Notre Dame Opens As 16.5 Point Favorite Over Boston College

Did you all enjoy BC basketball's season opening victory? Yes? How about BC hockey winning their eighth straight with a dramatic victory over Michigan State? That was fun.

Well, I hope you enjoyed it, because we're back to football this week, and even if you've mentally moved on to the winter sports, let's be honest - it's Notre Dame, so you're going to be paying attention.

Unsurprisingly, Las Vegas expects Notre Dame to rout the Eagles this week, installing the Irish as 16.5 to 17 point favorites according to the books listed on ESPN.com. BC has not won since Week 4 against Northern Illinois, and has not topped 20 points against FBS competition.

The Irish, on the other hand, sit at 9-1, with their only blemish being a narrow loss to #1 Clemson on October 3. Notre Dame will likely retain their spot as #4 in this week's College Football Playoff rankings, meaning a win over the Eagles would move them one step closer to locking down a playoff appearance. Should Notre Dame win this Saturday, their final hurdle would be a game at Stanford on November 28.

After generally being competitive in just about every game during their first two years under Steve Addazio, 2015 has been a  much different story. The Eagles are 4-6 against the spread this season and will likely require yet another superhuman performance by the nation's #1 ranked defense in order to keep things competitive with Notre Dame.