NOTRE DAME vs ALABAMA
When: 1/1/2021 4:00 PM
Where:

TV: 4:00 PM
LINE: -19.5
PREDICTION: ALABAMA , NOTRE DAME

Oddsmakers currently have the ALABAMA listed as -19.5 point favorites versus the NOTRE DAME, while the game’s total is sitting at 65.5.

It’s a huge mismatch on paper and No. 4 Notre Dame can only hope it doesn’t lead to another bad memory when it takes on No. 1 Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal on Jan. 1 at Arlington, Texas.

The powerful Crimson Tide, who have topped 50 points in each of the past three games, are overwhelming 19 1/2-point favorites in the contest, also known as the Rose Bowl after the game was moved from Pasadena to the Dallas area due to California’s COVID-19 protocols.

When the teams last met eight seasons ago in the BCS title game, Alabama trampled the Fighting Irish by scoring the first 35 points of a 42-14 romp. The Crimson Tide pummeled Notre Dame in the trenches, leading to a 265-32 edge in rushing yardage.

“We’re much better prepared than we were in 2012 in terms of the physicality on both lines,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said on a video call. “I think we have the ability to move the football, certainly.”

Notre Dame (10-1) doesn’t want to get into a shootout with the Crimson Tide, but it did top 40 points six times this season.

Its defense, which ranks 14th in scoring defense (18.6 points per game), was superb early in the season by limiting five of the first six opponents to 13 or fewer points. But it sprung many leaks down the stretch by allowing more than 30 in three of the last five games, including a 34-10 whipping at the hands of Clemson in last Saturday’s ACC title game.

“We’ve been humbled about the way we play,” said Kelly, “and this team has always come back with a resilience and an edge about them, and they will against Alabama.”

The Crimson Tide (11-0) topped 50 six times and averaged 49.7 points — second-best nationally — while being led by a trio of big-time performers.

DeVonta Smith has the opportunity to be the first receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since Michigan’s Desmond Howard in 1991. He has 98 receptions for 1,511 yards and 17 touchdowns. During last Saturday’s 52-46 win over Florida in the SEC title game, Smith (3,620 yards) passed Amari Cooper (3,463 from 2012-14) as Alabama’s all-time leader in receiving yardage.

Quarterback Mac Jones also is in the Heisman mix and has thrown for 3,739 yards and 32 touchdowns against four interceptions. Najee Harris has rushed for 1,262 yards and 24 touchdowns and also has three receiving scores.

“We’ve certainly been very productive on offense,” Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said on a video call. “This has been an unusual year for a lot of teams but I think our players have stayed focus on the right things amid a lot of abnormal things.”

The offensive fireworks aren’t just limited to the current season. Alabama has scored 35 or more points in a major-college record 24 consecutive games since losing to Clemson 44-16 in the CFP title game to end the 2018 season.

The Crimson Tide are 22-2 during the stretch but Saban isn’t much interested in hearing about how the semifinal matchup with Notre Dame is going to be some type of easy stroll in the park.

“I know they have a really good team,” Saban said on ESPN. “I know have a really good quarterback. They have a tough defense. They have some skilled guys who can make plays.

“You don’t win 10 games in a season without having really good players.”

Quarterback Ian Book has a 30-4 record as a starter for the Irish. He has passed for 2,601 yards and 15 touchdowns with only two interceptions in 314 attempts.

Book ranks second in school history with 8,719 yards and 72 touchdowns. Brady Quinn (2003-06) is the leader in both categories (11,762 yards, 95 TD passes).

Kyren Williams has excelled on the ground with 1,061 yards and 12 touchdowns for an offense averaging 35.2 points, which rates 22nd nationally.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had a team-best 11 tackles for loss and he was named winner of the Butkus Award on Monday as the nation’s top linebacker.

Malachi Moore has three interceptions for the Crimson Tide, who are 20th nationally in scoring defense (19.5).

The winner of this game will face either No. 2 Clemson or No. 3 Ohio State in the national championship game.

The post NOTRE DAME vs. ALABAMA 1/1/2021 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

IL-CHICAGO vs NOTRE DAME
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Where: Purcell Pavilion, South Bend, Indiana

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: -14
PREDICTION: NOTRE DAME , IL-CHICAGO

Oddsmakers currently have the NOTRE DAME listed as -14 point favorites versus the IL-CHICAGO, while the game’s total is sitting at 148.

