Notre Dame sits at 6-0 and ranked fourth in the nation as they welcome the top team in the nation to South Bend this Saturday.
If they’re able to pull the upset then they’re outlook for where the 2020 season ends for them clearly changes as opposed to them potentially losing Saturday’s showdown.
So through the first six games of the year for the Irish, where do the expert bowl projectors in the world of college football see Notre Dame going?
Here’s the rundown:
Athlon Sports:
Bowl – Orange Bowl, Jan. 2, 2021
Opponent – Florida
CBS Sports:
Bowl – Orange Bowl, Jan. 2, 2021
Opponent – Georgia
ESPN:
Bowl (1/2) – College Football Playoff/Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1, 2021
Opponent – Alabama
Bowl (2/2) – Orange Bowl, Jan. 2, 2021
Opponent – Florida
The Sporting News:
Bowl – Orange Bowl, Jan. 2, 2021
Opponent – Georgia
Stadium:
Bowl – Orange Bowl, Jan. 2, 2021
Opponent – Texas A&M
USA TODAY:
Bowl – Orange Bowl, Jan. 2, 2021
Opponent – Georgia
So there are seven projections we looked at and six have Notre Dame headed to Miami for the Orange Bowl in what would be the first trip to that game since the end of the 1995 season.
The other projections from ESPN has the Irish making the College Football Playoff and drawing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in what would be the second trip to the CFP for Notre Dame.
Obviously if Notre Dame wins Saturday then their chances of making the playoff skyrocket, even if they don’t win a potential rematch with Clemson in the ACC Championship.
My favorite part of these this week though are the seven different projections all matching Notre Dame up with an SEC team, but four different teams being projected.