Tag: Fiesta Bowl

One projection has Notre Dame in College Football Playoff semifinals

Would you consider this to be a successful season?

All Notre Dame can do right now is wait for the conference championships to be awarded. After that, it’ll know who it’s playing in the first round of the College Football Playoff. What happens after that is anyone’s guess at the moment.

Still, Brett McMurphy of the Action Network has taken a crack at where he expects the Irish to be seeded and how far he expects them to go. His outlook for them at the moment is a very positive run.

In his latest playoff and bowl projections, McMurphy has the Irish grabbing the No. 5 seed, which is common for a lot of experts right now. He predicts them to win their first-round game over UNLV and then defeat Arizona State in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal. He has them falling to Oregon in the Cotton Bowl semifinal.

While this wouldn’t end the Irish’s national championship drought, it would mark a very successful season all things considered. Hopefully, it would be a stepping stone to finally winning that elusive title in 2025.

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Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Notre Dame left off Jerry Palm’s College Football Playoff projection

Pin this one on the bulletin board.

All Notre Dame has to do is win the games it’s supposed to win in 2024, and it very likely will make the College Football Playoff. At least that’s what most people seem to believe. However, one expert has dared to challenge that belief.

Jerry Palm, CBS Sports’ College Football Playoff expert, has released his projections for the first year of the expanded playoff. Unlike most experts, he doesn’t have the Irish in his bracket.

Palm also has released his projections for the remaining bowl games, and he has the Irish facing Oklahoma State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, which would be a rematch of [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag]’s coaching debut in the Fiesta Bowl three years ago.

While the idea of the Irish eating a mascot as a postgame snack is fun to think about, it would signify disappointment in a season with high expectations. But it shows how the Irish won’t just be handed anything this season. They’ll need to earn their spot in the playoff, and it looks like that will involve proving some people wrong.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Notre Dame defensive lineman Gabriel Rubio suffers foot fracture

Hope we see him again sooner than later

It’s not college football season until somebody gets injured in practice, and we finally have reached that point. Notre Dame has begun its training camp on Wednesday, and already, the effects of that are being felt.

Defensive lineman [autotag]Gabriel Rubio[/autotag] is entering his third full season with the Irish, his fourth overall in South Bend, but he often has been forgotten among his more talented teammates. His quest to stand out more took a significant hit Wednesday because of this development released by the Irish press release team:

At least the injury hasn’t cost Rubio this entire season, as an injury like this easily could. Still, that can’t make this any less frustrating for him or the team.

Since appearing during head coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag]’s debut as Irish coach in the Fiesta Bowl, Rubio has been a modest defensive contributor. In 22 games, he has recorded 29 tackles, had four tackles for loss (all coming in 2022), forced one fumble and defended one pass. His stuff is there, and it’s unfortunate that we won’t see it again for a while.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Watch: One Shining Moment but for Bowl Season

The ball is tipped…or kicked

If you’re any kind of college sports fan you’re familiar with the song “One Shining Moment” that is played each year as college basketball’s national championship game concludes.  It’s cheesy but enjoyable as it recaps all the highs and lows of the NCAA Tournament in roughly three minutes.

What if college football had a similar type thing for bowl season?

Well ask and you shall receive.

Thanks to college football fan Nathan Grella we now have exactly that.

Grella put together highlights from the last few weeks of bowl games and set it to “One Shining Moment”.  Sure, the lyrics don’t fit quite right when the song is about basketball and we’re watching football bowl games but Nathan hit it out of the park regardless.

Check out the video below:

Awesome job.

Give Nathan a follow on social media if you’d like @NathanGrella.

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Report Card: Ducks breeze through the final exam of the 2023 season

The final report card shows Oregon studied for that final exam and passed with flying colors.

It’s said that if you study hard enough the final for a class should be easy and you’ll receive the grade you deserve.

The Oregon Ducks football team took their final exam on New Year’s Day at the Fiesta Bowl and it was obvious they studied hard. The end result was the Ducks breezing through that test to the tune of a 45-6 victory over the Liberty Flames.

Oregon was able be in celebratory mode for most of the fourth quarter as quarterback Bo Nix and tailback Bucky Irving took much-deserved curtain calls as they both called it a career at the University of Oregon.

Every unit played well and their grades will reflect it for the last report card of this season that saw the Ducks finish 12-2.

Oregon wins its last football game as a Pac-12 school

The end of the Pac-12 is now official for Oregon football. The Ducks’ next game will be in the Big Ten.

The existence of Pac-12 football might technically have ended, due to Washington State and Oregon State officially being “Pac-12” members. In any meaningful sense, though, the history of Pac-12 football has been halted by the exodus of 10 schools to two other conferences. That history might be revived in several years, but for now, the road is hitting a dead end.

The Oregon Ducks are part of that story. They played their last Pac-12 football game (at least for now) on Monday in the Fiesta Bowl. They defeated Liberty, 45-6.

Ducks Wire wrote:

“Bo Nix was as efficient as ever as he methodically led the Ducks to six touchdown drives, including four touchdown passes in the second quarter alone.

