Temple-Notre Dame
Time: 3:30 PM ET, Aug 31 2013
Spread: ND -29.5
M/L: ND -8500, TEM +3500
O/U: 53

Odds courtesy of 5dimes

The Temple Owls will have their third coach in six seasons as Matt Rhule takes the reigns. The team finished 4-7 last season, and starting the season with Notre Dame will prove to be more than a challenge.

Notre Dame finished 12-1 last season and contended for the national title. The Fighting Irish fell to Alabama in the game 42-14, but hopes to build on last seasons’ momentum by demolishing the Owls in this matchup. College football oddsmakers expect nothing less, setting the line a healthy 29.5 points in favor of Notre Dame.

The Irish have some top class talents offensively. QB Everett Golson threw for 2,405 yards last season with 12 TDs and 6 INTs and he’s entering his second season as a full-time starter. Typically junior QBs make big strides, and Golson has shown he has the ability to be the man to lead the Irish to the title. TJ Jones and Davaris Daniels are both great targets for Golson and Chris Brown and Daniel Smith will give him a solid quartet of options to air it out to.

In the backfield, the Irish will primarily look to George Atkinson III. He carried 51 times last year for 361 yards and five TDs. Amir Carlisle will also get more carries this season. The biggest loss for the Irish offensively is All-American tight end Tyler Eifert. They will look at a trio of replacements to shore up the loss.

The Irish lost Manti T’eo and Kapron Lewis-Moore on defense but they have talent waiting in the wings to shore up these losses. Louis Nix, Stephon Tuitt, Sheldon Day, Jarron Jones, Tony Springmann and Kona Schwenke will form a strong defense and the team has a host of solid role players around them. The defense will still be strong, and Brian Kelly has this team gunning for a National Title.

Temple has a unique starter at QB in Connor Reilly, who also plays baseball for temple as a walk-on outfielder. Reilly is a very talented athlete and he gave up baseball for this chance to be a starting quarterback. It’s a neat story, but don’t expect the Owls to turn that into a Disney movie and upset Notre Dame in this contest.

TEMPLE

OVER 8-0 in last 8 vs Independent, 0-4 ATS in last 4 on grass, 5-0-1 ATS in last 6 in August.

NOTRE DAME

1-4 ATS in last 5 at home. UNDER 20-6-1 in last 27 on grass. UNDER 20-7 in last 27 at home.

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