Take 5: Notre Dame QB Issues, Cincinnati, Game Prediction
My final thoughts before Notre Dame heads to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech.
1. Cincinnati’s victory over Notre Dame was nice for them but the Bearcats (4-0) better root for the Irish to not lose a game going forward if it wants to be one of the four teams invited to the College Football Playoff. Indiana (2-3), which was ranked at the season’s start, is drifting into irrelevance. Jerry Palm of CBS Sports said Cincinnati has an outside chance of being one of the top four teams if it finishes 13-0 and the Irish and Hoosiers turn their seasons around. The remainder of Cincinnati’s schedule includes Temple (3-2), UCF (2-2), Navy (1-3), Tulane (1-4), Tulsa (1-4), UCF (1-4), SMU (4-0) and East Carolina (3-1). SMU is currently ranked 24th. It’s a milquetoast schedule that requires help from other teams for Cincinnati to control its destiny.
2. I wrote last week that a September bye was a bad idea for teams because they need to work out issues that can only be solved with game experience. The October bye for Virginia Tech (3-1) is a game-changer for this week when it plays Notre Dame (4-1). The Hokies get a huge advantage with the sold-out home crowd and they’ll be rested and fresh. Player-for-player, Tech is every bit as good, if not better, than Cincinnati. I’ll say this now about the quarterback situation. Regarding sophomore Drew Pyne, Virginia Tech is not a great situation or place to make your first college start. That’s why I’m going to hedge a tiny bit and say that Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly might surprise us and stick with Jack Coan. Why? Well, Coan did pretty well on the road in a difficult environment against Florida State in a 41-38 overtime victory. So if that thinking is part of the equation, Coan could be the quarterback.
3. It’s crucial for Notre Dame to get off to a good start offensively against Virginia Tech. They haven’t had a great first quarter all year. Against Florida State, it was tied at seven after a quarter. Against Toledo, ND was ahead 7-6. Against Purdue, the Boilermakers led 3-0 after a quarter, and against Cincinnati, there was no score. It’s going to be really loud there and the Irish have to take control early. This isn’t a team that is set up to make a big comeback. A worst-case scenario is that whoever starts falls behind and the Irish have to bring someone else in off the bench.
4. Notre Dame needs to run the football. The offensive line isn’t good but it has also been hamstrung by using Coan mostly. The line deserves a full game with a mobile quarterback under center who can actually use his feet to make plays, but that isn't Coan. It’s just common sense that the defense has one more option to cover if Pyne is in the game. Do you think the defense ever thinks Coan is going to keep it on the mesh play? Or that a quarterback draw is in the playbook? Pyne could make offensive line coach Jeff Quinn, the running backs, and the offensive line a lot better.
5. Prediction: Notre Dame 31, Virginia Tech 21. The Irish bounce back big. They rush for over 200 yards and the defense scores a touchdown. Notre Dame is back.
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