Greg McElroy makes pick on Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M

Notre Dame fell to Miami in Week 1. After a bye in Week 2, the Fighting Irish return to action this weekend in South Bend against Texas A&M, and Greg McElroy is watching with a keen eye.

The former Alabama quarterback recognizes it’s essential that Marcus Freeman’s team avoids a second straight loss. Falling to the Aggies could all but end their chances of returning to the College Football Playoff.

At the moment, oddsmakers favor the Irish. According to BetMGM, Notre Dame is a 6.5-point favorite, with -220 moneyline odds compared to +180 for the Aggies. The over/under is set at 50.5 points. McElroy made his pick on the latest episode of his Always College Football podcast.

“This game’s betting trend: Notre Dame is 16–5 against the spread versus ranked teams under Marcus Freeman, including 16–4 since his first full season in 2022. I’ll take Notre Dame,” McElroy predicted. “I think they’re going to commit to running the football. I think they’re going to play man coverage, play defense, and I think they’ll find some run lanes to let Jeremiah Love get into the open field.”

Starting 0-2 would be a nightmare scenario for Notre Dame, but the McElroy and the Irish can take confidence in the team’s recent history with the Aggies. Last season, they went to College Station and came away with a 10-point victory, pulling away in the second half after the game was tied 6-6 at halftime.

Quarterback Riley Leonard didn’t have his sharpest performance, finishing 18 of 30 for 158 yards without a touchdown, but he contributed 63 rushing yards on 12 carries. The real difference came from the backfield tandem of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Love carried the ball for 91 yards and a score, while Price added 44 yards and another touchdown.

On the other side, Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman struggled against the Irish defense. He went just 12 of 30 for 100 yards with two interceptions, while adding only 26 rushing yards. The Aggies’ lone bright spot was running back Le’Veon Moss, who rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.

Now, the question is whether Notre Dame can bounce back from their opening loss or if Texas A&M will exact revenge for last year’s disappointment. Either way, both teams bring plenty of talent to the table, and South Bend is bracing for what should be a dramatic showdown, with McElroy riding with the Irish.

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