How will Notre Dame handle playing Georgia in a hostile environment?
In recent big-game hostile environments, Notre Dame has not fared very well. How will the team perform Saturday in Athens against No.3 Georgia?
Whether the opponent was just better on the day, or the moment was just too big for Notre Dame — road games against big teams usually provoke negative thoughts and memories from fans.
The Irish have had their fair share of bad luck, bad calls (see ND vs. FSU 2014) and more. They have also had their fair share of not being ready for the big moment and simply being outplayed.
What Notre Dame team will fans see on Saturday night?
Well, no one really knows.
The team could completely crumble under the bright lights and lose big like against Miami in 2017. Or, it could come out strong and make the game very close (Clemson 2015) or get the win (Oklahoma 2012).
Brian Kelly and Co. have certainly learned a lot from losing in key games such as the National Championship in 2013 and the College Football Playoff semifinal last season. The staff will have prepared the players for the big moment and gone through each and every possible scenario between then and now.
However, the coaches are only on the sidelines. The players are on the field and have to get it done.
The atmosphere will be as hostile as it gets for the players, as this is Georgia’s biggest home game — arguably ever — and they’ve added (even more) seating into Sanford Stadium. You can also guarantee that Georgia fans will not sell-out and allow there to be 40,000+ Notre Dame fans within Georgia’s home stadium.
That’s not how they roll in the SEC.
The Irish are going to need to get into the game, settle in and silence the crowd as soon as possible in order to stand a chance in this football game. That means not allowing a quick score right off the bat and not turning the ball over quickly — both of which Notre Dame has been prone to do in big games.
The truth is that talking heads across all sorts of sports websites are hardly giving the Irish a chance in this ballgame. If I were a betting man, I’d say not one of the ESPN College GameDay “analysts” will choose Notre Dame.
And that’s fine.
Brian Kelly will have prepared his team to come out with a major chip on their shoulders. This team has heard the same schtick all offseason long. “Notre Dame should never be in the CFP again”. “The Irish always choke on the big stage”. “Notre Dame isn’t back and never will be”.
Next. What a win over Georgia would mean for Notre Dame. dark
Let’s see if the Irish are back Saturday night.