For perhaps the first time, Notre Dame’s season-long hopes are lower than its opponents in a Shamrock Series matchup. No. 16 BYU (4-1) can still reach just about every goal in front of it at the start of the season, though perhaps getting into the Playoff may be a bit much.
At the very least, the Cougars can finish their final season as an independent in a New Year’s Six bowl. But they’d most likely have to upset the Irish (3-2).
To get an idea of BYU’s mindset heading into Las Vegas (7:30 ET; NBC), let’s chat with Jared Lloyd of The Daily Herald in central Utah. DF: BYU remains intriguing from a national perspective, despite perhaps playing with its food a bit against Wyoming and Utah State.
Neither game was genuinely in doubt in the second half, so a possible lack of focus certainly did not cost the Cougars. Have you caught a sense of such?