Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame Preview, Predictions & Bets | 2024

Texas A&M host Notre Dame this weekend do we have those uh current lines up right now Blain uh yeah I believe it's is it back down to two and a half or is three still uh two and a half two and a half I tell you man this one um I'm really excited about this one just because of the the style of head coach that we have here two defensive guys and and you know sitting there looking and and you look who returns what and and you know how you feel like they're going to be up front the Notre Dame team is very interesting to me because I think they're kind of built the opposite of of what they have been in the past and not just because you lost Joe Al and Blake Fischer both your tackles but you lost your up incoming Phenom uh Charles Jaga during fall Camp going up against the Texas A&M front 7 that you need to be firing on all cylinders to be able able to protect and I think Notre Dame is weaker on the offensive line this year and stronger at the skill position than they have been in a while I think Riley Leonard's a better player than Sam Hartman I think what they have you know wide receiver this year some of those younger guys that have grown up uh some of the moves they made through the portal I think Notre Dame is better uh at the skill position out wide but when I look at Mike Elco and Marcus Freeman the first thing I think is under because I look at see 46 and a half I say all right Mike elco's first year at Texas A&M he's a defensive guy right he doesn't have all those guys in there but he's got some pretty good Personnel Notre Dame's in year three that defense is going to be huming again under Marcus Freeman I think you're going to have two very conservative approaches on whether or not you're going for it on fourth down to kick a field goal whether or not you're going for it on fourth down or you're going to punt and I think you have two quarterbacks that are also coming off injuries and defensive coordinators know you want to set the tone in the Run game first and build everything off of that so I think early in this game it's going to be a lot of feeling out process I think A&M's going to be playing in the back field of Notre Dame a decent amount I'm I'm wondering how much demock the OC at Notre Dame is going to move Riley Leonard when he realizes that they're struggling in pass Pro just on the normal three-step and five step and stuff like that there's a plan in place for that then when you look at Notre Dame's defense yes they're going to be solid it's a mark Marcus Freeman coach unit this secondary was really really strong last year is Texas A&M talented enough on the outside with guys they brought in to be able to get open even if they can protect so I I'm leaning under early here I don't officially want to put in a bet I like A&M at home for this reason yes Riley Leonard has experience okay but you lost both those tackles you got another new tackle that you're going have to bump somebody over to tackle or put a back back up in and then put a backup in as a starter somewhere like that's got to happen the communication between Riley Leonard and this offensive line in Kyle Field I feel like is going to make a huge difference early in this game I think A&M is going to get up I think they're going to lean on them lean on them lean on them and that's when the play action in the second half is really going to come into play for Texas A&M I like A&M early right now but I like this to be a feeling out lows scoring lowrisk play calling lowrisk po potential when it comes to special teams for fakes and things like that man I could see this I could see this a 2017 game very very easily but I like& m right now I agree with you on the under especially early in that first half I like your thinking on that right now as we sit here on a Monday on BET online Notre Dame's getting a full three so plus three Notre Dame right this second plus 130 on the money line like you said 46 a half on the over under 22 and a half in the first half um I'm really interested to see you were talking about how much does Den Brock move right Leonard uh when things you know really get tight in the box that was one of my favorite aspects of his game last year when when he was at Duke being coached by Mike Elco was his ability to move outside the pocket obviously he had to deal with some injuries same thing really with Connor Wegman on the other side so I'm just hoping both of these guys can stay healthy because they're two of my favorite quarterbacks to watch uh I think Notre Dame Notre Dame needs to win this football game not in a sense that if they don't they can't make the college football playoff they they you know you could they could run the table and 11 and one would get them in with their brand recognition but I'm just talking about in terms of all the expectations that they've had for the last couple years you got one of the better quarterbacks out of the Porto a year ago and Sam Hartman but when they really had to play the Buckey in those tight games didn't show up right now again you go get one of the best quarterbacks in the portal uh in Riley Leonard you need to go on the road and win in a hostile