Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Well, one way to go from here…
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman made his debut in a head spot Saturday and things looked great for him and the Fighting Irish until it all went south.
Notre Dame blew a 28-7 lead and ultimately fell 37-35 as their streak of not winning a major bowl game since January of 1994 continued.
Freeman spoke after the contest and had the following to share in regards to all things Notre Dame and Fiesta Bowl related:
What is your bet for the game?
Notre Dame is favored in the slightest of sorts to end their major bowl victory drought in Saturday’s Fiesta Bowl. The Irish enter the week ahead of their game as under a field goal favorite against Oklahoma State.
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook
Line: Notre Dame (-2.5)
Over/Under: 45.5
Money Line: Notre Dame (-135)/Oklahoma State(+110)
Visit our free to play game lobby at Daily Ticket, Powered by Tipico Sportsbook
Related:
Fiesta Bowl Guide: 5 things to know about Oklahoma State
Saddle up, partner.
Notre Dame will attempt to end their streak of losses in major bowl games and turn the tides of their luck in the Fiesta Bowl as they’ve fallen in their last four trips to the game.
Will Marcus Freeman’s first game as head coach be the end of the difficult streak for Notre Dame and will the Irish win their first major bowl game since January of 1994?
If so, they’ll have to get through one of the best defenses in the nation in Oklahoma State. Here are some things and people to be familiar with in regards to the Cowboys:
I’ll get over Michael Mayer not being a Mackey Award finalist one day. That day however is not today.
Notre Dame tight ends coach John McNulty met the media on Monday as the Irish are just 12 days away from kicking off 2022 in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State.
A win over the Cowboys would give the Irish their first major bowl victory since the conclusion of the 1993 season, a year that none of Notre Dame’s current players were around for.
McNulty spoke about preparing for the Fiesta Bowl, what the week following the regular season was like, and defended Michael Mayer’s case for being the nation’s best tight end this season along with more on Monday. Here is the best of what he had to say:
Headed out west…
Notre Dame missed out on the College Football Playoff but finishing fifth in the final CFP rankings on Sunday. The Irish won’t be playing in the Playoff but will instead be headed to the Fiesta Bowl to take on Oklahoma State.
This will be Notre Dame’s first ever clash with Oklahoma State. It will also be Notre Dame’s sixth all-time trip to the Fiesta Bowl, the site where the clinched their most recent national championship to cap the 1988 season, but a place they haven’t won since.
Notre Dame and Oklahoma State will play on New Year’s Day at 1:00 p.m. ET.
𝗟𝗘𝗧'𝗦 𝗚𝗢 ‼️#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/YquhuMEBM8
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 5, 2021
Keep it right here for everything regarding this interesting bowl matchup for the Fighting Irish as it will be where Marcus Freeman makes his head coaching debut.
Related:
Notre Dame’s all-time bowl history
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What will the next top 6 look like?
Rivalry weekend came and went in the 2021 college football season and it was an absolute doozie. Michigan getting by Ohio State after a decade-straight of losing to their rival was epic to watch while Alabama’s comeback at Auburn was borderline insane, and Oklahoma-Oklahoma State for Bedlam was terrific as well.
So what do we take away from the weekend and what will the new College Football Playoff ratings look like on Tuesday night?
Here is our best guess here at Fighting Irish Wire.
First up: 25-21…
Really, still nobody buying in?
Notre Dame dominated Stanford 45-14 to close their 2021 regular season campaign and moved to 11-1. Was it enough for Notre Dame to get more respect in terms of a College Football Playoff appearance?
According to ESPN, no, and not even close.
ESPN has 14 college football staffers pick their four CFP teams each week and did so as soon as games of significance ended Saturday night. Of those 14, none of them had Notre Dame picked to make the playoff.
Here are the five teams that appeared and how many votes each received:
Georgia: 14/14
Michigan: 14/14
Cincinnati: 14/14
Alabama: 7/14
Oklahoma State: 7/14
No other teams appeared on any ballot.
Do seven people think Alabama goes into the SEC Championship and beats Alabama? That’s the only way they can get in at this point after a game they should have lost at Auburn had it not been for an epic, self-inflicted collapse.
At least it should be.
Related:
Notre Dame blasts Stanford – 5 instant takeaways
