Bet On The Irish Saturday

So what do you think the odds are of Notre Dame losing to Penn State Saturday in its home opener?

Well, a cynic could point out the Irish are 10-8 at home over the last three years, or that they lost last season’s home opener to Michigan State in overtime.

But that doesn’t take into account long-term history, during which Notre Dame has owned all who enter Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish are 291-89-5 in the house that Knute Rockne built. That’s a .762 winning percentage. They are 98-18-5 in home openers overall.

If this was last year’s Penn State team, Notre Dame would be in trouble. But it’s not. These Nittany Lions are talented but young and likely not yet ready to win in such a hostile environment. Dominating Akron at home isn’t quite the same as taking on an Irish squad with national title aspirations

Plus, Notre Dame is plenty inspired after struggling last Saturday at Georgia Tech.

Figure a 10-point Notre Dame victory. Just don’t bet the house on it.