With all of the uncertainty that 2020 has brought, we finally get the game that we all have been waiting for. Yes – the best player in the country in Trevor Lawrence might not be playing, and Notre Dame Stadium will not be full to capacity; but the hype is still there. College Game Day comes to South Bend for a game that is shaping up to go down as one of the best, in one of the nation’s most historic venues.

📍 Notre Dame Stadium #GoIrish x #BeatTigers pic.twitter.com/CSlpmmmSRh

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 7, 2020

These are my keys to Notre Dame pulling off the upset:

• Kyle Hamilton, Chris Tyree & Michael Mayer – The biggest difference between Clemson and Notre Dame the last time they played each other was talent. Notre Dame lacked the stud recruits that Clemson had; Hamilton was the first to come to South Bend, followed by Tyree and Mayer this season. All three in their first year on campus have made immediate impact for the Irish. Hamilton is a freak on defense that the Irish have not seen in the secondary in a long, long time. Freshmen this year, both Tyree and Mayer are fixtures for the Irish offense. Tyree has the breakaway speed that the Irish have being missing on offense, while Mayer looks like another tight end that will one day play on Sundays. These three will have to be difference-makers Saturday night if the Irish want to pull off the upset. That’s asking a lot from two freshmen, but it can be done.

• Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah – Maybe the election has made you forget, but Yes Clemson is still without Lawrence due to COVID19. Freshman DJ Uiagalelei will make his second start for Clemson Saturday night. DJ looked good vs Boston College last Saturday, leading the Tigers on a big comeback win, but he will go up against a very different and more talented defense this week. Jeremiah is a Jaylon Smith-like talent – he makes plays that leave you speechless, and he will need to make a few of those Saturday night. Jeremiah will need to get to the QB and make him uncomfortable which will lead to mistakes. I expect to see #6 flying around the football field Saturday night making play after play.

Watching Notre Dame defense & cant take my eyes off 6…

This Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is a damn missile!

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) November 4, 2020

• Ian Book – The Irish will need their two-time captain to make the plays that we know he can make. The passing game has been a work in progress this year, with the last couple games being steps forward. If Notre Dame is going to knock off Clemson, it will be because Book and the Irish offense can keep the Clemson defense honest. We know the running game is great, but the passing game needs to be right there with it. Book has weapons in Javon McKinley, Ben Skowronek, Joe Wilkins and Mayer, and all will need to step up to the challenge and make the big plays the Irish passing game has been missing all year.

• Ball control- The Irish have a two-headed monster at running back with Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree, and both of them will be called upon to make sure the Irish keep the ball away from Clemson. Last week vs Pitt, the difference in time of possession was 10 minutes in favor of Notre Dame. They will need to do the same vs Clemson to win. Even without Lawrence, Clemson still has a ton of talent on the offense side of the ball that the Irish will need to keep off the field. Ball control is not sexy but it keeps the Notre Dame defense well-rested and ready to roll when needed. If the Irish can grind the clock down then maybe, just maybe, they pull off the upset.

For the Brotherhood. #GoIrish x #BeatTigers pic.twitter.com/Tao5E3tySr

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 7, 2020

This is the biggest game since the USC “Bush Push” game that Notre Dame has played in during the regular season; bigger than both Georgia games, bigger than the Miami game of a few years ago, and even bigger than the win in Norman vs Oklahoma in 2012. If Notre Dame wants the respect that they keep asking for, they need to win Saturday night. Yes, COVID has taken Trevor Lawrence and a packed Notre Dame Stadium – but this game has the same hype as it would any other year. Notre Dame has the talent on both sides of the ball to hang with Clemson, and I believe that this is finally the year Notre Dame gets the job done and gets the win they need to get the respect they deserve in college football.