Notre Dame looks to forget about a 2017-18 season that was derailed by injuries as it tips off the 2018-19 campaign by hosting Illinois-Chicago on Tuesday. The Fighting Irish were ranked as high as fifth last season before key injuries to Bonzie Colson, Matt Farrell and D.J. Harvey sent them spiraling into the NIT.

Colson and Farrell have graduated, meaning the Irish have lost their two top scorers (combined 36 points per game), their leading rebounder (Colson, 10.1) and their best set-up man (Farrell, 5.5 assists). Coach Mike Brey has built a system based on seniors leading the team but finds himself in an unfamiliar situation this season with five freshmen on the roster. Illinois-Chicago reached 20 wins last year for the first time since the 2003-04 season and finished third in the Horizon League with a 12-6 record. In postseason play, the Flames found themselves in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, where they lost in the final to Northern Colorado.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network

ABOUT ILLINOIS-CHICAGO (2017-18: 20-16): Illinois-Chicago had two key pieces of its 2017-18 team leave the program as Tai Odiase – the Horizon League’s Defensive Player of the Year and also the league’s all-time shot blocker – graduated and Dikembe Dixson, the team’s leading scorer at 14.2 points per game, went to play professionally in Lebanon. The backcourt should be considered Illinois-Chicago’s strength and will be led by junior guard Marcus Ottey, the team’s top returning scorer (13.8 points per game last season). Guard Tarkus Ferguson (10.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists) and Godwin Boahen, the Horizon League’s 2017-18 Sixth Man of the Year, will also be counted on to contribute heavy minutes.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (2017-18: 21-15): Notre Dame does have an impressive incoming freshmen class with four of the recruits ranked in the Top 100 for the 2018-19 recruiting class. Junior guard T.J. Gibbs was third in team scoring last season (15.3 points) and will be relied upon heavily at the offensive end, as will senior Rex Pflueger (8.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 32.9 minutes last year). Junior forward John Mooney (3.9 rebounds while averaging 15.4 minutes) and senior forward Elijah Burns (2.3 boards per 10.6 minutes) will be tasked with trying to replace Colson’s interior production at both ends of the court.

TIP-INS

1. Gibbs and Pflueger are the only returning starters from last season for Notre Dame.

2. The Fighting Irish are hoping 6-11 sophomore Juwan Durham can contribute as the former four-star recruit transferred to Notre Dame after just one season at Connecticut.

3. Illinois-Chicago struggled away from home in non-conference action last season, going 0-5 in true road games.

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 70, Illinois-Chicago 58

The post IL-CHICAGO vs. NOTRE DAME 11/6/2018 Free Pick & CBB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

VANDERBILT vs NOTRE DAME
When: 2:30 PM ET, Saturday, September 15, 2018
Where: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

TV: 2:30 PM
LINE: -14.5
PREDICTION: NOTRE DAME , VANDERBILT

Oddsmakers currently have the NOTRE DAME listed as -14.5 point favorites versus the VANDERBILT, while the game’s total is sitting at 52.

Notre Dame looks to make it three straight home wins to open the season as it hosts undefeated Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon. The eighth-ranked Fighting Irish are coming off an unconvincing 24-17 win over Ball State, while the Commodores are feeling confident after their 41-10 home win over Nevada last weekend.

The Irish were in the perfect position for a letdown game after their opening-weekend victory over Michigan and barely snuck away with the win against Ball State after being a 35-point favorite. “I obviously didn’t do a good enough job getting them up to play at the level they need to play,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly told reporters after the game. Vanderbilt outscored Nevada 24-0 in the second half to pull away as quarterback Kyle Shurmur went 23-of-32 for 258 yards and two touchdowns. “I thought Shurmur did a great job all day long. He really directed traffic. That’s who he is. That’s what he does,” Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason said after the game.

TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Notre Dame -14.

