Notre Dame @ Clemson preview

Earning a spot in the National Championship playoff is all about building a strong resume, and both schools have a chance to add a key line when No. 7 Notre Dame visits No. 11 Clemson on Saturday. The Fighting Irish have already survived a quarterback switch and have two wins over ACC opponents under their belt.

The Tigers led the nation in total defense last season and are once again in the Top 10, though depth has been a concern behind the front seven. “Our defense is kind of right where I thought they'd be,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told reporters. “I didn't think we'd have a big drop-off if we could stay healthy with our first group, that's kind of how it's played out.” That front seven should have its hands full against Notre Dame running back C.J. Prosise, who has run for at least 149 yards in each of the last three games. Prosise owns six touchdown in those three contests and is averaging over nine yards per carry to take some pressure off sophomore quarterback DeShone Kizer.

TV: 8 p.m. ABC. LINE: Even


ABOUT NOTRE DAME (4-0): Kizer was thrown into the fire immediately at Virginia in Week 2 when Malik Zaire went down, and he has responded to the challenge of leading the Fighting Irish offense. The sophomore scored his first rushing touchdown against Massachusetts last week and added a pair of scores through the air before taking most of the second half off in the 62-27 win. “If the ball's going to come through me, then I better be the one who's going to have the confidence that we're going to do something big when the ball is in my hands,” Kizer told reporters. “It's hard not to have a sense of confidence with the guys that we have.”

ABOUT CLEMSON (3-0): The Tigers eased into the season with wins over Wofford and Appalachian State before squeezing by Louisville 20-17 in the ACC opener on Sept. 17. Deshaun Watson is completing 74.4 percent of his passes but threw a pair of interceptions against the Cardinals and is still transitioning to a new offensive coordinator since Chad Morris left the program to become the head coach at SMU after last season. “Being more patient and taking what the defense gives us,” Watson told the school’s website when asked about a point of emphasis moving forward with the offense. “We want to get more plays, of course, and increase the tempo.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Prosise’s 600 yards are the most through four games in Notre Dame history.

2. The Tigers are 6-3 against Top 10 teams under Swinney.

3. Clemson C Ryan Norton (knee) is not expected to play this week.

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 24, Clemson 21