Week 1 of the college football season is finally here.
Coaches and players have been ready for this week for over half a year.
Now, that the Aggies and Irish have had plenty of time to prepare for each other, it's time to see who wins those one-on-one battles. Who will make an extra effort to fight for that first down marker? Most importantly, what are the storylines to watch for this matchup?
Of course, this is a game with no shortage of storylines to go around. It was a long time ago now, but Elko used to be the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. We all remember the big game between Duke and Notre Dame last year, as well, when Mike Elko was the head coach in Durham.
No doubt with a show like College Gameday in town, these storylines will get plenty of run. With this being the biggest game of the entire weekend, all the attention will be drawn to it come Saturday night, and narratives like these will be front of mind for many.
Here are three storylines to watch during the game.
Riley Leonard and Mike Elko meet again on opposing sides
Riley Leonard was an outstanding athlete at Duke University. Now, he will be playing in an Irish uniform. His first game with his new team will just so happen to be against his old coach, Mike Elko.
Leonard helped the Blue Devils gain some attention last year. Leonard threw for 4,450 passing yards during his tenure with Duke and hopes to be the next great quarterback for the Fighting Irish.
Elko on the other hand, knows exactly what he's in for. When asked about his thoughts facing his former quarterback, he said it would be "weird."
It's sometimes scary for both parties to face against each other in this position, because they know what they're in for.
It's not like it was planned for the NCAA to have this specific matchup, but here we are.
A&M defensive line has to take charge and pressure Leonard
Staying with the topic of the former Blue Devil quarterback, Leonard might struggle in week 1.
The offensive line has been a question for Notre Dame for quite some time.
Three sophomores and two freshmen will get the starting nod on the offensive line for the Irish. Not good news for head coach Marcus Freeman going into week 1 in one of the most hostile environments in the land.
Don't be surprised if we see Kyle Field getting rowdy after a false start. It will be a tough challenge for the youngsters going up against the crowd.
Freeman has downplayed his youngsters handling such havoc. With an experienced defensive line with Mike Elko as the head coach, against an inexperienced offensive line will lead to problems for the Irish.
This would've been a great game for the Irish to have offensive tackle Joe Alt, who's now playing the Los Angeles Chargers.
This will be Connor Weigman's biggest test yet
Injuries have halted your growth, you've got the crowd behind your back, and the spotlight is on you like never before. This would be the classic movie introduction to quarterback Connor Weigman.
Weigman is a proven athlete who's built connections with his receivers before. Being potentially injury prone, Aggie fans have had plenty of concerns.
It's fair to have these doubts that Weigman can't last a full season of college, but he's in arguably his best position in his college career.
He's going to have a special connection with Noah Thomas. This is the game to showcase that chemistry.
If we see more success from the Aggie defense, it won't be a disappointment for Weigman. After all, the defensive line is going to be expected to dominate.
This is just a chance for Weigman to show off his skill on Saturday Night Football against Notre Dame, the heart of college football culture.
It's one thing to have Weigman show his skill against any SEC team, but against Notre Dame would be an absolute banger to watch.