For context, I’ve been searching for a college football team to support for years. I’m from Missouri so always kind of associated with Mizzou, but I wanted to PICK my own sports team for once not based on where I live. I’ve been playing college football 27 recently which made me look at every team and I sorta gravitated here. The uniforms are sick, I’m partly Irish and catholic, and it’s not a hugely “bandwagoned” team (from what I can tell). I don’t like teams that are just good at everything because that’s boring to me. I like the struggle and the ups and downs. What can you guys tell me about this football team that would make me fall for it even more? I’m interested to get to know this team, the culture, the history etc. Thank you for your time!

Heard that in some of the talk this week. Also reddit in generals seems to have a stick up their rear about the Irish skipping the bowl.

I dont really understand it. The news was put out that the team had a vote and decided against going. Why would anyone have a grudge against that exactly?

Its not exactly like a Kellogg Pastry snack is a time honored tradition in college football. Its not an insult to college football to skip what is basically a three hour commercial.

Redditors in general act like this is some sore spot where they try to beat us over the head with it. It doesnt make any sense why fans or the team would be embarassed about not attending something that, after this year, will not have any real meaning with the extended extended playoffs.

This is bothering the fk outta me.

I LOVE regular season college football. It means SOMETHING. Or it used to. Every week on the edge of your seat hoping your team can come out still undefeated. Hoping at the end of the season your team can at the very least have only 1 loss.

This will completely destroy the regular season. 3 & 4 loss trash teams with pu**y schedules will get into the Playoff now.

It's a GD clown show.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Welcome to the second half of Notre Dame’s season. It won’t feel like the first.

This weekend is what everyone has been waiting on since Notre Dame spent last January at home and “Leave no doubt” turned into a catchphrase. After a six-game runway of opponents that couldn’t keep up, the degree of difficulty for the Irish soars on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

When No. 2 Notre Dame (6-0) kicks off at No. 8 BYU (5-0), it will be an inflection point for what’s considered head coach Marcus Freeman’s most talented team, one that opened this season as a popular pick to win the whole thing. Either Notre Dame will be ready for this spotlight, with ESPN’s “College GameDay” on hand for a game that might be the biggest home date in BYU history, or it won’t. It’s hard to imagine an in-between.

“This isn’t something new to us,” Freeman said. “It’s a new environment … but this is what we do. I’m serious. This is what Notre Dame football does. We go into different places, and it’s a big game. That’s what we expect. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we choose to come to Notre Dame. We love this. I love it. They love it.”

Notre Dame has lost seven straight road games against top-10 opponents, a streak that dates back to its win at Oklahoma 14 years ago. It includes three losses on Freeman’s watch: at Ohio State in his first regular season game, at USC as Caleb Williams clinched the Heisman and at Miami in last season’s opener.

This game doesn’t feel like any of those, both in how Notre Dame has been constructed and what it’s facing. The Irish don’t have a first-year starting quarterback, a head coach learning on the job or a new defensive coordinator. Instead, it has All-America cornerback Leonard Moore (concussion) likely back along with defensive tackle Jason Onye (ankle). Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (thumb) has already been cleared to go. Notre Dame may not be entirely at full strength, but the Irish are getting closer.

On Saturday night, Notre Dame will get the chance to hit its stride with everyone watching.

Week 7 vs BYU hype video.

After all the crap I have seen and am seeing from all the talking heads you would think BYU is a combination of Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia and well …just the best team ever in the history of college football. I do hope we hang at least 50 on them and they get to play our 2’s and 3’s by end of the third quarter.

Also, Morgan Freeman was really great in Bruce Almighty. Here me out in this week's strange comparison: https://youtu.be/mgo5ky-WZTw

Welcome to the new Daily Irish Football Talk Thread!

You can post anything related to the current football season here. Maybe you don't feel like creating a new post but have a question about the team, maybe you had a thought about an upcoming opponent or maybe a player you wanted to talk about. All football talk is welcome here.

Go Irish!

