Tag: Sun Bowl

Wait – Notre Dame football is playing at Yankee Stadium in 2024?

Notre Dame headed back to the Bronx?

Sunday afternoon it was announced that Notre Dame will play in the Sun Bowl against Oregon State.  It’s the second trip to El Paso all-time for the Fighting Irish and it’ll be the third time they’ve ever taken on the Beavers.

The way Notre Dame wound up in the Sun Bowl is certainly interesting and worth sharing more.  However, there is also somewhat seemingly bigger news out of this that was also revealed Sunday.

It would appear that Notre Dame will be playing at Yankee Stadium towards the start of the 2024 season.

Sun Bowl executive director Bernie Olivas was doing an interview with Colin Deaver of KTSM-TV on Sunday, discussing how Notre Dame wound up in El Paso.  He also revealed the Yankee Stadium news.  Check it out below:

Now who is Notre Dame playing in the Bronx and when is that game taking place are the questions?

Notre Dame is set to open the season on Aug. 30 at Texas A&M before opening the home slate on Sept. 7 vs. Northern Illinois.

Oct. 5, Nov. 2, and Nov. 23 are currently Saturdays that remain open on Notre Dame’s 2024 schedule.  Stay tuned as this develops.

Related: Notre Dame’s entire 2024 schedule

USC projected to Sun Bowl by numerous outlets

The Sun Bowl is not remembered fondly by USC fans, but that’s where the Trojans could be heading.

The USC Trojans football team entered the season with College Football Playoff and Pac-12 title hopes. At season’s end, they are 7-5 and look to be on the outside looking in from any significant bowl games.

Caleb Williams likely won’t play as he prepares for the 2024 NFL draft, and the bowl projections for Lincoln Riley’s team vary quite a bit.

The Sun Bowl in El Paso has been one popular outcome for the Trojans. Both College Football News and Brad Crawford of 247Sports pegged them to go there. CFN had Duke as the opponent (who just lost Mike Elko to Texas A&M), and Crawford has Virginia Tech as the opponent. Here’s what Crawford wrote:

“Brent Pry and the Hokies demolished Virginia to reach bowl eligibility in Charlottesville, a step in the right direction for the program. There’s a chance Virginia Tech plays USC in bowl season for the only the second time ever as a result. With Caleb Williams not expecting to suit up in the bowl game for USC, bowl organizers aren’t as anxious to welcome the Trojans to one of the Pac-12’s top-tier matchups.”

The Sun Bowl certainly isn’t what fans or players hoped for after the Cotton Bowl a year ago.

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ChatGPT ranks top 10 quarterbacks in Notre Dame history

Do you agree with these rankings?

No position in sports is more important than the quarterback. Notre Dame is lucky that it will have a good one this season in [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag]. Though his services only will be for one year, the potential for him to have a history-making season is high. With that will come high expectations.

But how will Hartman measure up to the great Notre Dame quarterbacks of the past? For that, let’s turn to AI writing tool ChatGPT and see what it believes is a fair list for the top 10 men under center to play for the Irish.

Keep in mind that ChatGPT has this disclaimer:

“Ranking the top 10 quarterbacks in Notre Dame history is subjective and open to interpretation, as different eras and playing styles contribute to individual greatness. However, based on their impact on the program, statistical achievements, and team success, the following list represents 10 notable quarterbacks in Notre Dame’s storied history.”

And this one:

“Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and there are many other talented quarterbacks who have contributed to the Notre Dame football legacy. The rankings can vary depending on personal opinions and criteria used to evaluate their performances.”

On that, here is the list with some entries edited for clarity and accuracy:

USC, UCLA are ready for the Big Ten: Trojans and Bruins join Michigan, Ohio State as flops in bowl season

USC, Michigan, Ohio State and UCLA all scored 35+ points and lost their bowl games. USC and Michigan both scored 45 points and lost. They’re in the same #B1G club.

The USC Trojans are headed to the Big Ten in 2024.

However, the last few days were not very kind to the Big Ten and the future teams heading to the conference.

UCLA lost to Pitt in the Sun Bowl in stunning fashion. Then, Ohio State and Michigan lost their respective College Football Playoff games as both teams’ defenses fell apart.

TCU defeated Michigan 51-45, and Georgia squeezed out a 42-41 victory. Then, USC’s defense collapsed again and Tulane won the Cotton Bowl, 46-45, in a shocker. 

Where do we even begin? All three of Michigan, Ohio State, and USC saw their defenses collapse on the biggest stages, and that is not a good look for the future of the Big Ten. Add UCLA, and it’s clear the Los Angeles schools are “ready” for their new conference, as you can see below:

North Carolina State announcer Gary Hahn suspended after ‘illegal aliens’ comment during bowl broadcast

North Carolina state announcer Gary Hahn has been indefinitely suspended for a comment made during the Duke’s Mayo Bowl broadcast

North Carolina State played Maryland in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Friday.

