Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com JANUARY 2022 39 GAME PREVIEW: OKLAHOMA STATE Senior linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez led the Big 12 with 112 tackles and was a first-team all-conference selection. PHOTO COURTESY OKLAHOMA STATE ATHLETICS Todd D. Burlage: Notre Dame 20, Oklahoma State 17 Predicting bowl games becomes difficult because it requires measuring each of the two teams' level of motivation. And wanting very badly to win its first game with Marcus Freeman as its new head coach, No. 5 Notre Dame (11-1) holds the advantage over No. 9 Oklahoma State (11-2) in this category. The Irish will be dealing with the opt-outs of two All-Americans and its best player on each side of the football — running back Kyren Williams and safety Kyle Hamilton — but Notre Dame is still the deeper, more balanced and more motivated team. Freeman gets his first Gatorade shower at Notre Dame with a win in a defensive battle. Steve Downey: Notre Dame 23, Oklahoma State 16 These days, non-playoff bowl games often come down to a matter of motivation. One has to believe the Fighting Irish will have that in spades after Brian Kelly's abrupt exit and Marcus Freeman's hire. The energy and excitement surrounding the program since Freeman took over has been palpable, and after watching the viral video of the team enthusiastically greeting their new coach you have to believe they are plenty motivated to perform well for him. The Irish will need freshman Logan Diggs to do his best Kyren Williams impression — which doesn't seem unreasonable — to help slow down the Cowboys' top-ranked pass rush. Another key will be Freeman's defense gen- erating pressure and creating havoc plays. The Irish ranked 14th nationally in takeaways (23) and 19th in turnover margin (plus-nine). That could be the difference in what figures to be a relatively low-scoring game. Patrick Engel: Notre Dame 22, Oklahoma State 17 This game will reveal just how much Notre Dame's offense — particularly the offensive line — has grown since Oct. 2. The on-field results from the last seven games shouldn't be diminished, but the Cowboys' defense and front seven are unlike anything the Irish have seen in that stretch, even without coordinator Jim Knowles. If this game reveals the offense's second-half surge was more a product of leaky defenses than its own growth, it will be a tough 60 minutes. I'm of the belief there is real growth, though, and that will be enough to clear 20 points. The way Notre Dame's defense is playing, that ought to be enough. Tyler Horka: Notre Dame 21, Oklahoma State 20 The Irish have relied heavily on Kyren Williams this season. He has scored touchdowns in eight straight games and has crossed the goal line 17 times this season. Sophomore Chris Tyree and freshman Logan Diggs have big shoes to fill against an Oklahoma State defense that is one of the best in the country, but I think they will do just enough to survive Williams' absence. The real key on that side of the ball is going to be keeping quarterback Jack Coan upright against the nation's No. 1 defense in sacks (55). If the Irish offense line can protect him against a relentless Cowboys front seven, Coan will make just enough plays to squeak out a victory. It could come down to the Irish defense having to make one final stop against the Pokes' offense, and I like the odds in that matchup with the game on the line. Mike Singer: Notre Dame 21, Oklahoma State 19 The Cowboys lose their defensive coordinator. The Irish will be without their best offensive player and have a first-time head coach. I think it will be a low-scoring, sloppy, but exciting football game that Notre Dame will win by a narrow margin. The Freeman Era in South Bend will start out with a Fighting Irish victory in a major bowl game. Staff Predictions