Every win pushes Notre Dame closer to all but locking up a New Year’s Six bowl bid with an 11-1 record.
After defeating North Carolina 44-34 on Saturday, the No. 8 Irish sit at 7-1 with a remaining schedule that includes three games against sub-.500 teams and a trip to play a Virginia team that might not have its star quarterback because of injury. Predicting a 4-0 finish is hardly outlandish.
Most bowl projections are doing exactly that, and in turn, slotting Notre Dame in a New Year’s Six game. Here's a roundup of the national media bowl prognostications following Week 9.
ESPN
ESPN writers Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach predict Notre Dame will play in the Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Ariz.) on Jan. 1, though against different opponents. Bonagura predicts the Irish will play ACC champion Wake Forest (8-0, 5-0 ACC), while Schlabach forecasts Oklahoma State (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) as the opponent.
A bowl matchup between the Irish and Cowboys would be the first meeting between the two teams.
The Athletic
Like ESPN’s duo, The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel predicts Notre Dame to play in the Fiesta Bowl, but against Michigan (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten). Both teams would be at-large New Year’s Six bid recipients.
Sporting News
SN’s Bill Bender has a Notre Dame-Wake Forest New Year’s Six game in his predictions, but at the Dec. 30 Peach Bowl in Atlanta instead of the Fiesta Bowl.
CBS Sports
CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm put Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl against SEC at-large opponent Kentucky (6-2, 4-2 SEC). For this matchup to materialize, Kentucky would likely have to win the rest of its games. The Wildcats have lost two straight and sit at No. 18 in the Associated Press top 25.
Notre Dame and Kentucky have never played each other in football.
Action Network
Notre Dame plays Wake Forest in the Peach Bowl in Action Network’s Brett McMurphy’s projections. The Demon Deacons are Action Network’s predicted ACC champion.
Athlon Sports
Athlon’s Steve Lassan has Notre Dame playing Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl, with both teams earning at-large bids.
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