Notre Dame football: Why an Irish loss Week 1 won’t ruin their season
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team has a tall task ahead of them in Week 1, but a loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes won’t ruin their season.
It won’t be easy for the Notre Dame football game to start the 2022 college football season, as they will travel to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Many media outlets have the Buckeyes as a top-5 team going into the season, and with the Irish likely to start in the top-10, this game is going to be must-see TV.
For both teams, a win in Week 1 would be a resume builder, one that will help propel them into the College Football Playoff as long as the rest of their regular season goes well. For Ohio State, they have a conference championship game and play in a very tough Big Ten, so even a win in Week 1 won’t guarantee they will make the CFP.
For the Irish, however, they play an Independent schedule and this is one of the cornerstone games on their slate. A win against Ohio State, coupled with a softer schedule in the middle of their campaign could make them an undefeated team going into the final week of the season, making a CFP berth a likely scenario even with a loss against USC.
However, a loss to Ohio State would make the USC game a must-win, as a one-win Irish team could punch their ticket to the playoff, especially if that one loss was against a team as good as Ohio State.
Notre Dame football could run the table and make the CFP
Looking at the Notre Dame schedule, a win in Week 1 would go a long way in them running the table. USC has a new coach in Lincoln Riley, and he brought his QB from Oklahoma with him, but he is still working with a roster that consists of mostly players who he did not recruit.
The 2022 season, despite them being ranked very high in ESPN’s recent rankings, could be a transitional one for them. That should play into the Irish favor, even late in the season.
Of course, it is only May, and the Irish do not even know who their quarterback will be for the upcoming game against Ohio State. There is a lot to figure out between now and the trip to Columbus, and even though Notre Dame football would love nothing more than a win against the Buckeyes, do not rule out the CFP if they happen to lose.