environment like this with a new head coach at Texas A&M well and and bla I want to throw this to you too I want to make this point it's funny because I I'm worried about the same thing but in but on opposite ends like like the inverse of it for for Notre Dame I'm worried about the edge of the line of scrimmage I'm worried about I know A&M can Beef It Up Front stop the run I I think this team can it's when you get in third and passing can you hold up on the edges of the line of scrimmage at tackle going against those ends going against the pressures you're going to get but then on the flip side A&M not having Bryce Foster right some of the guys in the middle Notre Dame strength I think on the defensive line is the interior with the two guys they bring back they got two of the best interior pass rushers in the country and we always talk about you don't have to be a geometry major to know the the quickest way to get to uh two points is a straight line it's a lot easier to get to the quarterback in a in a three-step from the three Tech or the shade from the interior of that defensive line so will A&M be able to control the inside of of Notre Dame's defensive line and that includes in the Run game as well because you can blow up a run quicker than anything from the interior line of scrimmage so that's the battle I'm going to be looking at we can talk about wide receivers and DBS and all this stuff you know this and that and the whiffle ball bat and that's great I'm be watching in the line of scrimmage the edge for Notre Dame the interior for Texas A&M that's where I think the game's going to be one this is going to be a physical damn football game and I can't wait to watch it I kind of go back to what David says the first thing I think about in this game is Health all right they go back to Ry Leonard when he was at Duke ryy lonard was a runner before he's a thrower if you watched him play he's a runner before a thrower how do you neutralize a really good front seven quarterback run right quarterback run how many times I didn't bring you here to be cautious all right I didn't bring you here to do that I brought you here here to do the things that you do best and that is run the football that's Riley Leonard so he's going to be a lot of the production when it comes to the running game in my idea but I do think from Texas A&M from a to deep standpoint this is a damn good football team and I think a lot of people if you watch Kyle play Kyle Wegman before he play before he got hurt he was one of the best in the nation you could have that argument I think Texas A&M is going to be different I think they're going to surprise a lot of people I still question Notre Dame skill position players I don't know if they're good enough what what have you heard what have you heard out of A&M during this offseason nothing no drama no arrests no coach back and forth you know what they're doing they're blocking and tackling they're worrying about making sure I'm covering the right guy they're worrying about if I'm an R three on kickoff I'm GNA stay in my Lane if we're going to twist I'm going to replace with R2 or R4 that's what they're worried about and I think that's who Texas A&M is I think this is going to be a very very very simple game uh a very very very physical game I just I'm so interested between two defensive coaches which one will take the chance first it has to which one will take the chance first cuz I think Mike ELO's he's like I'm at home I'm not gonna I'm not going to go out of my way to do anything stupid but blame to your point I understand yes the only true way to get a hat on a hat in football in the Run game is quarterback to run right because it's 11 vers 11 when the quarterback hands the ball off unless you play for Les Miles he's not blocking it's 11 on 10 when the quarterback runs it's truly 11 on 11 because the running back can block but if I'm Notre Dame yes I want to win the game Georgia Tech said we'll run Hayes King if we have to run haes King to win this game and that was smart for them to do and we know that big backup they had who came in on one of those early drives and pounding him for a touchdown if you're Notre Dame I'm I know we're not in a conference but how much am I Really Gonna Run Riley Leonard early in this game knowing that that what A&M has on defense is that worth the risk of especially if it's tight back and forth now all of a sudden if A&M comes out and they're up 14 to nothing and under Dame's got no answers hey you you might have to start pulling some of that true QB Run game out whether it's power read whether it's Q Power whether it's Q counter but until you make me do it I think Marcus Freeman's going to be like I don't know if I'm going to throw Riley to the Wolves I like Blain's point we brought you here for a reason hey this a bourbon bll this the bourbon I get it I get it look it's fourth in goal it's Fourth and goal and we got to have it that's fine third down you got to go I think it's respect to A&M how good they are they're front seven they're that good hey YouTube what's up we are almost to 150,000 Subs we want to get there before kickoff this weekend so if you haven't already please hit that subscribe button we really appreciate it