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Notre Dame football: Irish to play in two of the top-10 games in 2021

By Brad Weiss

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - OCTOBER 05: Head coach Brian Kelly and players of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish prepare to take the field for the game against the Bowling Green Falcons at Notre Dame Stadium on October 05, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - OCTOBER 05: Head coach Brian Kelly and players of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish prepare to take the field for the game against the Bowling Green Falcons at Notre Dame Stadium on October 05, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
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The Notre Dame football team will be tested early and often in 2021, and one media outlet feels they will play in two of the top-10 games this season.

Heading into the 2021 college football season, the goals are still the same for Notre Dame football, even after losing so much talent to the NFL. The Irish are trying to consistently rank up there with the best of the best, and in 2021, they will have to navigate a tough regular-season schedule to do so.

In fact, recently, 247Sports.com put out a list of the top-10 games on the college football slate this season, and it is no surprise that the Irish were mentioned. In fact, the Irish are slated to play in two of the top-10 games according to Riley Gates, who did a tremendous job putting this list together.

The issue here, is, that the two games the Irish will play that are considered top-10 matchups will be played in back-to-back weeks, as they take on the USC Trojans, ranked the No. 9 game overall, and the North Carolina Tar Heels, the fifth-ranked matchup.

Notre Dame football has a rough two-game stretch

USC vs. Notre Dame is always a monster matchup, and after missing out on playing for the first time in nearly 80 years due to the pandemic last season, the rivalry will start back up in 2021. The Irish will play host to the Trojans right after their bye week, and the defense will try to stop a talented quarterback in Kedon Slovis.

The next week, the Irish take on the Tar Heels and their starter, Sam Howell, who some feel could be the No. 1 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Irish were able to handle Howell last season, as well as keep Michael Carter and Javonte Williams in check, but a total team effort will be needed once again to match that performance.

The good news for the Irish is that this two-game stretch comes right after the bye week, and both games are home, so they should be as healthy as they are going to be at that point in the season. Both Howell and Slovis are slated for the first round, but this Irish defense should be one of the best in the country, making these two matchups must-see television down the stretch.

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