ABOUT VANDERBILT (2-0): Shurmur seems to have developed a nice rapport with receiver Kalija Lipscomb, as the junior has 14 catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns so far this season. The Commodores like to keep things fresh in the backfield as four running backs have touched the ball at least 10 times this season, with junior Ke’Shawn Vaughn leading the way with 20 carries for 130 yards and two touchdowns. The defense has been stellar as well, giving up just 17 points through two games, including holding Nevada to 10 points last week after the Wolfpack put up 72 in their season opener.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (2-0): In a game in which Notre Dame was expected to light up the scoreboard, it was a couple of defensive players that helped the Fighting Irish to a tight victory over the Cardinals. Junior safety Jalen Elliott had two interceptions to go along with seven tackles, while star linebacker Te’von Coney had 14 tackles, including three tackles for a loss, to bring his season total to 24. Quarterback Brandon Wimbush will need a bounce-back performance after going 17-of-31 for 297 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions last weekend.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Irish RB Tony Jones Jr. scored twice on only 13 carries (61 yards) against the Cardinals.

2. Notre Dame allowed Ball State to gain 349 offensive yards after holding Michigan to just 307 in the opener.

3. Vanderbilt has won eight in a row versus non-SEC teams.

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 28, Vanderbilt 17

The post VANDERBILT vs. NOTRE DAME 9/15/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

BALL ST vs NOTRE DAME
When: 9/8/2018 3:30 PM
Where:

TV: 3:30 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: NOTRE DAME , BALL ST

Oddsmakers currently have the NOTRE DAME listed as point favorites versus the BALL ST, while the game’s total is sitting at .

The post BALL ST vs. NOTRE DAME 9/8/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

MICHIGAN vs NOTRE DAME
When: 7:30 PM ET, Saturday, September 1, 2018
Where: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

TV: 7:30 PM
LINE: 1
PREDICTION: NOTRE DAME , MICHIGAN

Oddsmakers currently have the NOTRE DAME listed as 1 point favorites versus the MICHIGAN, while the game’s total is sitting at 47.5.

No.11 Notre Dame will host 14th-ranked Michigan on Saturday as one of the most storied rivalries in college football is set to resume after a three-year hiatus. The Fighting Irish have won at least 10 games in two of the previous three seasons and hope their Citrus Bowl victory against LSU serves as a springboard to their second straight win against Michigan, after routing the Wolverines 31-0 in the last meeting in the series in South Bend in 2014.

“We’re excited about it as this is something that Jim (Harbaugh) and I wanted to get back on the schedule,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly told reporters. “We think it’s great for college football and I know our kids and our coaches can’t wait for Saturday night.” Michigan looks to bounce back from a disappointing campaign, which saw the Wolverines drop rivalry games to Michigan State and Ohio State en route to an 8-5 record. There is plenty of optimism in Ann Arbor despite a three-game losing streak to end the season as Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson was granted a waiver for immediate eligibility. The former five-star recruit hopes to lead Michigan to its first road win against Notre Dame since 2010. “I understand the shoes that I have to fill with so many good quarterbacks who have come through here,” Patterson told reporters. “I’m so excited especially with the group of guys we have here.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Notre Dame -1

ABOUT MICHIGAN (2017: 8-5): Patterson, who threw for 2,259 yards and 17 touchdowns in seven games before a knee injury ended his season prematurely, beat out Brandon Peters for the starting job, but was stripped of a major weapon as No. 1 wide receiver Tarik Black was ruled out indefinitely with a fractured right foot. Michigan’s defense, which gave up 18.3 points per game in 2017, promises to be fearsome once again as nine starters return, including preseason All-Americans Rashan Gary, a defensive end who is a projected top-10 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and linebacker Devin Bush. Karan Higdon flirted with the NFL after rushing for 994 yards and 11 touchdowns last season and will form a dynamic duo with Chris Evans, who accounted for 842 total yards and seven TDs.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (2017: 10-3): Brandon Wimbush passed for 1,870 yards and 16 touchdowns to go along with another 803 yards and 14 TDs on the ground last season, and was named the starter after beating out Ian Book, who relieved him during the win against LSU and could see some action if Wimbush struggles. Tony Jones Jr. is likely to replace last season’s leading rusher Josh Adams, who bolted to the NFL after racking up 1,430 yards and nine touchdowns, while Dexter Williams’ status is unclear following speculation of a university imposed four-game suspension. Offensive lineman Robert Hainsey is expected to play on Saturday after missing two weeks of practice with a calf strain.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Notre Dame has won 25 of its last 31 season openers.

