Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
What’s your pick for this game?
Notre Dame and Oregon State will face each other in a Sun Bowl that already is giving a real boost to the economy of El Paso, Texas. The least these teams can do is give the locals a thriller in a sold-out stadium. With so many regulars on both sides missing, that might happen purely on accident. This will be a must-watch.
There are plentiful predictions for this game. Here are some of them:
Who are you picking?
Notre Dame has one game left, and it’s against Stanford. There’s no telling exactly how much a win will improve the type of bowl the Irish get, but they doesn’t mean they want to win this game any less. At the very least, it will be the last game for any players who wish to opt out of the bowl game for whatever reason. So this could be the last of the 2023 Irish as we know them.
Here are some predictions for this game that have been posted by college football experts:
What’s your prediction?
Notre Dame saw [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag] go up against it as Wake Forest’s quarterback before. Now, Hartman is on the Irish’s side as the Deacons come to South Bend. There isn’t a lot to play for, but this particular storyline will be interesting to follow. Others are sure to emerge.
Here’s what experts are predicting for this game:
What do you think happens?
What once was seen as a game with College Football Playoff implications has been relegated to an early kickoff time. For some, that means lessened interest in Notre Dame visiting Clemson. But the fact that the Irish mostly have had the upper hand on the Tigers over the past few years still makes this matchup intriguing. They really can assert their dominance in the series with a win here.
Let’s see if any experts out there think the Irish’s recent success against the Tigers will continue:
What do you think happens?
Notre Dame and Pittsburgh are familiar with each other as they’ve met many times before. They don’t play each other every year, but there is a lot of history with the rivalry. One could argue it’s the most underrated rivalry for the Irish. Everyone will be anxious to see what happens in the next chapter Saturday.
Here are some of the predictions out there for this game:
See who thinks the Irish have a chance.
Notre Dame really needs to find a way to beat USC. The national title hopes are gone, but this could be key in determining the direction of the program. Win, and everything will seem fine, at least for one night. Lose, and even more questions will be raised.
Here are the prognostications from some college football experts:
Can the Irish survive another tough opponent?
Notre Dame will be facing another quality program in Louisville. An argument could be made that the Irish are the first real team the Cardinals have played so far this season. Whether or not that’s true, the Irish still should give the Cardinals everything they have. That should mean good things, at least in theory.
Here are the predictions from a few college football experts:
Do the Irish bounce back?
As disappointing as Notre Dame’s loss to Ohio State was, the time to dwell on it has passed. If it hasn’t for the Irish, they’ll be in trouble against Duke, and that will mean the end of any College Football Playoff hopes. Their job is to not let that happen. If they’re mentally strong enough, they won’t.
Let’s see if any experts agree that the Irish will be able to move past their last game:
Do you think the Irish win this game?
Notre Dame is about to play Central Michigan, and for just about every fan, the outcome is not in doubt.
The Irish are expected to do as well as possible against the Chippewas, and there hasn’t been one convincing argument to suggest the opposite will happen. So it feels like this week, listing a bunch of expert predictions is a mere formality.
Nevertheless, let’s look at what some college football experts are predicting for this game:
Why wait to score after waiting to play again?
A weather delay can do crazy things to football players if it lasts long enough. Notre Dame and NC State had to wait nearly two hours to resume their game because of lightning in the Raleigh area.
As the ABC broadcast pointed out, the Irish were at a disadvantage as the road team because they lacked the amenities of the Wolfpack. They had to replenish their bodies with food and drinks from the stadium concession stands. But none of that mattered to [autotag]Audric Estime[/autotag], who ran for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play out of the delay:
ESTIME HOUSE CALL đź“ž
Irish take a 10-0 lead one play after the weather delay!pic.twitter.com/wWj3fgVPcj
— The Field of 12 (@TheFieldOf12) September 9, 2023
This run immediately squashed any concerns that the Irish would be unprepared once the time came to play again. Estime is a true impact player, and he can make these plays almost whenever the situation calls for it. As much attention as [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag] gets, Estime deserves an equal amount. There’s no greater evidence than this score.
As you can imagine, social media was rampant afterwards. Here are some of the best tweets reacting to the touchdown:
