If Irish hang, game lives up to hype
After a relatively quiet Week 3 in college football with no major upsets, there will be plenty of opportunities for drama this weekend.
Here are the most intriguing questions for Week 4:
Can Notre Damehang with Georgia?
You don’t often see the No. 7 team in the country listed as a two-touchdown underdog, but that’s what the Fighting Irish are against the No. 3 Bulldogs on the road.
The teams were at the focal point of the playoff discussion last season, when an undefeated Notre Dame got in ahead of a two-loss Georgia, which suffered a close loss to No. 1 Alabama in the SEC title game. It’s something Dawgs fans won’t soon forget, especially after seeing how helpless the Irish looked in a 30-3 loss to eventual national champion Clemson in the Cotton Bowl.
Georgia’s path back to the playoff runs through Alabama and a tough SEC schedule. However, a nonconference win over a top-10 opponent would only bolster its resume and could swing the committee in its favor when it comes time to decide the top four teams. If the Bulldogs fail to beat the Crimson Tide again, or slip up against Florida, Auburn or Texas A&M, a win over Notre Dame is a potential tiebreaker over another one-loss Power 5 team or undefeated Group of 5 champion.
For the Irish, who don’t get to play in a conference championship game as an independent, this is essentially a playoffelimination game.
These weighty nonconference games are few and far between in college football, and this one has all the built-up angst and pressure you could want. Let’s just hope the game lives up to the hype.
Can Utah keep the Pac-12’s playoff hopes alive?
The Utes have four ranked teams remaining on their schedule, but Friday night’s trip to Los Angeles against USC might be their toughest test. The Trojans slipped out of the Top 25 after an OT loss to BYU, but they’re still among the most talented teams in the conference, and freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis seems to improve each week.
However, Utah’s Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss remain among the best quarterback-running back tandems in the nation, and the Trojans haven’t exactly been lights-out defensively, allowing 5.6 yards per play.
With the pressure on Utah (which jumped into the AP top 10 this week) to carry the conference’s playoff hopes, the players might finally feel the weight of those expectations in a game they’re favored to win.
Can Wisconsin prove that dominant start wasn’t a fluke?
It’s not who you play, it’s how you play. And if we’re going to judge teams just three weeks into the season, the No. 13 Badgers deserve credit for being as dominant as any, outscoring South Florida and Central Michigan a combined 110-0.
Preseason Heisman Trophy contender Jonathan Taylor has been as good as advertised at running back and has evolved as a pass-catcher, and the defense ranks at or near the top in almost every major statistical category. But what has really stood out through two games has been the play of junior quarterback Jack Coan.
After taking over as the starter near the end of last season, Coan retained the job over highly touted freshman Graham Mertz in the offseason. This season, Coan has risen to another level, completing 76.3% of his attempts with five TDs and no picks and throwing for more yards (564) in two games than he did in five (515) last year. The coaching staff seems to have more trust in him, and with the return of receiver Quintez Cephus, the offense is .
Saturday’s home game against No. 11 Michigan provides an early litmus test for the Badgers, who have aspirations of a Big Ten title, a Rose Bowl berth and a playoff appearance. While the Wolverines have struggled to find any success offensively under new coordinator Josh Gattis, they have one of the nation’s best defenses and have had two weeks to prepare. Count out Jim Harbaugh at your own risk.
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