*This is a scheduled post for Noon ET and default sort set to new.

Welcome to the Free Talk Friday Thread!

You can post just about anything here. Maybe you don't feel like creating a new post but have a question about the team, maybe you just graduated or got a new job and want to share. All is welcome here. Go Irish!

You should 100% stop by Sundance. I took this last shot of Timp with the fresh snow last night. It’s breathtaking. Pic doesn’t come close to doing it justice.

Also, feel free to stop by Thread Wallets tomorrow or Saturday. We’re on center street. Just show up in your Notre Dame gear and mention my handle and we’ll get you a free product. I do this with any visiting fan base.

I’ll put my other post in the comments recommending what to do in Provo. Only think I would add is Nico’s pizza and Mozz. Two of my favorites.

Excited for the game on Saturday! And go cougs!

Gonna vent here with fellow ND fans rather than the main CFB sub lol. Probably plenty enough going on there right now anyway.

I was a huge proponent of 12 vs 4, because I felt 1. Having a more expansive postseason would provide more high-level CFB to watch in December and January and 2. While I loved the idea that every game was important to playing for a title, I felt it was very ruthless in modern sports to basically kick out any team that stumbled once (or even just lost a player, like 2023 FSU).

But those same arguments I CANNOT use to justify 24. Feels like now the margin for error is so large that the regular season is going to be completely devalued too much. Proponents of 24 argue there will be more great games since teams can afford to lose, but will either team be fully committed to winning, especially if they are both locks? Are teams going to be resting players in the last game if they are guaranteed to get in?

And this won’t be high level CFB. It’ll be the top teams beating the rest, just like it is every single season. You can’t have Cinderellas in football. There’s too many pieces at play in a football game as opposed to, say, basketball. The variance just isn’t going to be there because the best teams are so loaded with talent that they can dominate the line of scrimmage or win on the edges with skill players more often than not.

A Miss St playing Oklahoma St in December would probably be awesome, and I think the first round of the the playoffs would mostly be enjoyable matchups. And maybe it’ll be good to have teams like this playing in a game that matters as opposed to the Pinstripe Bowl. But then the next round happens and it’ll be the same as it’s been in the 12 team (first round) - blowouts. And the drop off of the regular season doesn’t seem to be worth that to me.

Maybe this is old man yelling at cloud behavior (I’m not old but you know), but does anyone else think this is just making the sport worse?

There is history from last year’s bowl game, it’s our first true test, a top 8 matchup, but most importantly it sets up the Miami game.

I wrote about this in the pre-season and it is coming to life. I view this close to a must-win game even though we are undefeated and sitting at #2. Because if we lose, then our game against Miami could be an elimination game from the playoffs. A repeat of last season’s 2-game schedule. And I do not want the stress of that looming over the Miami game.

Some things have changed since I wrote this, such as Wisconsin and UNC possibly being stronger wins, but the theme is still there.

Why is no one talking about how awesome this will be. It will be incredibly entertaining. Probably better than the NFL playoffs. And whoever wins, truly beat the best teams 4 games in a row at the end of the season and actually deserves to win. The regular season still matters for seeding, obviously.

I feel like this is a dream come true. What am I missing from a spectators perspective?

The College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to expand to 24 teams, per ESPN sources. The new format will start in 2027 and is expected to come together in the near future, pending final approvals.

The CFP is finalizing a deal with ESPN to purchase the additional games through the 2031 college football season, which is the same length as ESPN’s current deal.

Fans may not like the 24 Team Format, but it is objectively a good thing for Notre Dame.

1. The Regular Season will get better (for us)

While other top brands may feel their games lose value with 9 game conference schedules, ND will now be able to schedule top competition on a yearly basis. Our AD was a central voice in ESPN negotiations over the format, clearly using this opportunity as a way to achieve better regular season games with other schools. More access to the CFP means less hesitation to play big games by others.

