Brett McMurphy has put out his 2021 NCAA College Football bowl predictions and they are sure to catch the ire of Notre Dame football fans everywhere. McMurphy has the Fighting Irish schedule to play in the Cheez-It Bowl against the Texas Longhorns on December 29th in Orlando, Florida with the Longhorns being favored by three points.
Notre Dame most recently played in the Cheez-It Bowl after the 2019 season against Iowa State. While the matchup with the Longhorns would be much more noteworthy due to the matchup of two iconic brands in the college football world, what will concern Notre Dame fans is what this bowl slot typically means for the type of season Notre Dame had.
Slotting into the Cheez-It bowl would mean the Irish went 9-3 during the season, or as they did in 2019, went 10-2 with a terrible second loss on their resume and they could not rise above #15 in the playoff rankings. This lower bowl selection also aligns with some reduced optimism for the Notre Dame season coming out of Las Vegas, where Notre Dame’s win total is now predicted at eight games. For a program coming off a playoff appearance, four straight 10 win seasons (and 5 in the last 6), an eight-win campaign, and a bowl game in a bad time slot in Orlando are less than ideal.
Notre Dame kicks off its 2021 season on Sunday, September 5th at Florida State in what many are saying could be a tricky game for the Irish as they break in a new quarterback and many new faces on defense.
Come join all the College Football talk this year on the Chicitysports Forums!
