Also note that Notre Dame hasn’t lost since the start of December, winning by less than double digits just once (Clemson) out of its past 17 wins. Particularly with UCLA falling and the head-to-head over Texas, the argument is pretty strong for the Irish as the best team in the country at this moment.

The Massey Ratings have a projection for Thursday night's game at Pittsburgh and see Notre Dame rolling to a 16th straight victory. Massey Ratings Projected Score: Notre Dame 78, Pittsburgh 57 Massey Ratings: Notre Dame has a 93% chance of victory

You know the player who logs starter minutes without being a regular starter? Call ’em a sixth man or sixth woman or whatever you want, but, in essence, the simplest description is the first or second person who comes off the bench and gives a team everything it needs and more on both ends of the floor.