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Last week, the experts (and your author) all expected Notre Dame to cruise over Northern Illinois. Well, we all have some egg on our faces after the 16-14 upset by the Huskies.
So what are the experts saying about the Fighting Irish as they prepare to play Purdue in a game that could determine their College Football Playoff fate?
CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah has the Irish winning a close game in which Purdue will cover the spread. Why? In part because Boilermakers quarterback Hudson Card could play well if the Irish can’t get pressure, and in part because the Irish might be rattled by the loss to NIU.
“Many successful coaching tenures at Purdue were highlighted with historic wins over Notre Dame, and this certainly appears to be a fallible version. If the Boilermakers can protect quarterback Hudson Card, he represents one of the best quarterbacks the Fighting Irish will defend this season. Notre Dame will pull away for a victory, but Purdue will give the Irish their best shot,” he writes.
Both Kevin Sinclair and Football Scoop John Brice from Irish Illustrated have Notre Dame winning by a middling margin, pulling away from the Boilermakers after the game will be close most of the way.
Sinclair says it this way: “Notre Dame doesn’t wave a wand and fix its offense on Saturday but that unit will ride the coattails of a stout Irish defense all the way to a modest-margin win over Purdue.”
Brice: “I don’t recall consecutive eggs from Al Golden’s defense, nor do I believe the ND offense is as disjointed as seen last week. Hell, I think Riley Leonard can even finish out this game and move the Irish deeper into their slate. ND’s defense and/or special teams either score or set up a 30-yard type of field. Leonard gets two passing touchdowns.”
Finally, we have The Athletic’s Pete Sampson doing the same, with the Irish winning…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/heres-experts-saying-notre-dame-215141300.html
Author : Fighting Irish Wire
Publish date : 2024-09-13 21:51:41
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