impressive are 2012 Oklahoma and 2018 Michigan.
5: The 2017 Georgia victory
While Rodrigo Blankenship helped Georgia take a 20-19 fourth quarter lead on the Irish in 2017, Notre Dame went driving down the field to win the game with just a few moments left on the clock.
You all know the story from there, as Davin Bellamy’s strip sack clinched the game for the Dawgs and powered them all the way to an SEC Championship and Rose Bowl victory.
Since Georgia has been so dominant since this game, many forget how close it really was. The Dawgs basically stole a victory from the Irish in the end and you better believe it’s still on the minds of those who remain in South Bend.
Notre Dame will be looking for revenge on Saturday, in addition to the massive chip that will be on the Irish players’ shoulders.
All in all, I am still predicting a 38-17 victory for Georgia, but I could easily see this game being closer than that, if just a few plays go Notre Dame’s way.
Though I am not too nervous for the Dawgs, Georgia must be alert and ready to play from the start on Saturday.
