SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame’s quest for a College Football Playoff bid comes to the forefront this week in what will be the final ranked team the Fighting Irish play this season.
No. 9 Notre Dame (7-2) hits the road Saturday to face the No. 22 Pittsburgh Panthers (7-2). The Irish, on a seven-game win streak, and the Panthers, winners of five-straight, have hit the critical part of each’s schedules.
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The same urgency, however, isn’t being met on both sides.
“Absolutely not,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said earlier this week when asked if it was a must-win game for the Panthers. “It is not an ACC game. You know, I’d gladly get beat 103 or 110-10 in that game — they can put 100 up on us as long as we win the next two after that.”
Technically, Narduzzi isn’t wrong. If Pitt loses to the Irish but beat No. 16 Georgia Tech next week and No. 15 Miami the week after, the Panthers could be headed to the Atlantic Coach Conference’s championship game where the winner would have a shot at an automatic CFP spot.
Whether or not Narduzzi’s words match the feeling of a locker room that has won five straight and boasts one of top run defenses in the country, at least one team feels like it’s back is against the wall and that a win is the only way to keep playoff hopes alive.
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“As I was reminded — somebody texted me yesterday — somebody texted me that this is a trap game,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said. “I said, ‘This is not a trap game. This is a challenge.’ This is a real challenge, a great challenge.”
“It’s going to be a great challenge,” Freeman said. “We know that. They’re 7-2 and on a five-game winning streak and playing with a lot of confidence and momentum and rightfully so. They’re earned it. On offense, they’re an explosive-play, fast, shifts, motions, tempo. … I think they’re in the top 10 in scoring offense right now.”
Freeman heard rave reviews about the Irish’s last win (a 49-10 runaway against Navy last weekend) and rightfully so. It was Notre Dame’s first penalty-free game since 1997.
Jeremiyah Love continued to make plays and Freeman doubled-down on his stance that the running back is a Heisman Trophy contender. He’s fifth in the country in yards and sits 12 yards away from reaching double-digits this season.
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But critics can easily point to a 33-yard game in Notre Dame’s season-opening loss to Miami as to why Love is a step behind other contenders. That’s why a big game against the Panthers could see his stock rise.
Pittsburgh has the nation’s third-best run defense, allowing just under 79 yards a game to opponents. On Notre Dame’s schedule, it’ll be the best run-defending team they’ll see this season. Miami, ranked seventh statistically, is next before a large drop off. Texas A&M is 43rd, and also beat Notre Dame.
The best run defense that Notre Dame has beaten is NC State, who is 45th.
Pitt is a test like the Irish haven’t seen, or beaten, this season. That’s why Freeman shoves away the thought of the Panthers being downgraded to just a “trap game.”
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“Pat Narduzzi, I studied him for years and the things they do,” Freeman said. “They’re creating a lot of havoc. They’ll do everything in their power to stop the run so we’ve got to be prepared and we’ve got to have answers.”
If Pitt gets its way, CJ Carr will have to provide an answer over the top. Freeman has noticed a trend in the way his team is getting defended.
“I think teams at the end of the day are still saying we can’t allow Notre Dame to run the football because that’s detrimental, right?” he said. “And that’s where CJ’s got to continuously be good at recognizing what the defense is telling you. There’s tells. There’s always tells, and he’s doing an amazing job at that.”
Part of why Carr’s been so impressive his rookie season is wide receiver coach Mike Brown. Brown, in his second year in South Bend, is seeing a Notre Dame wideout room being revitalized. Five players have over 250 receiving yards and three have more than 400. Those include Jordan Faison, Malachi Fields and tight end Eli Raridon.
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What’s even more impressive is that Notre Dame has used the pass game effectively largely without its top target. Jaden Greathouse continues to stay off the depth chart due to a prolonged and nagging injury. He’s missed the last five games.
“It’s great to hear and to see multiple guys really performing well,” Freeman said. “Coach Brown’s done a great job in that room. He acquired some talent that are the right fits, but really good football players, and credit to CJ, for being able to put the ball where it needs to be and making the right decisions. And the offensive line’s got to protect so they can have, so CJ has time to get the ball to those guys. So, there’s a lot of different things that go into that, but it’s a really good situation.”
No. 9 Notre Dame (7-2) travels to No. 22 Pittsburgh (7-2) on Saturday, Nov. 15, to play the Panthers at noon ET. The game will be broadcasted on ABC and ESPN’s pregame show College GameDay will be on site. That begins at 9
