Where Notre Dame stands in latest bowl projections after beating Clemson
Likely the only deterrent to Notre Dame going somewhere warm for its bowl game – specifically Jacksonville, Orlando or San Diego – is a loss in the next two weeks against teams with a combined 5-13 record. The Irish are not above those, of course, but the defeats to Marshall and Stanford feel distant after a 35-14 win over then-No. 4 Clemson Saturday.
Notre Dame (6-3) has an 8-4 finish firmly in sight and 9-3 still possible after beating the Tigers. Either outcome should get the Irish to one of the ACC’s top three non-New Year’s Six Bowls: The Cheez-It (Orlando), Holiday (San Diego) and Gator (Jacksonville).
The post-Week 10 bowl projections are widely forecasting the same. Here’s a roundup of where the Irish appeared in notable prognostications.
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• The Athletic: Gator vs. Florida, Dec. 30 (Last week’s projection: same)
• ESPN (Mark Schlabach): Holiday vs. Utah (Last week: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Purdue)
• ESPN (Kyle Bonagura): Holiday vs. Utah (Last week: same)
• Action Network: ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Kentucky, Jan. 2 in Tampa (Last week: Gator vs. South Carolina)
• Sporting News: Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs. Minnesota, Dec. 30 in Charlotte (Last week: same)
• USA Today: Holiday vs. Utah (Last week: same)
• Athlon Sports: Gator vs. Florida (Last week: Gator vs. Kentucky)
• CBS Sports: Gator vs. Mississippi State (Last week: Gator vs. Arkansas)
BlueandGold.com says
• As always, a reminder on how Notre Dame’s bowl options work: It is eligible for any non-New Year’s Six ACC bowl if its record is within one game of the team that would otherwise be picked in that game. For example, Notre Dame could go to the Cheez-It Bowl at 8-4 if the best available ACC team when the Cheez-It Bowl picks is 9-3.
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• Notre Dame has never played in the Holiday Bowl, which was a long-standing Big Ten vs. Pac-12 game until last year. It has played Utah only once before, a 28-3 home win in 2010.
• The Gator Bowl has hosted Notre Dame three times, most recently in 2003 when the Irish lost to North Carolina State 28-6. The Irish have played Florida one time, a 39-28 win in the 1992 Sugar Bowl. They scheduled a home-and-home with the Gators in 2031 and 2032. Notre Dame has never played Mississippi State.
• Notre Dame has not played in the ReliaQuest Bowl – formerly known as the Outback Bowl – or faced Kentucky.
• The Duke’s Mayo Bowl has not hosted Notre Dame before. The Irish have faced Minnesota five times – all between 1925 and 1938 – and are 4-0-1 in those meetings.
