When: Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Darrell K. Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas | Buy tickets
TV: ABC
For Notre Dame, the question is simple: Who will be quarterback? Malik Zaire was dominant as the starter early last year before a broken ankle cost him the final 11 games. DeShone Kizer filled in admirably, and now the Irish have a quarterback controversy. Kelly said both will play in Austin, but Irish fans everywhere hope he settles on one soon. As we learned at Ohio State last year, having two quarterbacks is one too many, no matter how good they are.
Texas simply needs to be better than they were last year. Another 5-7 finish won’t be acceptable in Austin, but the Longhorns also appear to be more set than they ever have been before during the Charlie Strong era. With back-to-back solid recruiting classes and excitement around a revamped offense (including true freshman QB Shane Buechele), Texas could be the surprise of the Big 12 this season.
1. Texas QB Shane Buechele
From Garrett Gilbert to David Ash to Tyrone Swoopes it’s been a revolving door at quarterback for the Longhorns since Colt McCoy left in 2010. But it appears as though Texas has finally found its answer in Buechele, who threw for over 300 yards in the spring game. Still, it’s one thing to do it in the spring, and another thing to do it as a true freshman against the Irish in the fall. We should find out quickly if Buechele is “the guy” or not in Austin. Swoopes is also expected to play against the Irish.
2
Poor Notre Dame simply couldn’t catch an injury break in 2015, a streak that started when Folston tore his ACL in the Irish’s opener, ironically, against Texas. Notre Dame’s running game didn’t miss a beat without him, but on a young offense it will be a major plus to have a running back who tallied nearly 900 yards two seasons ago.
3
Not only was Jefferson arguably the best player on Texas’ defense as a true freshman last year (finishing with 61 total tackles despite missing a game), but he will take on an especially important role in 2016. Texas’ recruiting class was absolutely loaded and has a handful of guys who could contribute this season on defense. Look for Jefferson to not only serve as a leader on the field for all those young players, but off the field as well.
Notre Dame (-3.5), O/U 60
College football fans get a treat on Sunday with this matchup of old-school powers in Austin. The biggest surprise entering this one is that Notre Dame is still favored. Sure, Brian Kelly has plenty of talent, but this game is on the road, and the Irish are dealing with plenty of turmoil heading into Week 1. Earlier this month, five players were arrested, and starting safety Max Redfield was dismissed from the team. Texas also has plenty of question marks heading into a make-or-break Year 3 for Charlie Strong. With so much uncertainty for both clubs, the smart bet is probably to stay away. Make your money on Saturday, and just enjoy this one on the couch come Sunday evening.
A loss for either team will feel devastating at the moment, but it wouldn’t cripple either one. The Irish might be favored, but it’s tough to open the season at night in Austin with two quarterbacks sharing snaps and a defense depleted from the recent arrests. If Notre Dame loses, at least it can look ahead to a schedule that’s more tame than usual. A win would be a huge building block for one of the most inexperienced teams in the country.
Texas fans would definitely be disappointed with a loss at home, especially after going 5-7 last year, but as long as it’s close, Strong can spin things forward. The Longhorns are still incredibly young and will play a quarterback with a grand total of zero snaps under center. If they win, it would finally be the sign that things are changing in Austin, and some proof that Strong is the right guy for the job.
Notre Dame 24, Texas 21
This might be the hardest Week 1 game to predict. Notre Dame’s roster is almost completely new, but the one thing they have that Texas doesn’t is experience at quarterback. Yes, those Irish quarterbacks will split snaps, but at least both have been here before. It’s just hard to imagine Buechele being lights out when he’s never played a single down of major college football. Texas will break through this year, but this game just isn’t it. Look for the Irish to squeak out a narrow win.
— Aaron Torres