1. Reliable CFP Money on a yearly basis

ND is independent in an NIL world. We need every edge we can get and CFP money gives us an edge over the BIG/SEC who are forced to split it amongst themselves. While a potential 9-3 ND team may not be national championship caliber, it will help fund future teams that are.

1. More Security with the ACC Schedule Agreement

More CFP spots should help the ACC survive (longer). 10 win ACC teams are guaranteed a spot now which will help their image. We are stuck with the ACC agreement until 2037 so this should help keep our independence til then.

I've spent the better part of this week digging into Notre Dame vs. BYU, looking through advanced statistics, watching film breakdowns, and listening to analysis from both sides. I've also spent a fair amount of time trolling BYU fans on Twitter, but putting that aside, I think this is one of the most interesting matchups of the college football season.

I actually came away with more respect for BYU than I had going in, particularly its defense. That said, I think there are some significant matchup advantages for Notre Dame that aren't getting enough attention. I wrote a much longer preview (which I included the link to at the end) but here are a few things that stood out:

1. Notre Dame's offensive efficiency vs. BYU's defense

Notre Dame ranks second nationally in points per drive, third in offensive success rate, and third in EPA per snap. CJ Carr has been outstanding, and the Irish are coming off consecutive games rushing for 241 and 361 yards.

BYU's defense is legitimately good, allowing just 20 combined points against TCU and Iowa State over the last two weeks. The Cougars are also sixth nationally in defensive third-down conversion rate allowed, compared to Notre Dame's surprising ranking of 71st in converting third downs offensively.

But there's an interesting wrinkle here. Notre Dame ranks sixth nationally in fewest third downs faced and has scored ten touchdowns on drives without ever facing a third down. The Irish have been so efficient on first and second down that they often don't need to convert third downs to sustain drives.

So if Notre Dame can continue to avoid third downs, particularly third and long, they will be able to avoid one of BYU's strengths. Conversely, if BYU can force the Irish into third down situations, they might be able to get the Irish off the field at a higher rate than we've seen this year.

I think that early-down battle is going to be one of the biggest factors in this game.

2. BYU's aggressive blitzing could be a double-edged sword

BYU blitzes on 44.6% of defensive snaps-- third most nationally-- yet ranks just 91st in pressure rate and 66th in sack rate. The Cougars use smaller, quicker defensive ends and frequently loop them inside through gaps created by their blitz packages. It's a creative scheme that relies on confusion and movement rather than simply overpowering offensive linemen.

Notre Dame's offensive line, meanwhile, averages approximately 315 pounds, with three starters standing 6'7". If the Irish communicate effectively and handle those stunts, I think their size and physicality could become a major advantage, especially running counter against an aggressive defensive front.

Carr has also been exceptional against the blitz, completing 23 of 29 passes for 325 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions through September.

That doesn't mean BYU can't get home. Carr has occasionally locked onto his pre-snap read and made some questionable throws (think the Purdue pick and that slant last week that Stanford's DB dropped), and the Cougars have the personnel to punish those mistakes. But I think Notre Dame is much better equipped to handle this defensive approach than most of the offenses BYU has faced.

3. The Bear Bachmeier problem

I've joked all week that Bear Bachmeier is a glorified fullback. Obviously, he's much more than that, but at 230 pounds, the guy is certainly built like one. He's an absolute load to bring down, isn't afraid to lower his shoulder, and has shown he can carry BYU's offense with his legs when necessary.

The problem is how much BYU might need him to do that on Saturday.

Without LJ Martin, BYU's running backs combined for just 54 yards on 17 carries against Iowa State. Bachmeier rushed for 109 himself, accounting for more than 60% of the Cougars' rushing production. Notre Dame is allowing just 58.3 rushing yards per game, 2.1 yards per carry, and 11 points per game. The Irish have allowed only one rushing touchdown all season.

And while Bachmeier can certainly deliver some punishment himself, those body blows work both ways. Taking repeated hits from guys like Boubacar Traore, Bryce Young, Adon Shuler, and Drayk Bowen is going to add up over four quarters. Even if he breaks a few tackles and picks up some tough first downs early, I question how sustainable that approach is against Notre Dame's size, physicality, and depth.

