Win over Stanford Would Make Notre Dame True College Football Playoff Contenders

As Notre Dame prepares to host Stanford on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET on NBC), there’s a whole lot of optimism around South Bend.

And for good reason, as the Fighting Irish are 4-0, ranked No. 9 in the nation and have scored 30 points or more in each of their outings while yet to allow an opponent to top 17. Not to mention, Everett Golson is leading a dark-horse Heisman Trophy campaign, and the defense is finally living up to its billing.

Still, given Notre Dame’s level of competition—a combined 7-11 record—the team’s credibility as a College Football Playoff contender is up in the air.

A victory over a formidable Cardinal side could go a long way in changing that.

Of course, that’s easier said than done, as Stanford has been somewhat of a thorn in the side of the Irish in recent years. The Cardinal have won four of the last five meetings between the teams, including a 27-20 win last season in Palo Alto: 

Year	Venue	Result
2013	Stanford	L 27-20
2012	Notre Dame	W 20-13
2011	Stanford	L 28-14
2010	Notre Dame	L 37-14
2009	Stanford	L 45-38

Throw in the fact that Notre Dame is 0-4 against opponents ranked in the Top 20 since 2012, and it comes as no surprise that the team is largely considered the underdog even though it is ranked higher and playing at home.

But instead of casting a shadow over the Irish, all that doubt should only serve as the spark to ignite another national title run.

Let’s not forget that Notre Dame is an impressive 14-1 with Golson under center. Through four games in 2014, the senior appears poised to help the team return to the pinnacle of the sport, throwing for 1,142 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions on 69.5 percent passing while adding another 104 yards and four scores on 39 carries. He also recently set a school record, completing a ridiculous 25 consecutive passes against Syracuse last weekend.

If Golson wasn’t already considered a Heisman Trophy front-runner, exposing one of college football’s toughest defenses on Saturday could firmly place him in the pole position—Stanford ranks No. 1 in both total defense and scoring defense.

But the Irish defense will also look to grab the spotlight on Saturday.

Thus far, the unit has been solid, ranking No. 38 in total defense (343.8 yards per game) and No. 4 in scoring defense (11.5 points per game). The secondary has really stepped up, picking up seven interceptions—ranked No. 12 in the nation—and conceding just four touchdowns through the air.

Against a Cardinal offense that ranks No. 70 in total offense and No. 121 in the red zone, expect the Notre Dame defense to flex some muscle and gain some swagger.

Such confidence from both sides of the ball will be key, as the brunt of the schedule is still to come for the Irish. Four of the team’s final six contests will be on the road, including showdowns with No. 1 Florida State, No. 16 USC and Arizona State. 

But as tempting as looking down the road is, head coach Brian Kelly isn’t biting.

“We really focus on what we need to do to get better,” Kelly said, per The Associated Press, via ESPN.com. “We turned the ball over. We gave up some big plays on the perimeter. We focus a lot more on that stuff than the bigger picture issues.”

Kelly may not be quick to say it, but we will: Win on Saturday, and there’s no denying Notre Dame its rightful moniker as a true College Football Playoff contender.

There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?

All stats, betting information and rankings used in this article are courtesy of CFBStats.com and OddsShark.com.

For complete coverage and everything college football, you can reach Sebastian on Twitter and via email at [e-mail].