Notre Dame Football: Three bold predictions vs. Michigan

It will be close

The initial line for this game was set with Michigan as four-point favorites. That line is continually moving its favor towards the Irish as we get closer to kickoff.

Home field advantage will be Michigan’s biggest attribute as the rivalry heads into the Big House for a primetime kickoff.

With the Wolverines coming off of a disappointing loss to Penn State after failing to complete the late comeback, Michigan fans are on edge. The temperature of Jim Harbaugh’s seat has continually been on the rise.

Now with two losses on the season, the goals for this season that Michigan hoped for are long gone. But, just like with everyone else, a win over Notre Dame can define your season. Expect the fans and the atmosphere to reflect it.

The biggest takeaway from Michigan’s loss last Saturday was the fact that they can run with a team like Penn State. While it didn’t look like it for most of the game, on paper, the matchup actually favored the Wolverines. Michigan racked up 417 yards while Penn State settled for 283 total offensive yards.

While that did come in comeback fashion, it just goes to show that the game may never seem too out of reach.

Last year during this matchup, Shea Patterson was roughed up. That, of course, was Patterson’s first game with Michigan.

Notre Dame’s defense has allowed only 16.8 points per game this season with only one team throwing for over 255 yards.

Patterson and Book maybe two of the biggest names on the field this Saturday night, but the game will likely trend towards being dominated by defense. Not only will this make it a low scoring game, but it will also play a big factor in the final score being extremely close.