WHO? “No. 7” Notre Dame vs. Duke.
To be more precise, the Irish are ranked No. 7 among teams currently playing this fall, but that ranking will be adjusted in a week, win or lose, as the polls reincorporate the Big Ten after it releases its schedule this morning.
WHAT? Notre Dame’s first-ever non-conference game. Yes, this warrants “first-ever” status. When every game is out of the bounds of a conference, they do not need to be designated as non-conference. Only when playing an AAC opponent becomes an exception does it earn such a nod.