The Notre Dame football team doesn’t play a game this week, but with Week 0 offering up eight total games, there’s plenty of reason to spend all day on the couch. Some games could, in fact, have an impact on the Fighting Irish season.
At the very least, Marcus Freeman and his staff will get an extra week to put the scouting reports together for two future opponents. The rest of the day is all about finding the best and most interesting games to watch.
We realize that Notre Dame football fans are out of practice, as this offseason has been longer than most. That’s why we’ve done everyone the favor of grading all eight Week 0 games from unmissable to unwatchable. Consider this the premier viewing guide of the weekend.
Unmissable Week 0 games for Notre Dame football fans
North Carolina vs TCU (12 pm)
Yes, this game makes the “unmissable” grade because it’s the first game of the day and it’s the only FBS game on until later this afternoon. However, the real reason this is a must-watch game is that the Tar Heels are on the Fighting Irish slate later in the season, so this is a chance to see how new starting quarterback Billy Edwards and the rest of Bill Belichick’s team have meshed.
Stanford at Hawaii (7 pm)
Like North Carolina, Stanford’s game against the Warriors will allow Notre Dame to get an early look at one of its late-season opponents. There’s also some mystery around the Cardinal this year with a new head coach, so it's unclear what Tavita Pritchard’s team looks like, especially since this is his first game as a head coach anywhere.
San Jose State at USC (3 pm)
No, USC isn’t on Notre Dame’s schedule this season for the first time in decades, so the Trojans’ game against San Jose State isn’t a scouting opportunity. There’s still plenty of reason for Irish fans to hate-watch this contest and root hard for the Spartans to take out the Trojans and essentially end Lincoln Riley’s season before most of the rest of the sport takes a snap.
New Mexico State at Florida State (7 pm)
The Seminoles aren’t on the Fighting Irish schedule this year either, but they are technically a kind of ACC rival, so there’s reason to root them on to an embarrassing loss to New Mexico State. The Aggies aren’t quite the doormat they’ve been in the past. Still, this should be an easy win for Mike Norvell, who is on the hottest of seats. But what if it’s a game where FSU struggles? How fun would that be?
Take ‘em or leave ‘em Week 0 games for Notre Dame football fans
NC State at Virginia (3:30 pm)
This could be one of the better games of the weekend, competition-wise. So why is it here instead of in the unmissable category? There aren’t a ton of reasons for Notre Dame fans to care who wins this game. These are also ACC rivals in quite a few other sports, but who to root for when they’re both rivals? Virginia made some noise last year, but as far as Week 0 goes, this game doesn’t have a ton of juice.
Jacksonville State at North Dakota State (5:30 pm)
There’s novelty as this is the first FBS game in North Dakota State’s history. Still, there’s a good chance this is an ugly, boring game. This is more a game to tune into to kill time than one that Irish fans will be “sat” for.
Unwatchable Week 0 games for Notre Dame football fans
Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan (6:30 pm)
This game carries the same story as North Dakota State’s game. The novelty is there, especially with Sacramento State playing its first FBS and MAC conference game in one. On the other hand, Eastern Michigan and the Hornets are both expected to be two of the worst teams in the sport this year. This could be very ugly and uninteresting.
Memphis at UNLV (10 pm)
This game checks all the boxes for a game Notre Dame football fans don’t need to watch. The teams will likely be mediocre at best among the G6 squads. UNLV, in fact, could be bad considering it doesn’t have Anthony Colandrea anymore and his potential replacements have both been pretty bad quarterbacks. And then there’s the 10 pm start time. Only sickos in South Bend are staying up to watch this one all the way through.
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