Notre Dame raced to a 35-3 halftime lead on their way to a 49-20 victory over Stanford on Saturday. The Fighting Irish outgained the Cardinal by 524-312 and scored touchdowns on five of six first half possessions. Notre Dame ended its regular season at 10-2 after an 0-2 start. They entered this contest as the ninth-ranked team by the Playoff Committee. There were very few surprises among the other top twelve schools this week, so little change is expected.

There were two negatives in this otherwise lopsided contest. Star tailback Jeremiyah Love suffered a rib injury that was obviously painful. He returned to action later but was not his usual dominant self. Also, the level of execution by the Irish in the second half was well below their standard. If Notre Dame makes the playoffs as anticipated, the team will have three weeks to rest, recover, and prepare.

Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:

• Can Stanford’s struggling offensive line handle the Irish defensive front? Yes, at least in pass protection. Notre Dame sent extra rushers on many plays but rarely disturbed the quarterback. Stanford rushed for only 86 yards, however, which is about their average.
• Will the aggressive Notre Dame secondary continue to generate turnovers? Leonard Moore’s spectacular interception was the only turnover recorded by the Irish. Safety Adon Shuler also hurt Stanford’s tender feelings with a crushing hit on wideout Caden High.
• Can the Irish duplicate the intensity level they demonstrated last week? Only in the first half. After intermission, it was as if their body clocks were telling them it was time to sleep.
• Will Carr take advantage if Stanford overplays the run? Somewhat, but Carr’s passing yards were modest except for a 54-yard bomb to Jordan Faison.
• Can Notre Dame run the ball against the Cardinal front seven? They rushed for 187 but the only significant play was a 51-yard scoring sprint by Aneyas Williams.
• Will Love or Ford run for more yards and scores? Ford was unable to play due to an injury suffered in practice prior to the game. Love recorded a touchdown on the first series, in which he gained 54 of the team’s 66 yards.
• Can Notre Dame’s special teams make a significant contribution? Marcus Freeman called for a fake punt from his own 16-yard line. Josh Burnham tossed a short pass to Luke Talich, who flew past the Cardinal for an 84-yard touchdown. In the kicking game, Eric Schmidt’s seven extra points somehow made it through the uprights. At least three would not have been good from five yards further out.
• Will the Irish defense give up another last second touchdown? They surrendered a touchdown pass to the Stanford reserves with four minutes left. The Cardinal quarterback was Charlie Mirer, son of Irish great Rick Mirer. A late fumble by Notre Dame prevented them from answering in the game’s final seconds.

I expect Notre Dame to remain as the ninth seeded team in the playoff derby when the rankings are released on Tuesday. It is possible that the Irish could leap into the eighth spot over Oklahoma. The Sooners’ offense was awful in a home win over equally hapless LSU. Conference championship games next Saturday, most notably in the SEC and Big-12, will determine the final seeding, There are theoretical scenarios in which Notre Dame could lose its spot entirely, but I am not overly concerned. Previous statements from the Committee indicate they are convinced the Irish belong among the top 12 teams.

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