NCAAF: #9 Notre Dame vs. Louisville preview and pick

All eyes will be on Cardinal Stadium on Monday, September 2 when Louisville hosts #9 Notre Dame in an eagerly anticipated Labor Day matchup. We have odds and a prediction for this college football showdown.

#9 Notre Dame vs. Louisville odds

Louisville's luster is gone

Where has the time gone for Louisville? A program that was once a proven powerhouse, Louisville has seen coaching changes, transfers and many losses. Last year's team was one of the worst in recent memory, with their quarterback Jawon Pass seemingly not being able to complete one.

The Cardinals return plenty of starters on offense, including their star-studded running backs. Flashy Wideout Dez Fitzpatrick will take the top off the defense, but I have to believe the game plan for Louisville should be to use their factor backs and big offensive line to run the football and in doing so, keeping the Notre Dame offense off the field and off the scoreboard.

To that point, Notre Dame has lost many stars on defense. Key players like Jerry Tillery were drafted in the spring and Brian Kelly has hands full with these new recruits. However that’s one thing he has always been able to do: recruit. The position he does it best? The quarterback.

Expect big things from Ian Book

Fighting Irish quarterback Ian Book returns looking to break out this season. The Louisville defense was putrid last year and shows no signs of getting any better. Look for Book and the big Notre Dame offense to roll over the Cardinals.

If Louisville is not able to run the ball affectively, this could be a blowout. We have seen Notre Dame struggle as big favorites in recent memory. Losing outright to teams like UConn and Navy. But I believe Kelly has this team ready to run the gauntlet and conquer one of the hardest schedules in the country. First blood will be drawn this Monday.

Score prediction: Notre Dame 37, Louisville 13

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