Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-5) vs. Stanford Cardinal (7-4)
Saturday, November 28, 5:00 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Stanford -10.0

Sam’s Take (49- 19):

Stanford may have lost the Big Game, but the team can still finish a special 2009 season with nine wins. Fans on the West Coast have become very familiar with Notre Dame this season, as Stanford will be the fourth Pac-10 team that the Irish have faced.

Is it possible that Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick will make a play for Jim Harbaugh at some point soon? Surely Charlie Weiss is on the way out, and Harbaugh is one of the rising stars in the coaching profession, so one can only wonder if any attempts will be made. It certainly wouldn’t be unprecedented for a Stanford coach to leave the Farm for South Bend…just ask Tyrone Willingham.

As for the game itself, there are two stats that make me believe we are in for a shootout.

1. Toby Gerhart vs. Notre Dame rushing defense – Let’s see, Stanford ranks 13th nationally in rushing and features arguably the best tailback in the nation, while Notre Dame ranks 80th nationally in run defense and just allowed UConn to run for over 230 yards. It could get ugly early for the Irish defense.

2. Jimmy Clausen and the Irish passing game vs. Stanford pass defense – Notre Dame may not stand a chance against the Cardinal rushing game, but Clausen should have a field day against a vulnerable Stanford secondary. The Irish rank 6th nationally in passing offense, while Stanford ranks 97th nationally against the pass. This could get ugly early for the Stanford defense.

While I expect both teams to put up great offensive numbers, I think Stanford’s ability to control the clock with the running game will be the difference. The best defense against Clausen, Tate and Co. is keeping them on the sidelines. The Cardinal rank 14th nationally in time of possession (32:06) and I think that will be huge.

I like Stanford in an exciting shootout.

Prediction: Stanford 38 – Notre Dame 31

Notre Dame Player to Keep an Eye On: WR Michael Floyd - Floyd is an explosive leaper with excellent hands. He forms a deadly one-two punch with Golden Tate, and I expect both to have big games.

Stanford Player to Keep an Eye On: S Bo McNally - The veteran safety will have to be on top of his game this Saturday, as the Irish will test the shaky Cardinal secondary all night.

Dave’s Take (50 – 18):

I’m fully aware that the world doesn’t revolve around the Pac-10, but since this site does, I’ll go ahead and say it; it’s a shame that Notre Dame has fallen so hard this season. It turned what could have been a huge win for Stanford into a no-win situation.

Let’s say Notre Dame were, say, 10-1 or 9-2 as some were predicting they would be at this point in the season. They’d have a ton of hype around them with a potential shot at a BCS bowl on the line, Jimmy Clausen would likely be garnering Heisman talks, and there’d be plenty of positive buzz around this game. In that alternate universe, a win over the Irish would be another HUGE national statement for the Cardinal and the Pac-10.

Instead, Notre Dame (and more specifically Charlie Weis) has become a laughing stock this season. All anyone is talking about is Weis losing his job, and now Clausen getting punched.

Sadly, there isn’t really anything for Stanford to gain here. A Cardinal win snaps a 7-game losing streak to the Irish, and no one nationally will even bat an eyelash, considering Notre Dame is tailspining and losing to teams like Navy and UCONN anyway. A loss, though, just fuels more “the Pac-10 is weak” garbage. Tough game to play.

Fortunately, Jim Harbaugh is the perfect coach to have for a situation like this. Whether Stanford is playing Florida or Chattanooga, Harbaugh is going to prepare his team hard, preach the importance of hard work and focus, and get his team up to give it their all. For Stanford, this isn’t about Charlie Weis’s hot seat or Clausen’s black eye; it’s about finishing the season strong and playing Stanford Cardinal football.

It should be a good one. As bad as Notre Dame is made out to be, all five losses have been within a touchdown; as have four of the six wins. That’s 9 of 11 games that have come down to the wire, and this one could very well do the same.

In a close one, I’ll take the side with home field, Jim Harbaugh, and Toby Gerhart on it.

Prediction: Stanford 41 – Notre Dame 34