Aer Lingus College Football Classic – Notre Dame v Navy
Notre Dame will cap its 2023 season in the Sun Bowl today against No. 19 Oregon State, a rare top-25 matchup outside of the New Year’s Six bowls held in the second-oldest bowl game.
There may have been some early-December consternation about what bowl game the No. 16 Irish (9-3) ended up in, but the realities were simple: A trip to El Paso represented the most established bowl game available to Notre Dame and the Beavers (8-4) were the best possible opponent in those games.
Those are facts, simply enough.
“I remember growing up as a kid and hearing about the Sun Bowl,” Irish head coach Marcus Freeman said Thursday. “… The tradition, the respect of this game is something you’re humbled to be a part of.”
Even with the inevitable bowl-season opt-outs and numerous players entering the transfer portal for both teams, this afternoon’s tilt in the Sun Bowl was the best possible destination for the Irish.
TV: CBS has broadcast the Sun Bowl since 1968, the rare postseason college football game that does not land on ESPN, perhaps another argument in favor of the trip to El Paso.
Do not be too shocked if the broadcast begins with the chimes that too many associate with the “SEC on CBS” broadcasts. That is a CBS anthem, not something belonging specifically to the SEC.
For that matter, Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson will be in the booth for the broadcast, another piece of college football too often solely ascribed to the SEC when they actually have greater reach.
TIME: A 2:00 ET kickoff is noon local in El Paso, a piece of Texas in the Mountain Time zone, a somewhat subtle underscoring of how big that state really is. The last time Notre Dame played in the Sun Bowl, back in 2010, the game was held on New Year’s Day Eve, which undoubtedly created some…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/notre-dame-vs-oregon-state-103000697.html
Author : NBC Sports
Publish date : 2023-12-29 10:30:00
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