Can Notre Dame reach the 11 win mark or will Iowa State finally close the deal against one of these top teams that they’ve played so closely all year?
We’ve made it through the holidays and the bowl slate picks up steadily from here forward. Friday should be fun but we’re all waiting for the historic Camping World Bowl and Notre Dame’s showdown with Iowa State on Saturday.
Can Notre Dame reach the 11 win mark or will Iowa State finally close the deal against one of these top teams that they’ve played so closely all year?
Here is how the Fighting Irish Wire Staff sees Saturday’s Camping World Bowl going:
Picks –
Geoffrey Clark:
Ever since the loss to Michigan, the Irish have been on a mission to prove that and the defeat at Georgia were anomalies. Plus, they have the defense to shut down Brock Purdy or at least take away his receivers’ opportunities. The time off will cause Notre Dame’s offense to take a slight dip, but it’ll still be enough for a convincing win.
Notre Dame 33 Iowa State 14
Jeff Feyerer:
I get the sentiment that Notre Dame may struggle with a new man calling plays and facing off against one of the unluckiest teams in recent college football memory, but I still find it hard to go against the Irish in this one.
Brock Purdy is probably the best QB they’ve played all season, but the Irish pass defense, which has had a very strong year, should hold him in check. And I expect Ian Book to give Irish fans something to be excited about next season as I’m assuming we’ll see a healthy dose of Braden Lenzy and Lawrence Keys.
Notre Dame 31 Iowa State 17
Nick Shepkowski:
I have nothing against Iowa State but I do hate this matchup. You have a Cyclones squad that wants to set the tone for 2020 where they could theoretically enter the season being seen as the second best team in the Big XII, meanwhile Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator change doesn’t necessarily mean good things for this individual game.
Brock Purdy is the real deal and a lot of the nation will be watching him for the first time. I think he rises to the occasion and makes this an incredibly interesting game. In a close matchup I trust Notre Dame’s defense to make one more big play than Iowa State’s. It’s not pretty but it’s good enough for an eleventh win.
Notre Dame 34 Iowa State 31
