Pregame Buzz Surges as Notre Dame Prepares for Texas A&M Clash

For a Week 3 game, things don't get a whole lot bigger for Notre Dame than Saturday night's showdown with Texas A&M. The Fighting Irish enter at 0-1, losing in Week 1 at Miami and having last week off, while the Aggies are 2-0 after wins over UTSA and Utah State.

I don't fall on the side of Saturday being a must-win for Notre Dame in order to make the College Football Playoff, but not all CFP entries are the same. A loss wouldn't eliminate the Irish from making the field, but would almost certainly guarantee it won't host a first-round playoff game, making a postseason run that much more difficult.

Notre Dame - Texas A&M: Kickoff Time, TV Information

Kickoff is set for just after 7:30 p.m. ET in South Bend on Saturday, and the game can be seen as usual on NBC or Peacock. Notre Dame remains a 6.5-point favorite as of Friday night, and looks to even up it's regular season record at 1-1.

Notre Dame - Texas A&M: ESPN FPI Odds

The game has significant implications on the College Football Playoff, something both teams aspire to reach this year. ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) currently gives Notre Dame a 23.8% chance to make the playoff, and Texas A&M a 20.8% shot. A win by either would obviously go a long way in boosting either's playoff chances.

For the game itself, FPI gives Notre Dame a 71.2% chance at victory and Texas A&M just a 28.8% shot.

Notre Dame - Texas A&M: Pregame Buzz on Social Media

Notre Dame Football Hype Video