Notre Dame

The Northern Illinois Huskies face Notre Dame for the first time ever on Saturday. Daily Chronicle sports editor Eddie Carifio will have live updates, scores and news from the game.

Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger of University of Notre Dame football fame will speak at Elmhurst University on Feb. 23, with a screening of the film "Rudy" planned that evening.

With the spread so small, consider the money line if you’re going to bet on Notre Dame.

Notre Dame should win straight up on Saturday, but the back-door cover is in play here. Cal will put together enough offense late to get the cover.

Notre Dame is going to have a clear talent advantage and the excitement of a home opener. Caesars Sportsbook has listed the Irish as a 20.5-point favorite with an over/under of 50.

Not only is it rare that Notre Dame is a monster underdog, but it is nearly as uncommon that one top-5 team in the country is favored by more than two touchdowns over another.

The fact that Ohio State has been better at the end of seasons under Ryan Day than at the beginning — not a bad thing, to be sure, but something that works in the Irish’s favor here — and it feels better to be taking the 17 than laying it against Notre Dame

This weekend is a glorious five-day feast of college football, with tantalizing appetizers on Thursday and Friday, a Saturday chock full of incredible matchups like Oregon-Georgia, Utah-Florida and Notre Dame-Ohio State, and then even games on Sunday.

Michael Lawler's 27-yard field goal as time expired lifted Benet to a thrilling 20-17 win over Notre Dame on Thursday in Lisle.