When you have a program like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish do, anything less than a New Year's Day bowl bid has to be something of a downer.

Well, just imagine having to play in the Sun Bowl.

We don't mean to put it down; El Paso is a perfectly fine city. but the Irish would rather be in a place like New Orleans or Miami or Pasadena right now.

And, truth be told, they are in something that resembles an exhibition game as they take on the Oregon State Beavers in this 2 PM ET start.

As we contemplate our college football free picks for this one, where are the odds as they are posted at BetOnline:

Notre Dame Fighting Irish -5
Oregon State Beavers +5

Over 40 Points -110
Under 40 Points -110

This is one of those bowl games where both teams have been hit hard on the offensive side by the "Bad Three" at this time of year - opt-outs (for players who are anticipating the draft), injuries (self-explanatory) and transfers (those who have gone into the portal). Also, changes on coaching staffs have a way of shaking things up, and that is hardly a new phenomenon.

Oregon State's head coach, Jonathan Smith, hightailed it out of Corvallis the day after the loss to Oregon, in order to take over the distressed situation at Michigan State in the Big Ten (I guess so he can get whipped by Oregon again next year).

The Beavers are left in a "tweener" situation as far as a head coach is concerned. Yes, they have named Trent Bray, and that offers some continuity because he was the defensive coordinator. But Bray has decided to make himself busy doing staffing and recruiting, so Kefense Hynson, who works as a "passing game coordinator," takes over for this game.

He will not have his starting quarterback. DJ Uiagalelei, who had come to OSU from Clemson and made a big hit, with 2638 yards and 21 TD passes, has opted out of this game.

That leaves the Beavers with third-stringer Ben Gulbranson, who doesn't lack for time around campus. Gulbranson is in his fourth year in Corvallis, but he hasn't really played since 2022, when he threw 194 passes, nine of them for touchdowns, but by and large led an ineffective offense.

A guy like that might need some genuine support from the ground attack. And under normal circumstances we'd say he had that in abundance. But sophomore running back Damien Martinez was arrested, and the school brass suspended him for this game.

Martinez was popped for "driving under the influence of intoxicants," which we imagine includes marijuana, because that's what was found in his vcar. He had reckless driving charges as well. This was the second-leading rusher in the Pac 12 (1185 yards), so this is important. And we're not sure that backup Deshaun Fenwick (500 yards) picks up enough of the slack. Notre Dame does a good job against the run, giving up just 3.7 yards per carry.

The Irish have their own QB dilemma. That's because Sam Hartman, who came in from Wake Forest as a one-year guy, has opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft. Steve Angeli has completed 19 of 25 passes with four TD's and he'll be the starter at quarterback.

Among the other absencves both teams have to endure, they are missing people on the offensive line. ND hasfour of its five OL starters out, including All-American Joe Alt, who should become a first-round NFL pick. Oregon State has three starters out of action along the O-Line.

This could be one of those games in which the first team that scores wins. UNDER.

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