Notre Dame football: Irish to play underdog role in key games

With the Notre Dame football program set to host the Buckeyes on September 23rd, FanDuel has released spreads for some of the biggest games in 2023. They have the Irish as 8.5-point dogs to the Buckeyes when they roll into South Bend for the 2nd part of a home-and-home series.

I’d argue their defense will be in a better spot than last year, but the offense will be a massive question mark moving into the season, specifically at quarterback. With CJ Stroud moving on, the Buckeyes will have a new quarterback running the show. While both of their potential options, Kyle McCord or Devin Brown, have tremendous potential, nothing is guaranteed.

While I’m not saying the spread won’t come down a little bit, seeing how things play out during the remainder of the offseason, It seems like a bet I’d be willing to take as of now. Notre Dame’s offense will be much more difficult to stop in 2023; dare I say they’ll be elite? It’s more than possible with their great running backs and improved quarterback room. Things will get interesting as September draws near.

The other game FanDuel has already released, outside of the opener in Ireland against Navy, is the October 7th home matchup against USC. That one is a toss-up right now, given how much I’m sure the line will move before gameday. USC is favored by 2.5, which is relatively insignificant due to how much more we’ll know about the teams before then.

Don’t get me wrong, Caleb Williams will be the best quarterback in college football next year, but it’ll be a fantastic game. Hartman and Williams battling it out in South Bend will be one for the ages barring disastrous defenses or injuries on either side before the matchup.

Notre Dame football should handle business in their opener against Navy in Ireland. They’re currently 19.5-point favorites, and that could grow before the start of the season. Unfortunately, after a solid first half against Navy last year, Tommy Rees’ offense sputtered and did nothing, scoring zero points in the second half.

Time will tell how much the lines will change before the respective games, but the Irish can now have a bit of a chip on their shoulder. Not only are they underdogs at home, but they’ll be looking to get revenge from this past season.