SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on prior to their game against the Michigan Wolverines at Notre Dame Stadium on September 1, 2018 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly entered ‘The Jungle” on Thursday and dropped some subtle smack.

It’s no secret that Stanford has developed into one of the fiercest rivals Notre Dame football has in recent years. Fans on both side look forward to the game every season.

In 2018, there appears to be more at stake than in recent seasons. Both teams are in the top ten of both major polls, and Saturday’s game looks like the biggest hurdle — barring injury or meltdown — en route to a College Football Playoff berth for each team.

Suffice to say, there’s not a lot of bulletin board material out there that has the potential to increase the intensity leading up to this rivalry game.

Don’t tell Brian Kelly that.

On Thursday, the Notre Dame football coach was on the Jim Rome Show talking about the differences between Notre Dame and Stanford. Kelly politely pointed out the difference between his school’s football program and Stanford’s, noting that Notre Dame has been successful for 90 years, compared to the recent 10-year run of the Cardinal.

Here’s the clip:

Hey, he was nice about it, right?

I’m not normally a fan of pregame smack talk — especially against an opponent who has the talent and ability to pay you back on the field — not to mention “SCOREBOARD.”

That said, I’m ok with any extra attention this brings the Stanford-Notre Dame game. The contest will be competing for viewership with ABC’s broadcast of the Ohio State-Penn State game. Perhaps Kelly’s comments draw a couple of neutral eyes over to NBC.