Notre Dame's tough season opener against Ohio State on Saturday is filled with upside.
There is only one other scheduled contest all year that could raise a team's chance to reach the College Football Playoff with a win more than the Fighting Irish's trip to Columbus -- only behind Michigan's own bout with the Buckeyes -- according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor. And there is no scheduled game in which a team faces higher total playoff leverage -- the difference between its chance to reach the playoff with a win and a loss -- than Notre Dame's Week 1 contest.