As has been the story for Notre Dame football the last two years, it's almost as if the Fighting Irish are in the playoffs for the entire season. They used up their margin for error with losses to Miami and Texas A&M. Now they need to win every game they play if they want to make the playoffs.
More than that, Marcus Freeman and Co. need to post some serious style points. Even if they do win out, there's no guarantee that the Irish are getting into the field. It's all about the polls now.
Notre Dame can't just beat Boston College on Saturday; they need to blow the Golden Eagles out. If this game is close and really in doubt, that could be enough for pollsters to slide the Irish down, or leave them be. With both the ACC and Big 12 hoping to get two teams into the field, that would be enough to keep ND out.
Notre Dame vs Boston College final odds
With Vegas believing that the Fighting Irish are going to blow out BC, there's even more need for an excellent game. The good news is that they had a week off to prepare.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Notre Dame is now a 30.5-point favorite over one of their older rivals. That's two points more than it was earlier in the week. The ACC school has had a rough season, and it looks like they're in for more pain.
In addition to more than a four-touchdown spread, the total for the game is 55.5, which, of course, means that there aren't many people who think Boston College will net more than one score.
Notre Dame football vs Boston College final odds
The Irish are going to win and win big. The question is whether they can really cover that big a spread against another Power 4 team. The answer to that is yes, considering Boston College is likely the worst team they'll play all season.
Notre Dame football wins 49-10