That's not to say, Im not worried, road game, holiday weekend, slim 3.5 favorite but this is a great ND team you're comparing to a losing season, 5-6 ND team with an overmatched coach..
If you're searching for an ominous comparison, I find 11/28/64, Thanks giving weekend, a 9-0 ND team heading to LA to face a mediocre USC team, much more comparable..