No. 8 Notre Dame takes on No. 20 Michigan tomorrow night, and it’s a monumental opportunity for the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame needs a victory to remain in the College Football Playoff discussion. A win would also mark the first time since 1987-90 that Notre Dame earned at least three straight victories over Michigan, and just the second time it happened in the series, which began in 1887.

Let’s discuss the keys to the Notre Dame playing well enough to win the game.

1. Start Fast — The crowd will be huge and the Wolverines are a wounded animal that is fighting for survival. Notre Dame is going to get Michigan’s best shot, especially from the defense. If Notre Dame isn’t locked in offensively things will go bad in a hurry.

That is why starting fast is so important. The better Notre Dame plays the quieter the crowd will become, and doubt will start to creep into the minds of the Michigan defenders. Starting fast means getting strong play early from the line, it means quarterback Ian Book being decisive, accurate and aggressive, and it means the Irish skill players taking advantage of opportunities.

Starting fast offensively also helps the Irish defense by putting more pressure on the Michigan offense.

2. Handle The Pressure — Michigan is an aggressive defense that will throw a number of run stunts and blitzes at the Irish offense. The Wolverines will attack on any down, and they put a great deal of pressure on opposing offensive lines. Notre Dame must be prepared for those pressures and it must have a plan to beat those pressures.

The first line of defense – no pun intended – is the Irish offensive line. Jeff Quinn’s squad must be well-prepared for all the pressures mentally, and they must step to the Michigan defenders with force and good bases. If the line can get a body on a body with consistency they will gash the Michigan defense much like Wisconsin did. This is especially true for the interior blockers.