ESPN’s SP+ updated its predictions for Week 3 on Wednesday, and the marquee matchup between Texas A&M and Notre Dame is set to feature a close finish according to the data.
Bill Connelley’s metric has the 8th-ranked Fighting Irish taking down the 16th-ranked Aggies by a score of 28-25, which would bring Marcus Freeman’s team back to .500 at 1-1.
Notre Dame started its season with a hard-fought 27-24 road loss to now-No. 5 Miami, a game in which new starting quarterback CJ Carr led a gutsy second-half comeback before the ‘Canes nailed a late field goal to win. The Irish were gifted a bye week before their early-season ranked matchups, and they now face plenty of pressure to avoid a dreaded 0-2 start.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M has largely cruised through its first two weeks of action. The Aggies handled Owen McCown and UTSA in Week 1, winning by a score of 42-24, and they followed that up with a similarly dominant 44-22 victory over Utah State last week.
Starting quarterback Marcel Reed did take a hit and head to the medical tent during the win over those other Aggies, but head coach Mike Elko already stated that there are no concerns about Reed’s status for the game in South Bend.
The ranked battle will kick off at 7:30 p.m. EST and be televised by NBC and Peacock.
Current sports editor with the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. 2024 graduate from Mizzou and college athletics enthusiast.