2. Michigan has won nine straight regular-season games against non-conference opponents under Harbaugh.

3. The Fighting Irish have won five of the last six meetings with the Wolverines in South Bend.

PREDICTION: Michigan 23, Notre Dame 20

The post MICHIGAN vs. NOTRE DAME 9/1/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame
When: 6:30 PM  ET, Sunday, February 26, 2017
Where: Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center, South Bend, Indiana

TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU
LINE: -11.5
PREDICTION: Notre Dame 82, Georgia Tech 67

Oddsmakers currently have the NOTRE DAME listed as -11.5 point favorites versus the GEORGIA TECH, while the game’s total is sitting at 138.

Notre Dame has recovered from a four-game losing streak to win four in a row and enters Sunday’s home contest against Georgia Tech looking to continue surging toward a possible No. 2 seed in the ACC tournament. Ranked 17th in the nation, the Fighting Irish began the weekend tied with three other ranked squads – Louisville, Duke and Florida State – for second in the conference, two games behind first-place North Carolina.

Offense has sparked Notre Dame’s surge, as it is averaging 84.3 points during the winning streak after scoring 66 per contest during the four-game slide. The Yellow Jackets contributed to that losing streak, upsetting Notre Dame 62-60 on Jan. 28 in Atlanta on Josh Okogie’s layup just before the buzzer. That triumph capped a four-week stretch during which the Yellow Jackets shocked North Carolina, Florida State and Notre Dame, but they have dropped four of their last six ACC games. The seven meetings between Georgia Tech and Notre Dame since the Fighting Irish joined the ACC have been decided by an average of 4.1 points.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (16-12, 7-8 ACC): The Yellow Jackets come in after suffering a disappointing 71-69 home loss to N.C. State on Tuesday, spoiling a 25-point effort from Okogie as they missed nine free throws and 12 layups. Okogie leads the team in scoring (15.6 points) and is averaging 17.6 points in conference games. Ben Lammers ranks third in the ACC in rebounding (9.3) and is Georgia Tech’s second-leading scorer at 14.7 points.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (21-7, 10-5): Bonzie Colson entered the weekend averaging a conference-leading 10.5 rebounds and paces the league with 16 double-doubles. V.J. Beachem is shooting 46.2 percent from 3-point range during the Fighting Irish’s winning streak, averaging 17.8 points. Notre Dame leads the nation in free-throw shooting at 81.6 percent.

TIP-INS
1. Notre Dame is 14-2 at home, where it has won all three matchups with Georgia Tech since joining the ACC.
2. Okogie has reached double figures in scoring in 14 of his 15 conference games and 23 times in 28 overall contests.
3. Notre Dame’s 1.68 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks second nationally.

The post Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

NOTRE DAME vs USC
When: 11/26/2016 3:30 PM

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC. LINE: USC -17
PREDICTION: USC 38, Notre Dame 21

The 12th-ranked University of Southern California Trojans (8-3, 7-2) wrap up their regular season Saturday against the rival Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the L.A. Coliseum, having completed the conference schedule with seven consecutive victories. One of those wins came against Colorado, which is 7-1 in the league but plays host to a tough Utah team Saturday after the USC game.

If the Utes win, the Trojans advance to the conference title game as the Pac-12 South winner because of its head-to-head victory over the Buffaloes.

“We’ll be big Utah fans next week,” USC coach Clay Helton said after his team beat UCLA 36-14 on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. “We’ve set our mark at 7-2, and we’ve got to see if Colorado can match it.”

As for what the Trojans can control, they can only continue to play well and hope to position themselves for the biggest bowl possible. Nothing less than a smackdown of struggling Notre Dame (4-7), which coughed up a pair of 17-point leads last week in a 34-31 home loss to Virginia Tech, is expected.

The hits kept coming Tuesday when the NCAA ruled that Notre Dame must vacate wins from the 2012 and 2013 seasons due to academic misconduct, stemming from a student athletic trainer completing coursework for football players. The university announced it would appeal the decision.

The 2012 season includes a 12-0 run in the regular season.

Kelly called it “student on student” cheating, adding that he felt “zero” responsibility in the matter.

“I’m proud of our support staff, our academic support staff,” he said. “I’m proud of the people that represented us here at Notre Dame during this time.”

While the school litigates those old victories, Kelly and the Irish will be trying to pull off an upset to get one more in 2016.

