10/26/2019 football Edit

Gameday Central: Notre Dame at Michigan Wolverines Football

Ryan Tice • Maize&BlueReview

Editor

Two of college football's greatest powerhouses meet under the lights at The Big House tonight, when Jim Harbaugh and the No. 19 Michigan Wolverines host the No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The Wolverines hold a 24-18-1 all-time advantage over the Irish, and the home team is 8-0 all time in night games for this series (though only two of those happened in Ann Arbor).

However, after hosting the last two matchups, the Fighting Irish are on a two-game winning streak.

While there have been blowouts, the series hasn't disappointed with 22 of the 43 previous matchups (51.2 percent) being decided by seven points or less. Notre Dame does hold an 11-10-1 advantage in such contests (and is also 4-2-1 in ones with a three-point margin or less).

Over the last 14 meetings each team has won exactly seven times (though that includes the 2012 Irish win that has since been vacated). During that time period, the visiting squad has won just three times — U-M in 2010 and 2006, and ND in 2005 — and the aggregate score of those previous 14 contests is 358-313 in favor of Michigan, an average difference of just 3.2 points per game.

There have been great games, record-setting individual performances, memorable plays and national statements made to the rest of the college football world for both sides during the history of the rivalry.

While the merits of scheduling Notre Dame is a divisive issue among the fan base and beyond — especially when the game falls in the middle of the Big Ten season — the two programs won't play each other again until 2033 (in Ann Arbor) and 2034 (South Bend), per an announcement from the school this morning.

It's worth noting that does mean U-M will now have the two home games in a row that was one of the biggest talking points when the rivalry was picked back up in 2018 after three years off and South Bend hosted the first reunion despite the final meeting before that being there as well.

It's also worth pointing out that some of the players that will take the field when the Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry resumes will be 4 years old watching (or maybe not) from the couch tonight.

Senior quarterback Shea Patterson and the Michigan Wolverines fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter of an eventual 24-17 loss to the Fighting Irish. (USA Today Sports Images)

Game Information: No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at No. 19 Michigan Wolverines Football

Kickoff: 7:44 p.m.

TV: ABC

On The Call: Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (color) and Maria Taylor (sideline)

Radio: Michigan/IMG Radio Network (950 AM in the Detroit Area; SiriusXM channel 84) with Dan Dierdorf, Jim Brandstatter and sideline reporter Doug Karsch, a regular contributor to TheWolverine.com.

Line: According to VegasInsider.com, Michigan opened as a four-point favorite, but at the seven books the website sources, four now have the visiting Fighting Irish as a one-point favorite and the other three list the tilt as a pick 'em.

Get a free 60-day trial to TheWolverine.com with promo code Blue60

Weather Forecast For Kickoff

According to weather.com, as of 4 p.m., there is going to be rain at kickoff — a 100 percent chance, with the likelihood of precipitation rising to that level at 6 p.m., if not before — with heavy rains expected to start around 8 p.m.

Rain is expected to continue into the night, with it feeling between 45-50 degree for much of the matchup (real temps will be in the 50s).