The Irish don't necessarily need to completely shut down his rushing ability. They just need to make him earn every yard, and I think those hits will start taking their toll as the game progresses.

4. BYU absolutely has a path to victory- but a narrow one

I don't want to make it sound like I'm dismissing the Cougars. BYU has an excellent defense, a dangerous quarterback, and some interesting advantages offensively.

Notre Dame ranks just 91st nationally in third- and fourth-down conversion rate allowed, while BYU ranks 35th offensively. The Cougars are also fifth nationally in converting scoring opportunities into touchdowns, and they have some enormous receiving targets who can create problems downfield.

Notre Dame's secondary has been excellent overall, but the Irish have had a couple of busted coverages this season. Bachmeier is capable of exploiting those mistakes, particularly if he can extend plays outside the pocket.

If BYU forces a couple of turnovers, connects on some explosive passes, and keeps this a low-possession game, I can absolutely see the Cougars stealing it late. Notre Dame fans have unfortunately seen that movie before.

On the other hand, if Notre Dame gets ahead early and forces Bachmeier into obvious passing situations, I think things could get ugly quickly. BYU's offense isn't particularly well-equipped to help erase a multiple-score deficit against this defense.

My prediction: Notre Dame 27, BYU 13

I know predicting a 14-point victory on the road against an undefeated top-ten opponent sounds aggressive. But in all honesty, I initially predicted a 28-7 win for the Irish before doing my research.

After looking at BYU’s advanced statistics, I actually have more respect for the Cougars than I did when I started. Their defense is legitimate, Bachmeier is dangerous, and Notre Dame has some vulnerabilities that could make this a very competitive game. To top it off, my personal Power Ratings have this game at just Notre Dame -8.5 after accounting for home-field advantage.

But I still think the matchup favors the Irish. Notre Dame ranks first nationally in defensive pressure rate against Power Four competition, fifth in pressure rate allowed, third in offensive success rate, and sixth in defensive success rate. Those are the kinds of numbers I trust when evaluating whether a team can consistently control a football game, even on the road. Run game travels. Defense travels.

I expect BYU to slow down Notre Dame’s offense to an extent, and I don’t anticipate another 40-point performance from Carr and company. But I think the Irish have enough offensive line talent and enough versatility through the air to eventually find success.

Defensively, I expect Notre Dame to make BYU’s conventional rushing game largely irrelevant. That doesn’t mean Bachmeier won’t make plays, and I fully expect him to connect on a few impressive throws. But I don’t think he can consistently carry the entire offense against this defensive front.

I think Notre Dame has a considerably simpler path to victory: win the trenches, protect the football, contain Bachmeier, and force BYU to become one-dimensional.

I expect a physical, relatively low-possession game in which BYU’s defense keeps things competitive early. Bachmeier makes a few plays, the Cougars get on the board early, and the crowd is rocking. I can see the score being something like 13-6 at halftime, with the game in the balance. But just like in their games against Wisconsin and North Carolina, Notre Dame’s big O-line will gradually lean on the smaller BYU front and take control on the ground as the game progresses. Eventually, Walton will break a game-clinching run, and a 4th quarter score by Bachmeier is too little too late. The Irish remain undefeated and move on.

If you liked this- I wrote a much more detailed preview covering six X-factors, best- and worst-case scenarios for both teams, and the full reasoning behind my prediction and betting pick. If anyone's interested, you can read the full thing here:

https://quaketakes.substack.com/p/notre-dame-vs-byu-preview?r=8xw0f3&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

We learn the most about our team when we are tested. I want the exciting matchups. I want the big game feel more than twice a year. I’d rather see what we can do against good teams in season rather than wait until the playoffs and find out we just aren’t good enough. Its a win for the fans. Its good for the recruiting trail. Most importantly, it’s good for building a long-lasting program that can win the big games. Im all for it.