Michigan State vs. Notre Dame: Will Cierre Wood Bring Irish Back to Top 25?

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish is putting a whopping on Mark Dantonio’s Michigan State Spartans.

The Irish have the Spartans backed into a corner and it doesn’t look like these underdogs have the bite to push forward. The Irish is taking out all of their aggression on the Spartans after being upset two weeks in a row.

Notre Dame has been dominant in all phases of the game and lead 28-10 early in the third quarter. Notre Dame running back has been phenomenal out of the gate. I keep saying he reminds me of Philadelphia Eagles RB LeSean McCoy and it’s been evident once again. He’s gashing the Spartans’ solid defense for 64 yards and two scores on just nine carries.

Does Michigan State have what it takes to redeem their pathetic first half?

Will they come out in the second half swinging or throw up alligator arms holding a white flag?

What’s Gone Wrong?

The Spartans simply did not come to play like the Irish did. The Spartans have been rolling out of the gate while the Irish had to settle for two difficult opponents in South Florida and Michigan. Now back at home, the Irish are determined to win for Brian Kelly and clearly refuse to go down 0-3. This is the team with more to loss than the Spartans and it shows. Notre Dame is playing with a sense of urgency and put the heat on Michigan State from the opening kick.

What’s at Stake?

Both teams are looking to make noise in the BCS. The Spartans have National Championship aspirations, but they’ll be long gone from the race if they lose today. The No. 15 ranked team would surely drop out of the top 20, but considering the respect Notre Dame has, they won’t fall out of the top 25 completely.

The Fighting Irish fell out of the top 25 after they were upset in a wild weather-induced game by USF Week 1. They lost in the final seconds to Michigan and it looked like a long shot that they would get back in. The Irish need this game, badly, to crack the top 25 again. One would have to think they would teeter on the brink of cracking the poll again with a monster win over the Spartans and Clemson upsetting the Auburn Tigers earlier today.

Upset Potential: 10/10

Not only are the Fighting Irish for real, they will win this game. I had the Spartans on upset alert heading into the game, so this is by no means a shocker to me. Notre Dame is a gritty team with a stout defense led by Manti Te’o. More importantly, they have a three headed monster that can compete with any defense in the country. Tommy Rees, Michael Floyd and Wood are fantastic ball players and will keep the Irish in every game they play this season.

How Will Voter’s React?

The voters won’t kill Michigan State for a loss against the Fighting Irish on the road. The Spartans are a fine team, but the voters clearly have a soft spot for Notre Dame still. Notre Dame is still a respectable program and since they might push the Irish back into the top 25, they won’t drop the Spartans out completely.

Will Michigan State Come Back?

The Spartans have a ton of pride and were pushed to the limit last year under Dantonio. Kirk Cousins, Edwin Baker and B.J. Cunningham are a solid trio and put the Spartans in position to come back. Still, they won’t be able to overcome the 11-point deficit and goal line blunder before half time. It’ll be interesting, but they won’t be able to pull out the comeback victory.

Who Benefits Most from Michigan State’s Collapse?

We’ll see the likes of Florida and West Virginia certainly jump ahead of them in the poll this week. West Virginia won a close game with a quality Maryland squad and the Gators are putting a hurting on Tennessee.

Still, Notre Dame will clearly benefit the most since they have an opportunity to jump back into the top 25 race. The Irish have the opportunity, despite two tough losses, to run the table the rest of the way. This team is playing inspired football and will win a respectable Bowl game later this year.