The Notre Dame football team is off this week after losing its first game of the season against the Miami Hurricanes. The Fighting Irish are licking their wounds and preparing for another formidable opponent in Texas A&M next week. But that doesn't mean ND fans have to sit around twiddling their thumbs.
In this era of the College Football Playoff, there's a chase going on, especially now that Marcus Freeman and Co. are 0-1. Those who want to have a reason to watch college football can watch a couple of games that should have a significant impact on the rest of the season.
There will also be plenty to scout for the Notre Dame football team. You can bet Freeman and his staff will have their eyes on these games in Week 2, especially.
3 games for Notre Dame football fans to watch in Week 2
Texas A&M vs Utah State
Utah State is hardly a power team, but they are 1-0 to start the season. Texas A&M should be able to take the Aggies out, or even show off a weakness that the Irish can exploit in Week 3. If nothing else, Irish fans can get another look at A&M's quarterback, Marcel Reed, who had four touchdown passes against UTSA last weekend.
USC vs Georgia Southern
The Trojans started the season with a massive win over one of the newest members of FBS, Missouri State. Georgia Southern is coming off a bowl season with a disappointing loss. Notre Dame fans would love to see the Sun Belt squad, led by former USC head coach Clay Helton, find a way to put a dent in the Trojans' ego.
Of course, Irish fans would rather not see USC lose, as they'll need their schedule to be as tough as possible to get into the playoffs, but finding some things to exploit is key. And if Lincoln Riley gets handed a bad loss, would anyone in South Bend really be sad?
Pittsburgh vs Central Michigan
Some people think the Panthers could pull off an upset against the Notre Dame football team later this year. They got off to a 61-9 win over Duquesne. Central Michigan isn't a power conference team, but it could give the Irish an idea of how to attack the ACC program.