Notre Dame football bowl projections still spotty

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Chris Tyree (4) catches a pass for a touchdown in the third quarter against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Chris Tyree (4) catches a pass for a touchdown in the third quarter against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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The projections on just where the Notre Dame football team is going bowling this winter are a bit all over the place and mostly in minor spots.

Despite a massive win against the USC Trojans, it looks like the Fighting Irish need to do a bit more to convince prognosticators they deserve to go to a New Years 6 bowl game.

The latest set of projections obviously has the Notre Dame football team going to a bowl. After all, they’ve already won the minimum number of games needed in order to see the postseason.

The question now is why their wins against Duke and USC aren’t enough to get them to a really juicy game. Just what games they will play in depends on who exactly is doing the prognosticating.

ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura has the Notre Dame football team slated to head to the Gator Bowl. The Irish will take on the Florida Gators in that particular game, which does offer a level of intrigue. The Irish and the Gators haven’t faced off since January 1, 1992. Notre Dame football emerged victorious 39-28 in the Sugar Bowl.

Meanwhile, Mark Schlabach believes the Fighting Irish are headed to the Holiday Bowl to take on the Oregon State Beavers. The two teams last squared off 19 years ago when they met in the 2004 Insight Bowl. Before that they went head-to-head in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl. Notre Dame won both contests.

Notre Dame football bowl projections all over the map

CBS Sports and Athlon Sports both have the Irish going to the lowly Pop Tarts Bowl. One organization believes the Golden Domers will take on Kansas while the other thinks it will be Kansas State.

It’s safe to assume that either opponent in that particular game would be more than a little disappointing for Notre Dame football fans. Most are still holding out hope a New Years Day 6 bowl is in the works, but it appears Marcus Freeman’s squad needs to do a bit more in order to get there.