Bryan and Ryan make their predictions for the matchup between Notre Dame and Northern Illinois
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And the only thing that was different is I thought Notre Dame would pull away late. I just thought it would be earlier than what it was. I thought it'd be more maybe late third, early fourth, as opposed to the last six minutes where you needed a defensive stop where A&M could have taken the lead to do it. So I'm not surprised at the outcome. Obviously, you predicted an 11-point win. They won by 10. I just thought Notre Dame would maybe put him away just a little bit sooner. But for the most part, the game went exactly how we kind of thought it would go. It's two great defensive football teams. I would argue three great defensive minds involved in it with Elko Freeman and, of course, Al Golden. But overall, I thought the game played out how we thought it would for the Irish. Yeah, I think on the prediction show last week, I had said that I thought it was going to be a dog fight for three quarters, and then Notre Dame was going to have a drive in the fourth. That was going to be the separator. They're going to end up winning by I had 11 points and then I see it ended up being 10. So the score was a little off, obviously, 2018, compared to 2013. But regardless, like I did see it being a very competitive game throughout the majority of the game and then Notre Dame's offense was finally able to break through in the fourth quarter and they broke through. So ultimately, the storyline was similar. Just the score was a little bit off. So Ryan, without further ado, it's time for us to make our previews and predictions for this upcoming game against Northern Illinois. So first of all, tell me what your score is and then tell me how you see the game playing out. I ended up picking Notre Dame 44 to 17 is my final score prediction. I think that when I when I look at this game, I actually think that Notre Dame fans probably and I don't know if I'm going to be on the message board to see kind of the hysteria that's on there if Northern Illinois scores an early touchdown or two, right? But I do think that this is a first down, Ryan. People are going to lose their minds based on how the chat went last week. I'm telling you, man, this offense is not is a good unit for Northern Illinois and has some playmakers on it. So I actually believe that it's going to be kind of a close-ish game in the probably the early second quarter. Like, I can see this game even going to like 21 10 at halftime 24 10 at halftime where you're just kind of like seriously, man, like, let's get going here. And then Notre Dame ultimately does get going in the second half and the defense kind of stifles a little bit. So I think there's going to be an early score or two. I think Northern Illinois is going to be one of those just annoying teams in the first half. And then ultimately, Notre Dame is going to make a bunch of explosives throughout the game. And I think the depth more than anything is really going to just be the difference in the end. So 44 to 17. I think ends up being a quality victory for Notre Dame. I think you see some of the elements that you want to see as far as some explosives in the passing game and the defense climbing down in the second half. But I do think that this is the Northern Illinois team that can score a little bit early in the game. That's going to just be a little bit frustrating for some fans. Prize picks is America's number one daily fantasy sports app with over 5 million active members. Prize picks is the easiest and most exciting way to play daily fantasy sports. Unlike other apps on prize picks, it's just you against the numbers. 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I think the experience that guys like Drake Bowen and Kingston and Jaden Alsbury and Christian Gray and the Don's when we got last week is I'm going to make them even more effective in this particular game so I do think Northern Illinois will make some some plays early to get some points going I do I will not be shocked if they get a first quarter score in this game but I think their name settles in pretty quickly. The big thing for me though is I actually think this offense is going to have a good start right and that's where it comes down to for me and I don't think Northern Illinois's offense is going to have much of a chance to really keep them in this game if they fall behind early that is that they want to be balanced they want to run the ball play action movement they don't want to sit there and drop back and throw the ball all over the field that is not there that's not their wheelhouse. And if Notre Dame jumps on them early then I think that puts them behind the eight ball and makes life a little bit easier for the Notre Dame defense and that's kind of how I see this game playing out a little bit Ryan so not quite the dominating margin of victory that maybe some people are thinking I actually have that the spread area you have them very close to a point under 27 right so I think the spread is fair about where Notre Dame should be could I see they're putting even more on them I could. Because of the athleticism difference that's really the big thing for me if the Notre Dame offense does really get hot. I could see this one getting really ugly because I think there's a much bigger gap on athleticism between the Notre Dame offense and the text Northern Illinois defense then then the other way around. I know we don't really talk about you know sports betting on this show obviously and we're definitely not going to give advice but even before I didn't know what the spread was and I predicted the score prediction and then I went and looked and it was like 28 and a half I was like wow I think that line is perfect. I really do I think that that is a very good line which is why the people in Vegas make money obviously but yes I think that that spread is perfectly on right on cue and I ended up picking them by 27 which was right in the shouting distance of the line even before so I think it was pretty spot on. So Ryan you have made a prediction of 44 to 17 right yeah so if the game plays out how you think it's going to play out who gets your game balls on offense and who gets your game balls on defense. Offense I'm going to go a little bit off the wavelength here I'm going to go it's going to be a Jaden great house show especially in the first half I do think