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10 Things that will define the 2021 Notre Dame football season

By Daniel Morrison

Nov 30, 2019; Stanford, CA, USA; A Notre Dame Fighting Irish helmet sits behind the bench during the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2019; Stanford, CA, USA; A Notre Dame Fighting Irish helmet sits behind the bench during the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports /
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ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 01: Head coach Luke Fickell of the Cincinnati Bearcats leads his team onto the field before the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 1, 2021, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 01: Head coach Luke Fickell of the Cincinnati Bearcats leads his team onto the field before the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 1, 2021, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /

10 Things that will define the 2021 Notre Dame football season

1. Wisconsin vs. Cincinnati Back-to-Back

In back-to-back weeks, Notre Dame football will play Wisconsin at Soldier Field and Cincinnati at Notre Dame Stadium. These games should represent their first two major challenges for the Irish in 2021, and they will also define Notre Dame’s season.

It’s simple. If Notre Dame beats Wisconsin and Cincinnati, then they can beat anyone on their schedule. After all, these two teams are better than USC, North Carolina, or any of the other challenging games that Notre Dame will face. Lose these games, and the entire season is going off the rails and there might be an issue to deal with going forward.

Splitting them, on the other hand, puts you in a precarious situation for the rest of the season.

Either way, these back-to-back games will be difficult and vital. They will be season-defining and Notre Dame better be prepared for two teams that are more than capable of beating them on any given Saturday.

Next. Notre Dame football: Irish to lean on LB depth with Marist Liufau out. dark

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