How Notre Dame win over Syracuse helped Irish in bowl projections
Notre Dame’s 41-24 win over then-No. 16 Syracuse removed nearly all doubt about being bowl eligible. The Irish moved to 5-3 with the win and need to beat just one of Boston College (2-6) or Navy (3-5) to make a bowl game.
All the bowl projections were already predicting that outcome, though. As a result, Notre Dame’s win over Syracuse boosted the Irish in the bowl prognostications with a 7-5 record now well within reach.
Here’s a look at Notre Dame’s predicted postseason destinations in the post-Week 9 bowl projections.
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• The Athletic: Gator Bowl vs. Florida, Dec. 30 in Jacksonville (Oct. 18 projections: Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs. Iowa)
• ESPN (Kyle Bonagura): Pinstripe Bowl vs. Purdue, Dec. 29 in New York (Week 8 projection: Pinstripe vs. Maryland)
• ESPN (Mark Schlabach): Holiday Bowl vs. Utah, Dec. 28 in San Diego (Week 8: Sun Bowl vs. Oregon State)
• Action Network: Gator Bowl vs. South Carolina (Week 8: ReliaQuest Bowl vs. South Carolina)
• Sporting News: Gator Bowl vs. Florida (Week 8: Duke’s Mayo vs. Minnesota)
• USA Today: Holiday Bowl vs. Utah (Week 8: Same)
• Athlon Sports: Gator Bowl vs. Kentucky (Week 8: Gator vs. Florida)
• CBS Sports: Gator Bowl vs. Arkansas (Week 8: Same)
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 Holiday Bowl at 7-5 if the best available ACC team when the Holiday Bowl picks is 8-4.
• The Holiday Bowl and Gator Bowl accounted for all but one of the eight projections listed. Four outlets moved them up in the ACC bowl tier. The Holiday and Gator bowls will be no lower than fourth in the selection process of ACC teams. The Orange Bowl takes the top-ranked non-playoff ACC team. The Cheez-It Bowl usually has the first pick after that.
• Notre Dame has never played in the Holiday Bowl. It has played Utah only once before, a 28-3 home win in 2010.
• Notre Dame last played in the Pinstripe Bowl in 2013, when it beat Rutgers 29-16. The Irish are 59-26-2 all-time against Purdue and most recently played the Boilermakers last season, winning 27-13. They are scheduled to play five more times this decade, with a 2024 game at Purdue up next.
• The Gator Bowl has hosted Notre Dame three times, most recently in 2003 when the Irish lost to North Carolina State 28-6. Notre Dame has never played Arkansas, but that’s only because COVID-19 scheduling changes postponed the start of a home-and-home in 2020. Notre Dame will play at Arkansas in 2025 and host the Razorbacks in 2028.
• Notre Dame has a 3-1 record against South Carolina but has not played the Gamecocks since 1984. The Irish have played Florida once – a 39-28 win in the 1992 Sugar Bowl. They are scheduled to play a home-and-home with the Gators in 2031 and 2032.