that the biggest. Maybe not the biggest but I think one of the big advantages Notre Dame has offensively versus defensively is I think the second level defenders are not very athletic for for Northern Illinois so I think Jaden great house in the slot position could create a lot of easy separation could find some stuff down the seam a little bit so I'm going to go Jaden great house with an explosive first half that helps lead Notre Dame to victory. It's funny you say that Ryan because I was that's one of the reasons I was contemplating going with Jeremiah love for my player the game, because I'm just envisioning some sort of angle route or wheel route or slide or screen like the screen he caught last week against saying M you know maybe this time it gets the corner because they just they're there and their safeties are very long smart quality football players they're not the most range explosive guys athletically either. And so I think a perimeter game is is where it's at I'm actually going to go Chris Mitchell. I think Chris Mitchell season is going to start almost like exactly like it did last year not quite the numbers the same Chris Mitchell had one catch for two yards in the opener last week went for like nine for 201 in the second game now that was against the team. Who's a quality FCS team this is a better team than that but I just feel like that the reason I'm really going here Ryan is because I believe that Notre Dame is going to want to push the ball down the field a little bit more this week and get that part of their game going. And I think that Chris Mitchell is going to be the biggest beneficiary of that. And so that's that's kind of where I went so well I kind of went in reverse order so I'm sorry, my head got a little mess up defensive game ball for you Ryan. I think our Treyori three sacks in this football game that's my guy I think that if there's a player that I look at and say is a true edge winner. I think RJ open could have been that conversation and I would like RJ to have a good game because he was pretty quiet against Texas A&M but I'm going to go. But a car Treyori break out at the Viper positions create a lethal one to punch with him and Jordan Patel. Hey Irish breakdown listeners it's Urban Meyer this fall the game changes join me Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and broadcaster Rob Stone as we bring you a new perspective on football and culture every week. We'll be joined by the biggest name in sports and talk about everything inside and outside of the lines. Let us guide you through a new era of college football. Watch triple option on YouTube or listen on Apple podcast Spotify or wherever you get podcasts. So I'm going Ryan my score is 41 13 as I mentioned I kind of went through already how I see the game playing out. I do think the learning offense gets off to a faster start this week I do think they hit some big plays running backs wide receivers I would love to see the tight ends get a little bit more involved in the past game this week I would I think that would be good too. So I think that's going to put Northern behind the eight ball and once this Notre Dame defense is able to pin their ears back and you lose any semblance of balance you have no chance against this Notre Dame football team. And so I actually think the the offense is going to really help out the defense this week. And this is going to be a good test for Northern Illinois to kind of to play against this kind of team and help prepare them for what I think is the potential to go make a run in the Mac this year it's going to be a very interim entertaining league this year in my opinion. But I just don't think if they had the kind of athletes on defense that Toledo had in the last few years then I think this team would would be a lot more dangerous to stay in a little bit longer I just think the lack of athleticism on on defense is going to be something that's going to put them and behind the eight ball a little bit early and allowed them to make some big plays and and I don't know that their defensive line has the kind of athleticism they need to disrupt Riley Leonard and bring him down. That that's going to be a big part of it so as long as the offensive line just kind of shows a little bit of growth compared to last week this should be a game that that gets over pretty quickly. And I say that after telling everyone how much I like this Northern Illinois team. I just think with the way Notre Dame played offense last week Mike Dembrock in this offensive unit are going to kind of have a little something to prove. And I just I don't think the matchup works great for Northern Illinois and my prediction is that Notre Dame's not going to just come out and play ground and pound against an inferior opponent I hope that I'm not wrong on that. But that's kind of how I see the game. See the game playing out so my game balls on offense already mentioned Chris Mitchell. And then my game ball on defense I'm going to go with in this particular I'm going Drake Bowen. I think this is a Drake Bowen game Ryan I think this is the game with with with you know the way that they play. I mean he's going to rack up a lot of tackles and and make a lot of stops this is a this is a middle line backers game. The way that they play offense this is a middle line backer game. I'm watching the film and I'm thinking dude. Drake Bowen and Kingston are going to have a lot of fun facing this offense a lot of fun facing this offense. Sir no doubt no doubt. All right Ryan well that's going to do it. Thank you for joining me today. I appreciate that. Say hi to the family for me and then we'll see you again Saturday after the game Ryan you'll be part of the post game show at Irish Breakdown. About five to ten minutes after the game you're going to join Vince and Ryan and Sean and the newly married Trevor. So no more single guys in our post game shows man it's all married folks now. So we're going to be ready to rock and roll. So I'm going to get to the national stuff here next. I want to thank Ryan for once again giving great insights and helping us preview the Notre Dame Northern Illinois game. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] At King Super's Pharmacy Care is making it easy to get vaccinated. Care is helping you stay protected from flu, COVID and RSV. Seasonal vaccines are available seven days a week with evening hours. 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