After a tough loss to Navy, Charlie Weis feels facing 8th ranked Pittsburgh on the road in front of a huge crowd on a Saturday provides a great opportunity for Notre Dame.

"There's all the reasons for the team to get fired up to get ready to go," Weis said Tuesday. "I mean, every reason. There isn't a reason imaginable for the team not to get fired up."

"They're ready to go. You go beat a Top 10 team on the road, it doesn't take much for everyone to be feeling better after that ends up happening."

The Irish dropped to 6-3 on the season with a 23-21 loss to Navy inside Notre Dame Stadium last Saturday. It was a loss that has many fans wondering how good the Irish really are.

"I think I'm worried more about the kids, that's what I'm worrying more about than anything else," Weis said. "I think for these kids' sake it would do them wonder to do this."

"I think the most important thing I have to worry about in the grand scheme of things, we talk about the program and I think that that's a critical factor. But most importantly, you know, you've got a bunch of 18- to 22-year old kids that after a loss go to class and everyone says: Hey, what happened? What happened?"

"And I think right now the most important thing, when things like that happen, is for me to be there for them. And a situation like that, all we can do is fight together to be in position to go ahead and get this rectified this week."

Pitt is 8-1, ranked 8th in the country while Notre Dame dropped from 19th in the rankings to out of the top 25 with its loss to the Midshipmen.

It's an 8pm start Saturday night in Pittsburgh.