Radio announcer Gary Hahn was indefinitely suspended after the Wolfpack’s loss to the Terps for a comment he made during the broadcast.

While referencing the UCLA-Pitt game, Hahn said, “down among all the illegal aliens in El Paso it’s UCLA 14 and Pittsburgh 6.”

Per Newsobserver.com:

Hahn is an employee of Learfield Communications, the N.C. State broadcast rightsholder, and was disciplined by that company. N.C. State athletic director Boo Corrigan deferred comment to Learfield.

“Learfield has suspended Wolfpack Sports Network play-by-play announcer Gary Hahn from his agreement indefinitely following comments made during today’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl radio broadcast,” Wolfpack Sports Properties general manager Kyle Winchester said in a statement.

Hahn, the North Carolina Sportscaster of the Year in 2011 and 2020, has been the voice of N.C. State football and men’s basketball since 1991.

UCLA blows 14-point lead, then last-minute lead to Pitt in crazy, ridiculous Sun Bowl

Pitt 37, UCLA 35. The Bruins slip on a banana peel in El Paso and prevent the #Pac12 from getting six 10-win teams. The Bruins’ late-season collapse is complete.

Football games do not get any crazier or more absurd than the 2022 Sun Bowl. If you watched it, you won’t soon forget it.

Pittsburgh 37, UCLA 35. It was a mess. It was a trainwreck. It was silly and sloppy and just plain wild. It was a game which was unhinged for a very long time, and only kept getting more ridiculous and absurd as it went along, leading up to the climax, a winning field goal for Pitt with four seconds left into a directional wind. Kicker Ben Sauls was superb all day for Pitt. One could argue he was the best player in the game. He certainly delivered for the Panthers, who stunned a UCLA team which led 28-14 in the third quarter and yet couldn’t bring home a win.

Let’s take notes on what we just saw, with a lot of facts and figures plus some game details which have to be included for the public record if you didn’t see this game live on television:

UCLA vs Pitt Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl Prediction Game Preview

UCLA vs Pitt game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on Friday, December 30

UCLA vs Pitt prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, Friday, December 30

UCLA vs Pitt Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Prediction Game Preview

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UCLA vs Pitt How To Watch

Date: Friday, December 30
Game Time: 2:00 ET
Venue: Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX
How To Watch: CBS
Record: UCLA (9-3), Pitt (8-4)
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UCLA vs Pitt Sun Bowl 5 Things To Know

Sun Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

– UCLA had a great season right up until it whiffed its chance at something massive. It lost to Oregon, but had it not slipped up against Arizona it would’ve gone into the USC game with shot at the Pac-12 title and the College Football Playoff. Even so, it was a strong year under Chip Kelly that showed a whole lot of promise for the near future. Who’s going to be back from this season to play in this?

The skill guys are the question marks, but at the very least there aren’t going to be the massive losses suffered by …

– Pitt is going to be a shadow of its 2022 self. QB Kedon Slovis is off to BYU, but that’s not the big problem. The defense is totally gutted by opt-outs and missing parts – it’s going to be patched together with duct tape and a few prayers.

On the plus side, the team comes into this on a roll with four straight wins, a balanced offense, and a defensive system that starts aggressive and stays that way for a full four quarters.

– Last year’s Pitt team had to deal with some missing pieces, too. Kenny Pickett didn’t play in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against Michigan State, and it didn’t matter until late in the 31-21 loss. That’s just part of the program’s bowl woes – it’s been miserable over the last decade in these things.

It only won two of the last nine bowls, both wins were against MAC teams in one-score games, and just four of the losses were against Power Five programs. To take this further, Pitt is a rough 4-10 since beating Oregon State in the 2002 Insight.

– After having to tap out of last year’s Holiday Bowl at the last possible moment, this becomes UCLA’s first bowl game since losing to Kansas State in the 2017 Cactus. It hasn’t won a bowl since taking down the Wildcats in the 2015 Alamo after the 2014 season.

– Around since 1935, the Sun has lately been known more for the Frosted Flakes bath for the winner than the great games – and the games have been great. There was the canceled COVID year of 2020, but including last year’s stunning Central Michigan 24-21 win over Washington State, the last three and six of the last seven have been decided by a touchdown or less.

CFN Experts CFP, NY6, Dec 28-Jan 2

Why UCLA Will Win The Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

As of this moment, the UCLA star skill parts are playing. At the very least the passing game should be okay with QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and WR Jake Bobo likely to give it a go. In this, that might be enough.

