Notre Dame vs Boise State Quirk That Hasn't Happened in 25 Years

Boise usually tries to avoid any crazy out of conference matchups, due to their low room for error to make the College Football Playoff. The Broncos made the playoff last season with an 11-1 record, the only blemish being a heartbreaking loss to Oregon, 37-34.

The Broncos put themselves in a tough position now after a loss to USF in week one and all signs point towards Notre Dame handling them in South Bend on Saturday afternoon.

For both programs, this is essentially a playoff eliminator. Boise State may only have one loss, but it has no room for error with how weak the rest of its schedule is. As for Notre Dame, it already has two losses, and a third would definitely knock it out of playoff contention.

Despite the Fighting Irish being heavy favorites, there is reason for optimism for Boise State. The Broncos love to run the ball, especially in games where they are outmatched talent-wise, and try to muddy up the game.

Boise State will want to limit Notre Dame's possessions and make the game as ugly as possible to try to avoid Irish quarterback CJ Carr's chances to hurt them.

Carr has been a revelation for the Notre Dame offense, somehow exceeding the already lofty expectations that were placed on him preseason. The redshirt freshman signal caller has the composure of a senior, seemingly unflappable in his process and decision making, even when he is under pressure.

Look for Notre Dame to keep its foot on the gas in this one and continue to push the ball downfield at every opportunity. The Fighting Irish are well aware that style points do in fact matter at this point and beating Boise State handily will continue to send a message to the nation that this Notre Dame team is getting better at a ridiculously fast rate.