The Notre Dame Fighting Irish might be 2-0 and ranked in the Top 10 in the land, but if the loss of Malik Zaire for the season turns out to be devastating, this game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets could be the beginning of their end.
WHEN THE GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS HAVE THE BALL
The offensive numbers right now for the Ramblin' Wreck look gaudy for a reason. Just like Ole Miss' numbers are inflated due to the defenses they’ve run up against, Georgia Tech has racked up literally almost 1,000 rushing yards in two games because it has played against Alcorn State and Tulane.
That said, Paul Johnson knows what it takes to beat this Notre Dame team; he's done it before at Navy, and he has a more talented team around him now than he ever had when coaching the Middies.
Justin Thomas can throw the ball a little bit, and we suspect he's going to put the pill in the air a few more times than we have seen this season in this one. Marcus Marshall and Patrick Skov should both get their yards and their touches, and that's going to put a very good Notre Dame defense back on its heels a bit.
If the Fighting Irish are showing gap containment early on in this game, odds have it, live bettors can back them with ease or play the under. If not and Thomas is picking his way through this defense down after down, there's reason to panic if you're backing the boys from South Bend.
WHEN THE NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH HAVE THE BALL
DeShone Kizer did the job last week and helped Notre Dame stave off Virginia on the road, but let's call it like it was: It was lucky.
Kizer wasn't good aside from that one throw to the corner of the end zone which won the game, and now, he is going to have to be the starter for the Golden Domers the remainder of this season.
For our money, that means Georgia Tech should get a bunch of stops on defense, even if this unit isn't as experienced as it was last year when it graduated out five seniors on that side of the ball.
Success for Notre Dame means running the ball 25 times with C.J. Prosise. Anything less is probably a recipe for disaster, as Kizer can't throw it 30 times in a game like this and lead the Irish to a win.
TREND TO TRACK
For all of the talk that Kizer isn't going to be anywhere as good as Zaire, let's remember that everyone also said that Zaire wasn't going to be anywhere near as good as Everett Golson either, and the Irish did just fine.
In fact, Notre Dame has played seven of its last eight games over the total.
The clock is going to run a lot in this game with all of the runs, but anyone who has watched either of these teams play knows just how quickly those runs turn into touchdowns when opposing defenses aren't at their best.
Even though this total has dropped from 59 to 54.5, the over is most certainly still in play for live bettors.
The college football odds for this game were available first at BookMaker Sportsbook at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish -1.5 and a total of 59. Gamble on the game at every commercial with BookMaker's live betting feature. Along with an adjusted spread and total, you can wager on what will happen on the next drive. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker's new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting every. Click here, and start wagering today! Kick off for the game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2015 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Notre Dame Stadium. The duel can be seen live on NBC.
