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Notre Dame football: Ranking the Irish’s 2021 schedule by entertainment value

By Daniel Morrison

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 07: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish gather in the tunnel before the game against the Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame Stadium on November 7, 2020 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Matt Cashore-Pool/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 07: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish gather in the tunnel before the game against the Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame Stadium on November 7, 2020 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Matt Cashore-Pool/Getty Images) /
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Notre Dame Football
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 27: Isaiah Foskey #7 and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah #6 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish pressure Sam Howell #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half of their game at Kenan Stadium on November 27, 2020, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame football: Ranking the Irish’s 2021 schedule by entertainment value

No. 4: North Carolina, Week 8

When Notre Dame and North Carolina met in 2020, it was an affirmation that beating Clemson wasn’t some fluke game. It was proof that Notre Dame could go on the road against top competition and win. And, no, North Carolina isn’t the same thing as Alabama or Ohio State, but it was still incredibly important to the season.

Following up on that in 2021 won’t be as easy. The game is going to be in South Bend, which is always nice, but the Irish don’t have veteran quarterback Ian Book. Instead, they’re hoping that Jack Coan works out as a bridge between two eras of Notre Dame quarterback.

On the other side is Sam Howell, the presumed number one overall draft pick in 2022. That’s not a quarterback matchup that sits in Notre Dame’s favor, and while the Irish have the better defense, there is still a lot of firepower that the Tar Heels can throw at you.

Predicting who wins this game so far in advance is almost impossible, but that’s what makes this a great game. It’s also going to be vital in determining what type of season Notre Dame has. Do they compete for a New Year’s Six game, or are they on their way to something like the Citrus Bowl?

  • Notre Dame leads the all-time series 19-1. They last met in 2020, when the Irish won 31-17
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