“Their personnel is fabulous,” Helton said of the Irish. “I know they’ll come to play. A Brian Kelly team always does.”

Well, USC did win 49-14 when the teams last met in Los Angeles to end the 2014 regular-season.

The Trojans enter this meeting in a much better place, thanks in large part to redshirt freshman Sam Darnold. With his arm, smarts and crafty ability to escape pressure, he has positioned himself on some Heisman lists behind Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, even though Darnold has started only eight games.

Helton inserted Darnold into the starting lineup in the fourth game after a 1-2 start with quarterback Max Browne. The Trojans lost Darnold’s first start, when the defense gave up a touchdown in the final seconds to Utah, but haven’t lost since.

USC has scored at least 36 points five times in its seven-game winning streak. Helton says there is a trust level with Darnold that is allowing offensive coordinator Tee Martin to be more aggressive.

“A lot has to do with Sam. We’re able to play with our hair on fire right now,” Helton said. “Our success on third down … we’re gunning on third down. There’s a lot of trust from Game 1 to now.”

Darnold is eighth nationally with a passing efficiency rating of 162.4.

Notre Dame has one of the top NFL quarterback prospects in DeShone Kizer, but USC has two of the nation’s most athletic cornerbacks in Adoree’ Jackson and Iman Marshall.

“The two corners we have right now are doing a tremendous job,” Helton said.

USC has held the past two opposing starting quarterbacks to under 50 percent passing — Washington’s Jake Browning (17 of 36) and UCLA’s Mike Fafaul (15 of 31).

Kizer was 16 of 33 for 235, with two touchdowns, last week against Virginia Tech. The Irish also posted their second consecutive 200-yard rushing day, led by running back Josh Adams. He has three 100-yard rushing games this season.

Notre Dame looked good at times on defense, with tackle Jarron Jones and end Isaac Rochell up front, but the Irish are statistically average, ranking 55th nationally by allowing 26.3 points per game.

Each of the Irish’s seven losses have come by eight points or less, but the Trojans are hot enough to run up the margin.

Kelly is still looking for elusive consistency.

“Some of that is guys growing up, getting more experience,” he said. “Some of that is better coaching. But, yeah, there’s nothing endemic within the program as much as it is a team that has not executed consistently for four quarters.”

Notre Dame leads this traditional intersectional rivalry 46-35-5, which does not include the Trojans’ 2005 victory that was later vacated due to NCAA penalty. Including that 2005 vacated game, USC has won 10 of the last 14 meetings.

The post Notre Dame vs. USC Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

“I will be on the outside looking in as it relates to this ongoing process,” Kelly said.

Speaking publicly for the first time since news broke Friday that DaVaris Daniels, KeiVarae Russell, Ishaq Williams and Kendall Moore would be withheld from practicing with the Fighting Irish because of potential academic misconduct, Kelly acknowledged the personnel hits his program has taken in recent years because of the school’s academic demands, while also saying that he took the Notre Dame job five years ago because he wanted to be associated at a place with such high standards.

“I knew coming to Notre Dame, and one of the reasons why I wanted to come here, was there are some core values as one of the preeminent Catholic institutions that you just can’t compromise on, and that’s integrity,” Kelly said. “And if you see that something is going on that’s not right — and obviously through this investigation they found this out — it’s important that it’s addressed. And so I applaud the university for doing that.

“Now, along the way, I’ve lost a starting quarterback and some key players. But I came here because I wanted to be associated with a university that had those standards. And I’m disappointed, I’m saddened in a way for these young men, because they’re good kids. They made some bad decisions along the way — and I’m not throwing these four in that category yet, obviously. But we can talk about Everett [Golson], certainly, in that situation.

“As it relates to the recruitment of the young men here, I think we’ve brought in the right young men. I think we continue to have to do a better job educating them. We have to do a better job of providing them the resources. Look, this is never a one-sided issue. We have to internally look at providing our student-athletes all of the resources necessary that if, in fact, they took shortcuts, that they don’t. And we have to look hard at that. And that’s something that will ensue over this issue.”

Friday’s news was the latest academic-related hit Notre Dame’s prominent athletic teams have taken in the last 15 months, as the school suspended Golson, the football team’s starting quarterback, last fall semester following what Golson called “poor academic judgment” the previous spring. Golson was reinstated last winter.

