Notre Dame’s Opponents: Opportunity awaits No. 21 BYU, something the Irish should hope for

Facing Notre Dame aside, it could be months before any Irish opponent has as stiff a test as BYU does this weekend. The No. 21 Cougars host No. 9 Baylor on Saturday, and a win could catapult BYU into the top-15 a month before it meets Notre Dame in Las Vegas.

From an Irish perspective, a Cougars victory would obviously be appreciated. While Notre Dame (0-1) played Ohio State close over the weekend, there are only so many chances at impressive wins in a season, and if the Irish want to impress the Playoff committee in November, they need to have an impressive win already.

That Oct. 8 matchup with BYU will be the only such chance before the first Playoff rankings are released.

No. 3 Ohio State (1-0): After holding off Notre Dame, 21-10, the Buckeyes can ease up this week. No offense to Arkansas State, but also offense to Arkansas State (12 ET; BTN). Ohio State should have no trouble against the Red Wolves, particularly not when favored by 44 points.

Marshall (1-0): The Thundering Herd ran all over FCS-level Norfolk State last week, winning 55-3, but the more notable aspect may have been Texas Tech transfer quarterback Henry Colombi’s 24-of-26 passing for 205 yards. That kind of efficiency stands out no matter the opponent.

Marshall is a 20.5-point underdog at No. 8 Notre Dame (2:30 ET; NBC) this weekend, per PointsBet, and the combined points total Over/Under of 51 suggests a 35-14 result, give or take. Frankly, it may be surprising to see the Herd score two touchdowns.

Cal (1-0): Cal dismissed FCS-level UC Davis, 34-13, but still ran for only 158 yards on 30 carries (sacks adjusted) while giving up 148 yards on 24 rushes. Such an inferior opponent averaging 6.2 yards per carry may be a Cal concern to monitor, even if UNLV