CLEMSON, SC - OCTOBER 03: (L-R) Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers talks to head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish before their game at Clemson Memorial Stadium on October 3, 2015 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)Despite the high-octane offenses in the Alabama-Oklahoma game, some analysts seem to think that Clemson-Notre Dame will be an equally high-scoring College Football Playoff game.
ESPN Senior writer Mark Schlabach gave his predictions for the upcoming bowl schedule and gave his prediction for the Cotton Bowl Classic between Clemson and Notre Dame. Schlabach is predicting Clemson get the win in a relatively high-scoring affair.
Prediction: Clemson 38, Notre Dame 35
The final score doesn’t seem to think much of Notre Dame’s defense, as the Fighting Irish have not allowed more than 27 points all season.
Clemson’s defense has been equally stout, only allowing 35 points once – to South Carolina several weeks ago. Only five of the Tigers’ opponents have score more than 10 points all season.
Clemson and Notre Dame have played each other only three times before, all in the regular season.
Notre Dame won the first matchup in 1977 by a score of 21-17. Clemson would win the next game in 1979 by a score of 16-10.
The most recent game between the two was in 2015 when Clemson won 24-22.
Clemson and Notre Dame are set to kick off at 4 p.m. E.T. on Dec. 29.
