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Michigan vs. Notre Dame: Preview, odds, predictions, TV schedule and more

By Derek Grochowski

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly yells in the rain during the Citrus Bowl against LSU at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., on January 1, 2018. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images)
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly yells in the rain during the Citrus Bowl against LSU at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., on January 1, 2018. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images) /
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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will host the Michigan Wolverines in one of the top matchups of College Football’s opening weekend.

There are plenty of intriguing matchups for the first week. There is a top ten matchup pitting Washington against Auburn, and an interesting test for Alabama, the top team in the country, as they face Louisville. But in primetime on national television, the country will be watching the Michigan Wolverines take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

It will be an early road test for the Wolverines. There is a lot of pressure on Jim Harbaugh and Michigan this season. The program needs a big year after a poor 2017. The loss of Tarik Black will hurt the offense tremendously. He was projected to be their top wide receiver this year. Black showed a lot of potential earlier in 2017 before breaking his foot. He was primed to come back in 2018 and lead the offense, until late last week when reports filtered out he injured his other foot.

Notre Dame also has a lot to prove this season. The Irish are coming off of a strong ten-win season with victories against USC, Michigan State, and LSU. Brian Kelly will be looking to continue to re-establish the Notre Dame brand as one of the elites in college football. He lost a lot of tools this offseason on the offensive side of the ball. The good news is that the defense will again be solid and keep the Irish in a lot of games this season. It will be up to quarterback Brandon Wimbush to carry Notre Dame past teams down the stretch. They will have a run-heavy attack and look to dominate possession.

These two programs are some of the most historic in all of college football. This rivalry has produced some great moments from Michigan’s epic comeback win led by Denard Robinson or Notre Dame’s rout of the Wolverines with a score of 31-0. Saturday should be another great addition to the series history.

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