“Tez Johnson continued his tremendous second half of the season with 11 catches and a touchdown. Oregon fans can only hope he returns to Eugene for one more season.

“Liberty came into the Fiesta Bowl averaging over 300 yards rushing a game, but against the Ducks, the Flames gained just 168 yards on the ground.”

Next stop for Oregon: the Big Ten, as is the case with USC.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire.

Photo Gallery: It’s all fun and games for the Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl

Photo Gallery: It’s all fun and games for the Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl

After two seasons under Dan Lanning, perhaps we should get used to the idea of Oregon not looking past the opponent, no matter who that opponent might be.

The Ducks certainly didn’t look past Liberty as Oregon crushed the Flames 45-6 in the Fiesta Bowl.

Bo Nix threw for five touchdowns and 363 yards, four of those scores coming in the second quarter that put the game away. The Ducks held a 31-6 halftime lead before cruising in the second half.

There were plenty of Oregon fans in the stands and they were able to give both Nix and Bucky Irving a well-deserved standing ovation as they exited the game early in the fourth quarter.

Here are the photos from an all-around fun day in Glendale.

Player of the Game: Bo Nix ends his Oregon career with a record-breaking performance

Bo Nix is the Ducks Wire player of the game, in his final time in an Oregon Ducks jersey.

The impact and excitement of bowl games have suffered in the era of opt-outs and transfers, but in the 2023-24 Fiesta Bowl, Bo Nix chose to put on an Oregon Ducks jersey and play one more time. Nix played exceptionally in the game, and his performance makes him the Ducks Wire player of the game.

After the Ducks started slow in the first quarter, Nix sparked the Oregon offense in the second, throwing four touchdowns in the quarter. Nix finished the game with 363 yards, 5 TDs, and an 80% completion percentage.

Speaking of completion percentage, Nix’s efficiency against Liberty pushed him ahead of Mac Jones to become the all-time FBS record holder for completion percentage in a single season. Nix also became the all-time Oregon Ducks leader in single-season touchdowns and passing yards, snapping records set by Marcus Mariota in 2014.

In April, Bo Nix will be selected in the NFL Draft, continuing his football career in the pros. He came to Oregon without much expectation — some even thought he’d back up Ty Thompson. But in two seasons as a Duck, Nix created a legacy as one of the best Oregon QBs ever, capping it off with a stellar performance in the Fiesta Bowl.

Oregon scores final 45 points, plasters Liberty in Fiesta Bowl

Oregon scored 45 points in a row to clobber Liberty

On second thought, maybe the bowl selection committee should have matched up undefeated teams. You know, Florida State and Liberty.

That would have avoided the twin calamities in postseason games.

Georgia clobbered FSU, 63-3, in the Orange Bowl.

And on New Year’s Day Arizona, Oregon spotted the Flames the first six points of the game on their initial drive and proceeded to score the next 45 points.

The final was 45-6.

Bo Nix was 28-of-35 for 363 yards with 5 TD passes for the Ducks, who finished 12-2.

The losses? A pair of games to Washington, each by three points.

Liberty, the Group of Five invitee, winds up 13-1.

3 Keys to Victory for the Oregon Ducks against the Liberty Flames

Three keys to victory for the Oregon Ducks against the Liberty Flames in the Fiesta Bowl.

2023 will surely be a year to remember for the Oregon Ducks. It was a year where a lot went right for Oregon. We saw Bo Nix’s Heisman campaign, the Ducks’ improved defense, and a team compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

On Monday, Oregon will cap off this memorable season in the Fiesta Bowl against the Liberty Flames. It certainly isn’t the matchup the Ducks wished for — or a matchup they deserve — but it’s still the culminating event of a historic season for Oregon football.

While Liberty certainly won’t be the toughest opponent the Sucks have faced this year, they have a lot of talent on there roster, and they couldl challenge the Ducks. Below, are my three biggest keys to victory for the Ducks against the Flames.

A strong run game

Craig Strobeck-USA TODAY Sports

The best way to control a football game is by running the football for a consistent 3-6 yards. Liberty’s best chance to upset the Ducks is by stifling the Ducks offense, especially the run, giving them control of the game. So, if Oregon is able to run the ball well, they’ll put themselves in a good spot to win.

Strong cornerback play

Craig Strobeck-USA TODAY Sports

Khyree Jackson — Oregon’s CB1 — has opted out of the Fiesta Bowl, and Jahlil Florence — Oregon’s CB2 — likely won’t play due to injury, which leaves the Ducks shorthanded at corner. With that lack of depth, the Ducks will need to be weary of getting gashed over the top by Liberty’s wide receivers. Dontae Manning and freshman Rodrick Pleasant will need to step up and have big games for Oregon to ensure success.

Quality performances by depth players

Photo Courtesy of Ethan Landa

This is less of a key to victory, and more of a key to long-term success. I don’t think The Duck will struggle too much in this Fiesta Bowl, but they’ll need a few things to prosper in their first few years in the Big Ten. Specifically, I hope to see strong performances from Jurrion Dickey, Matayo Uiagalelei, Cole Martin, and any other young player who is able to step up.

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