Notre Dame football: Athlon Sports preseason bowl projection

Nov 30, 2023

Notre Dame's 2023 season could go a variety of ways.

Perhaps Sam Hartman exceeds the hype, the offense goes wild and defense is better than assumed, and the Irish win 11 games and end up in the College Football Playoff.

Or perhaps things don't go as planned and six or seven wins becomes the reality – and Tyrone Willingham memories will be come to mind.

Or maybe there is a middle ground that sees the Irish short of the College Football Playoff and New Year's Six but still having won nine games or so. If that's the case where would Notre Dame end up?

Athlon Sports released their college football preview magazine and in it they had Notre Dame going 9-3. The bowl game they have the Irish headed to?

The Holiday Bowl in San Diego to take on Oregon State.

Notre Dame checked in 14th in the Athlon Sports preview rankings while Oregon State was No. 19. See the full rankings 1-40 here.

Oregon State won both games against Notre Dame – the 2001 Fiesta Bowl in blowout fashion and the 2004 Insight Bowl where the Irish were playing following the firing of Tyrone Willingham. Neither was particularly competitive.

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