Tyler Buchner addresses underdog mentality created by Las Vegas odds

Notre Dame is going into its Week 1 matchup against Ohio State as big underdogs. According to BetMGM, the Irish opened as a 17.5-point underdog. Maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise. Notre Dame comes into the game with a first-year head coach in Marcus Freeman and a first-time starting quarterback in Tyler Buchner.

At the same time, it’s only right for the Notre Dame players to feel insulted and compete with a chip on their shoulders. While speaking with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, Tyler Buchner explained how those Vegas odds have actually created an underdog mentality for the Irish.

“You know, I think it’s a lot of points,” Tyler Buchner said. “You know, I don’t know.”

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“I think I sort of see his [Marcus Freeman] motivation. A lot of guys on the team sort of see it as like a little bit of disrespect, almost. And, you know, I don’t really pay much attention to that stuff, but when he brought it up in the team meeting it sort of came to my mind and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. That’s a lot of points.’ I don’t really, I mean personally, I don’t think it should be that many points.”

Tyler Buchner is a sophomore quarterback who was a consensus four-star recruit in the Class of 2021. He played sparingly during his true freshman season, showing off his impressive dual-threat ability.

Marcus Freeman has bulletin board material

Tyler Buchner isn’t the only one at Notre Dame who is getting some usage out of the Vegas spread. Marcus Freeman also said that the spread is going to help motivate the Irish when they take on the Buckeyes.

“I didn’t know that. I’m gonna write that down,” said Marcus Freeman. “You said 17.5 points, right? We’ll use that in a team meeting today. It’s good to know.”