Notre Dame Football vs Clemson Tigers: Picks and Predictions

For the first, and maybe last time in program history, the Notre Dame football team will play for a conference championship.

This Saturday, the Irish will play a highly-anticipated rematch against the Clemson Tigers. The stakes are significantly higher in this game, as not only will the winner be crowned as the 2020 ACC Champions, but they will also guarantee themselves a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The consensus heading into this game is that Clemson will win comfortably. The Tigers were missing star quarterback Trevor Lawrence and key players from their defensive front-seven when they lost to the Irish in South Bend earlier this season. On top of that, Clemson clearly needs this game more than Notre Dame does.

If the Tigers suffer a second loss, they will likely fall outside of the top-four and miss out on the College Football Playoff. The betting lines in Vegas have reflected that sentiment. Currently, Clemson is favored by 10.5 points.

Here is how our writers at Slap the Sign see the game playing out.

Daniel Morrison

Yeah, Lawrence is playing in this game, but it’s not like his absence prevented the Clemson offense from throwing all over the yard when they played Notre Dame earlier this season. For the Irish defense, it’s more important that they shut down Travis Etienne again. If Notre Dame can do that, while also taking care of the football on offense, they should be able to win a close one.

Notre Dame 34, Clemson 31