Daniels, Notre Dame’s top wide receiver, and Jerian Grant, the basketball team’s leading scorer, were in similar situations as Golson, being suspended for the spring semester this year before being reinstated in June. (Daniels had cited poor grades for his suspension, while Grant cited poor judgment.)

Now Daniels is among a group of football players — including three starters — that is being investigated internally for academic misconduct.

Kelly said he has not talked to the four players being investigated, clarifying that they cannot practice or play with the team but are welcome in the football building for meals and other activities. He said he will withhold them from team and position meetings for now, and he said that he has not been told of any other players on his current team who are being investigated.

Kelly said that he has not been interviewed or investigated himself.

Daniels, Russell, Williams and Moore were a part of Notre Dame’s 2012 team that went 12-1 and lost in the BCS national championship game to Alabama. The Rev. John Jenkins, the school’s president, said Friday that the school would vacate victories if it determines players have been ineligible during past competition.

Kelly said a potential vacating of the Irish’s 2012 wins would not alter his view of that season’s accomplishments.

“It wouldn’t change in my eyes,” the fifth-year Notre Dame coach said. “I’ve never really counted my victories, it’s not something that I’ve really spent much time thinking about. The satisfaction that I get is in the preparation and the relationships that I have with the players and the accomplishments that you have from year to year with your team and how you play the game. So I never really put much stock in that.”

Kelly was also asked if he felt the perception of him has taken a hit, this after his first year at Notre Dame was headlined by off-the-field tragedies that included a student videographer dying at practice and a student at nearby Saint Mary’s College committing suicide two weeks after she reported she had been sexually assaulted by a Notre Dame football player.

“This isn’t the time to have a debate on what my leadership or lack thereof is,” Kelly said. “My focus is on my football team and getting this team ready. There’s a time and place for that. People have their opinions, and certainly they’re entitled to them. I’m going to focus on this football team.”

The post Brian Kelly talks Irish investigation appeared first on IdealCapper.

“No. Never,”.

“I wasn’t faking it,” he said. “I wasn’t part of this.”

The Notre Dame linebacker also said that he did not make up anything to help his Heisman Trophy candidacy.

“When (people) hear the facts, they’ll know,” he said. “They’ll know that there is no way that I could be part of this.”

Te’o spoke at the IMG Training Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where he is preparing for the NFL draft. There were no cameras at the 2½-hour interview, which was recorded.

The post Manti Te’o of Notre Dame Fighting Irish denies being part of hoax about late girlfriend appeared first on IdealCapper.

The source said there is “still some work to do” on Kelly’s potential new deal with the Irish.

Kelly met with the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday, and there was mutual interest after the interview.

“This week, I had an incredible opportunity to speak with one of the premier organizations in sports about becoming their head coach,” Kelly said in a statement released through the school.

“Like every kid who has ever put on a pair of football cleats, I have had thoughts about being a part of the NFL. However, after much reflection and conversation with those closest to me, I have decided to remain at Notre Dame.

“This decision was motivated purely by my love for Notre Dame and the entire Fighting Irish community, the young men I have the great fortune to coach, and my desire to continue to build the best football program in the country.

“We still have a lot of work to do and my staff and I are excited about the challenges ahead.”

Kelly coached the Fighting Irish to a 12-0 regular-season record and an appearance in the Discover BCS National Championship. Playing for its first national title since 1988, Notre Dame was routed by Alabama, 42-14, on Monday night.

A source told ESPN that the Eagles informed Notre Dame prior to the game of their desire to interview Kelly after it.

“There is no question we spent a considerable amount of time and effort looking at who we thought were the best collegiate candidates for our head coaching job,” the Eagles said in a statement Saturday. “We did so knowing that there was a remote chance that these coaches would leave their current posts. We understood that going into the process, but we wanted to leave no stone unturned while trying to find the best head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. We have no regrets about the effort we made in that direction and we will continue to proceed as planned in our search.”

CBSSports.com reported Wednesday the Chicago Bears also were interested in Kelly. But sources refuted that report to ESPNChicago.com.

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a statement that he wasn’t surprised by Kelly’s decision.

“I was always confident that Brian would continue to lead our football program. I am very happy to have that confirmed and share Brian’s excitement about what lies ahead for our program,” he said.

Swarbrick said he appreciated the Eagles and Kelly keeping him informed of what was going on throughout the process.

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