Even if both teams were at full roster, Pitt would have a problem against the physical style UCLA plays – to a point.

The Bruin pass protection is just okay, but the offense finished the year third in the nation with a fantastic balance and ability to adapt and adjust on the fly. The Pitt run defense was outstanding all year, but the team was 3-4 when allowing more than 65 yards and 5-0 when it didn’t. Those numbers partly came from all of the plays behind made in the backfield.

UCLA’s low-rushing output of the season was 144 yards and hit 200 or more all but three times – it should get to 65 rushing yards after a drive or two.

More than anything else, again, Pitt is missing way too many key pieces. This won’t be the Panther team that was so good at times throughout the season. However …

Top 100 Bowl Players | Ranking Bowl Games So Far

Why Pitt Will Win The Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

Again, Pitt has a style that works.

Of course the players have to make it all happen, but the defensive system puts together waves of pass rushers in place to keep being disruptive. No matter who’s out there for the Pitt D, the production should be there to at least make UCLA rush.

Yes, the Panther offense has to be able to keep up, and it’s going to need to be creative, but more than anything else it has to avoid making huge mistakes and hope the defense can take care of the rest.

UCLA isn’t great at forcing takeaways, but it’s 9-1 when it comes up with at least one turnover and 0-2 when it doesn’t. Pitt is 2-0 when it doesn’t turn it over, 5-1 when it only gives it up once, and 3-3 when it turns it over multiple times.

And yes, the Pitt run defense really is that good. It’s the best in the ACC, no one in the conference did a better job at controlling the clock, and …

Sun Bowl Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History

NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, UCLA vs Pitt Prediction, Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl History

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Pac-12 Bowl Preview: UCLA has massive advantage against depleted Pitt

The UCLA Bruins’ best players aren’t opting out of the Sun Bowl. The Pittsburgh Panthers have some notable opt-outs. Better not whiff here, Bruins.

The UCLA Bruins are the last Pac-12 team to play a bowl game before Utah and USC play their own postseason games at the start of 2023.

Chip Kelly’s team faces Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl. The Bruins should be massive favorites in what could be a lopsided contest in El Paso, Texas.

Former USC QB Kedon Slovis has now transferred to BYU after just one year at Pitt, and the Panthers will also be without star running back Israel Abanikanda, wo has opted out to prepare for the 2023 NFL draft.

Abanikanda was the focal point of the Pitt offense, finishing with 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns, which led the FBS.

On top of that, seven other Pitt starters and significant players aren’t suiting up.

UCLA, on the other hand, will have Zach Charbonnet and Dorian Thompson-Robinson for this game despite the fact that both players are headed for the pros.

UCLA finished 14th in the nation in points per game (39.6), 6th in yards (507.8) and 11th in rushing yards (246.3), so this offense can put up points with the best of them.

That is huge for UCLA. The Panthers will decide between Nate Yarnell and Nick Patti at QB, although Pat Narduzzi said both players might see playing time.

A backup QB and backup RB for Pitt, and a loaded UCLA offense should tilt this heavily in the Bruins’ favor.

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Pac-12 has the table set for a bowl game feast — will it eat?

We talked to @MarkRogersTV at the @VoiceOfCFB about the #Pac12’s favorable bowl matchups. Can the conference take full advantage this coming week?

The Pac-12 might not take advantage of its bowl matchups. We will have to wait and see. Yet, on paper, the matchups certainly look good for the conference, which has split its first two bowl games this postseason.

Oregon State won the Vegas Bowl. Washington State lost the L.A. Bowl. Now we move to the five remaining bowls for the Pac-12. They’re all favorable for the conference.

Oregon should roll up the points against North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl.

UCLA faces an undermanned Pitt team in the Sun Bowl.

Washington gets to play Texas in the Alamo Bowl with Texas running back Bijan Robinson out of the Longhorns’ lineup.

USC faces Tulane in the Cotton Bowl.

Utah goes up against Penn State and its average quarterback, Sean Clifford, in the Rose Bowl.

The Pac-12 should definitely go 4-1 in those games, if not 5-0 … at least if the conference is as good as we think it is.

We had more to say with Mark Rogers at The Voice of College Football.

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Best bets for every bowl game, Pt. 2 (pre-New Year’s Six bowls)

Part 2 of our best bets for bowl season.

After a day off, bowl season picks right back up on Monday with the Quick Lane Bowl between New Mexico State and Bowling Green. That means its time for me to pick things up where I left off in Pt. 1 of my best bets for bowl season.

For those who tailed my previous picks, it’s been a good time. I’ve been picking a lot more winners than losers, and I hope to keep the good fortune on my side for 16 more bowl-game picks all the way up until the first NY6 bowl on Friday night.

Before we get into the picks, here’s a look at where things stand: