Wake Forest @ Notre Dame preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 17, 2012 ) Wake Forest 0, Notre Dame 38

Notre Dame made the jump up to No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday, offering it a clear path into the semifinals. The Fighting Irish will try to cement their position when they host Wake Forest on Saturday.

The biggest challenge for Notre Dame over the next two weeks might be to avoid looking ahead to the regular-season finale at Stanford on Nov. 28. “We're just going to focus on getting better this week, improving on the things that we need to get better at and not worrying about the noise out there about where we are, and really concentrating on how we can become championship football players and what that means,” Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly told reporters. “For us, it's the attention to detail and practice. It's the preparation, it's the work ethic. It's staying focused on the present.” The Demon Deacons are losers of three straight and five of the last six, with the lone win coming by a 3-0 score at Boston College. Wake Forest’s scoring average of 18.7 points ranks 116th in FBS.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Notre Dame -27

ABOUT WAKE FOREST (3-6): The Demon Deacons are enduring a rough season but still have a chance to impact the College Football Playoff with the next two games against No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 1 Clemson. “This will be a great challenge for our football team,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson told reporters. “This is why people come to Wake Forest. You get to play in games like this, in a venue like this, and our players are excited about it.” The Demon Deacons have been splitting snaps at quarterback between Kendall Hinton and John Wolford, and the two have a combined 13 interceptions.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (8-1): The Fighting Irish eased past Pittsburgh 42-30 last week but lost running back C.J. Prosise to a concussion in the process. Prosise needs to pass the concussion protocol before rejoining a rushing attack that is averaging 220.6 yards. “It always starts with a commitment to (the running game) and then an offensive line that's working well together,” Kelly told reporters. “The pieces are right, the right people in the right position.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Notre Dame took the first two meetings in 2011 and 2012.

2. The Demon Deacons have lost 12 straight games against ranked opponents.

3. Fighting Irish QB DeShone Kizer accounted for 36 points last week – the school’s highest total ever in a true road game.

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 38, Wake Forest 17