Injuries Keep Piling Up
One of the talking points now about Notre Dame is about how injured they are. Losing star cornerback Benjamin Morrison is a huge blow as he's one of the leading guys on an elite defense. This has been a quiet, but now worrisome narrative as the injuries keep piling up because it could impact their chance at making the College Football Playoffs.
First, losing offensive tackle Charles Jagusah was a major blow as he was supposed to lead an inexperienced offensive line thus losing some leadership. Guard Billy Schrauth suffered an ankle sprain in their win against Purdue and has been out ever since. Then there was center Ashton Craig, a very talented offensive lineman, and defensive end/linebacker hybrid Jordan Botelho, who had 12 tackles and a sack when he got hurt against Purdue. Defensive end Boubacar Traore was the next to become injured as he was the team's sacks leader. Finally, it was Benjamin Morrison last week. Jagusah, Craig, Botelho, Traore, and Morrison are all out for the season, plus running back Gi'Bran Payne was ruled out for the season after injuring his ACL in the Blue and Gold game back in April, plus losing linebacker Kahanu Kia in preseason camp. Other players that missed some time has been cornerback Christian Gray, defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio, and wide receiver Jordan Faison. That's a lot of injuries and a lot of key players lost.
The depth will be tested here, but that's the point of recruitment: getting as much talent as possible. Head Coach Marcus Freeman has shown to be a great recruiter, but now his depth will be on full display and see what his recruitment is all about. It's the next man up and the hope is that Notre Dame has both the depth and talent to continue in their winning. So the question of if they can survive losing all these key players to injuries will soon be answered.
Games To Watch This Week
There is going to be some chaos this week, but how big will it be? The Irish just need to continue to take care of business and let other results determine how things will be. Here are the games you should be keeping an eye out for.
Illinois vs Oregon
Oregon is the number one ranked team in the nation, but now they have a chance to prove they are the best. However, they are going to be tested against Illinois who is ranked 20. Don't let the difference in rankings fool you, Illinois is a very good team, but now they have a chance to do two different things: cause an upset and more chaos. For Oregon, here's their chance to prove they are the best in the nation and to pad their resume with another impressive victory.
Missouri vs Alabama
While Mizzou might be 21 in the nation, they still have one loss and a chance at making the SEC Championship. Alabama on the other hand is still fighting for their playoff lives at 15 and two losses, though the only way they'll have any shot at the playoffs here is if more two loss teams occur. Alabama needs this win badly and hope for chaos to occur this weekend. Mizzou can do a lot here if they win as it could boost their profile and help them with a chance at making the SEC Championship which could help them make the playoffs. This is an elimination game for all intents and purposes.
Texas vs Vanderbilt
Can 25 Vandy pull off another miracle victory here? They were unranked when they beat Alabama, but now they play a 5 Texas team that is probably deflated after last week's loss to Georgia. This is a very similar scenario as Mizzou and Alabama, but the difference here is both Texas and Vandy have only one losses which pretty much makes this an elimination game. There's more on the line here for Texas, but Vandy has a chance to to prove they deserve a shot at the playoffs. There's a lot of obstacles to overcome for Vandy, but this could be huge for them.
Penn State vs Wisconsin
Penn State is 3 in the nation and Wisconsin is unranked. This is a recipe for an upset and even more chaos. Penn State is an excellent team, but Wisconsin is pretty good. Wisconsin is only a game behind Penn State in the Big Ten standings, so they have a chance at making the Big Ten Championship. A win here for both are huge as it helps Wisconsin's chance at making the Big Ten Championship, but on the other hand it helps Penn State block out teams such as Ohio State out of a chance at an automatic bid for the playoffs. This is a very interesting matchup.
LSU vs Texas A&M
LSU at 8 and Texas A&M at 14. This should be a game to watch for Irish fans for two different reasons and probably should root for Texas A&M because it helps Notre Dame's resume if the Aggies win, plus it gives the Blue and Gold an easier path to the playoffs as it would be two losses for LSU. It also has a chance to be a really great game too, but theres a lot on the line here. This is also essentially an elimination game if there isn't more chaos, but this is probably the most important matchup for the Irish this week.
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