Notre Dame Gears Up for Crucial Two-Game Test

Notre Dame hosts NC State this Saturday

Next up for Notre Dame is the NC State Wolfpack, who will be venturing to South Bend this week. Currently, the Irish are a massive favorite in this game with a point spread of 22.5. Even given this massive line favoring the Irish, NC State is a tough out.

It seems that when the Irish face NC State, the Wolfpack's plan of attack is to try to "muddy up" the game. They want to make the game a dogfight played at the line of scrimmage. It'll be incumbent on Notre Dame to be physical at the point of attack and get the lead early in this game.

Just like with Boise State, NC State is a team that the longer Notre Dame lets hang around, the more dangerous the situation becomes for the Irish. If Notre Dame can maintain its current defensive momentum and play a sharper game offensively, another home win should be logged.

Notre Dame welcomes USC to South Bend next

After the NC State game, Notre Dame hosts archrival USC. This is a game that, for many reasons, is always circled on the calendar. First, this could be the last game played in the regular season in Notre Dame Stadium between these two rivals, given the current schedule uncertainty. And secondly, USC is clearly the most talented team left on the Irish schedule and will be a huge test for the rapidly improving Notre Dame defense.

After the USC game, Notre Dame has an off-week before facing a light back end of the schedule. If Notre Dame can go 2-0 in these two games, 10-2 becomes a very real possibility, and so does the Irish's likelihood of making the CFP field given all of the scoreboard volatility we've seen.

After a very rocky start to the season, Notre Dame is very much alive in the CFP hunt, but only if the Irish take care of business.