“After watching Spencer Sanders throw it around to the other team too many times in the Big 12 Championship Game, I’m not confident Oklahoma State will be able to move the football as much as the Cowboys need against the Fighting Irish. Oklahoma State, for its part, can’t move the football consistently. It’s a good offense with a great defense. Notre Dame is dealing with a lot of transition right now – coaching shuffles and some of its best players opting out – but I also just see Notre Dame as a more balanced team. And I think the Irish are going to play hard in Marcus Freeman’s debut as head coach. “Sometimes bowl season is all about which teams enter motivated. This one is anyone’s call, but I’m going to bet on coaching experience and defense and give the Pokes my nod in this game.”īrad Crawford and Chris Hummer, 247Sports Mike Gundy aims to finally eclipse the hump that OSU has been climbing – seemingly forever – and their success will depend on the performance of Sanders. Marcus Freeman, the architect of the Irish’s opportunistic defense and coordinator, has been promoted to the head position in the wake of Brian Kelly’s departure for LSU. The Pokes are slightly superior in scoring defense than the Irish but are leagues above in both rushing and passing defenses, even considering their superior strength of schedule rating. Oklahoma State runs the ball more efficiently, but quarterback Spencer Sanders is like trying to domesticate a tiger to be a house pet: He might be an awesome companion, or he might just bite your arm clean off. Offensively, the Irish score more often and toss the ball with more consistency. Even among the downtrodden ACC (where ND plays several games), their scores weren’t impressive unless it was against awful teams, and they played a few.
Notre Dame is famously independent and free of poor-school problems like playing in a conference or having to regularly face good opponents or share television revenue. The Irish drag in a similarly unimpressive resume despite having lost only once, to playoff qualifier Cincinnati. Offensively, they’re capable of fireworks, but more often, their defense has been the stalwart of their success. Their nonconference slate was softer than a campaign promise, and the Cowboys survived all their cupcake competition by a combined 13 points. Despite an impressive conference record, this team is difficult to figure out. The Pokes suffered one agonizing stumble in Ames against the Cyclones by three points. … OSU exorcised their demons this season by beating big brother Oklahoma during Bedlam in Stillwater. “The first of two Big 12 representatives in marquee bowls on New Year’s Day. The Cowboys are always a tad hit-or-miss under Mike Gundy in bowl games, but that D is about to hit very, very hard.” Freeman won’t allow it with the Irish, and Oklahoma State will try to make amends for the – let’s just call it what it was – gack in the Big 12 Championship. Both teams were just this close to being in the College Football Playoff, but don’t expect any letdown. Let’s look at what some college football experts, including those on our sister wire sites, are predicting for this game:Įric Bolin, : Oklahoma St A victory would go a long way in giving the Irish confidence for the 2022 season. All eyes will be on Marcus Freeman in his first game as head coach of this legendary program. It can snap that skid against Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day. Notre Dame hasn’t won a major bowl in over a quarter of a century.