The 12-team College Football Playoff field is set. Notre Dame gets a No. 7 seed and a home game against No. 10 Indiana. Did the selection committee get it right? How could the format be tweaked, even now, to better improve the process/product?

What about the weather? Tickets? Hotels? We discuss everything that surrounds the first-ever CFP post-season game at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday, December 20 game - but not the game itself. That hype train will pick up serious steam next week.

For now, we look back on the 2024 regular-season finale against USC and take a peek and what the next week holds for the Irish.

The 12-team College Football Playoff field is set. Notre Dame gets a No. 7 seed and a home game against No. 10 Indiana. Did the selection committee get it right? How could the format be tweaked, even now, to better improve the process/product?
What about the weather? Tickets? Hotels? We discuss everything that surrounds the first-ever CFP post-season game at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday, December 20 game - but not the game itself. That hype train will pick up serious steam next week.
For now, we look back on the 2024 regular-season finale against USC and take a peek and what the next week holds for the Irish.

NDInsider.com's "Pod of Gold" podcast is powered by The South Bend Tribune and recorded at the studios of WNDU-TV, South Bend Indiana's NBC affiliate. Notre Dame football beat writers Mike Berardino, Tom Noie and Austin Hough talk Irish sports, pop culture and the latest athletic news swirling around the Golden Dome with special guests. 

NDInsider.com's "Pod of Gold" podcast is powered by The South Bend Tribune and recorded at the studios of WNDU-TV, South Bend Indiana's NBC affiliate. Notre Dame football beat writers Mike Berardino, Tom Noie and Austin Hough talk Irish sports, pop culture and the latest athletic news swirling around the Golden Dome with special guests.

Pod of Gold: Notre Dame Football

Notre Dame Insider's Tyler James and Eric Hansen offer their takes on Notre Dame football, discuss the latest news and bring on guests with expert knowledge.

The 12-team College Football Playoff field is set. Notre Dame gets a No. 7 seed and a home game against No. 10 Indiana. Did the selection committee get it right? How could the format be tweaked, even now, to better improve the process/product?  What about the weather? Tickets? Hotels? We discuss everything that surrounds the Friday, December 20 game - but not the game itself. That can wait until next week.  For now, we look back on the 2024 regular-season finale against USC and take a peek and what the next week holds for the Irish.

Post-College Football Playoff selection show - Notre Dame has an opponent

We start this week's episode dissecting where Notre Dame stands in the College Football Rankings (before the fourth release of the poll) and ponder the possible first- and second-round matchups that might await. 

It's then time to set the stage for Saturday's matinee in Los Angeles, arguably the greatest intra-sectional rivalry in college football when Notre Dame visits USC. It's not just another game - seldom has been. This weekend should be no exception.

We rewind to Saturday's win at Yankee Stadium (for those fans who were able to get in and see the game from the start), which turned into another one-sided affair for Notre Dame.

Our Pod of (relatively) Old jumps back to 2018 - the last time Notre Dame ventured to the Coliseum with high postseason hopes and won - thanks in part to former Irish running back Tony Jones and his late catch and run and score.

Our guest this week is Gary Stokan, CEO and President of Peach Bowl Inc., who discusses what the CFP means to the game, and also shares the story of the time he thought he had Notre Dame locked down to play Auburn early in the season in Atlanta - only to have the deal fall through. He also shares a special memory of playing high school hoops back in Pennsylvania with ... Joe Montana.

We close the show with one hot take and one score prediction for this weekend and, as an added bonus, one hot take for Thanksgiving. Enjoy! 

We start this week's episode dissecting where Notre Dame stands in the College Football Rankings (before the fourth release of the poll) and ponder the possible first- and second-round matchups that might await. 
It's then time to set the stage for Saturday's matinee in Los Angeles, arguably the greatest intra-sectional rivalry in college football when Notre Dame visits USC. It's not just another game - seldom has been. This weekend should be no exception.
We rewind to Saturday's win at Yankee Stadium (for those fans who were able to get in and see the game from the start), which turned into another one-sided affair for Notre Dame.
Our Pod of (relatively) Old jumps back to 2018 - the last time Notre Dame ventured to the Coliseum with high postseason hopes and won - thanks in part to former Irish running back Tony Jones and his late catch and run and score.
Our guest this week is Gary Stokan, CEO and President of Peach Bowl Inc., who discusses what the CFP means to the game, and also shares the story of the time he thought he had Notre Dame locked down to play Auburn early in the season in Atlanta - only to have the deal fall through. He also shares a special memory of playing high school hoops back in Pennsylvania with ... Joe Montana.
We close the show with one hot take and one score prediction for this weekend and, as an added bonus, one hot take for Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

We start this week's episode dissecting where Notre Dame stands in the College Football Rankings (before the fourth release of the poll) and ponder the possible first- and second-round matchups that might await.   It's then time to set the stage for Saturday's matinee in Los Angeles, arguably the greatest intra-sectional rivalry in college football when Notre Dame visits USC. It's not just another game - seldom has been. This weekend should be no exception.  We rewind to Saturday's win at Yankee Stadium (for those fans who were able to get in and see the game from the start), which turned into another one-sided affair for Notre Dame.  Our Pod of (relatively) Old jumps back to 2018 - the last time Notre Dame ventured to the Coliseum with high postseason hopes and won - thanks in part to former Irish running back Tony Jones and his late catch and run and score.  Our guest this week is Gary Stokan, CEO and President of Peach Bowl Inc., who discusses what the CFP means to the game, and also shares the story of the time he thought he had Notre Dame locked down to play Auburn early in the season in Atlanta - only to have the deal fall through. He also shares a special memory of playing high school hoops back in Pennsylvania with ... Joe Montana.  We close the show with one hot take and one score prediction for this weekend and, as an added bonus, one hot take for Thanksgiving. Enjoy! 

USC Preview; Army Review; How does Notre Dame close this out?

We go Army heavy in this week's Pod as No. 6 Notre Dame (9-1) hosts No. 17 Army (9-0) at Yankee Stadium as part of the Shamrock Series game. We talk with Ken Kraetzer of the West Point Football Report on what makes the Black Knights so dangerous this season - it's more than just quarterback Bryson Daily, who's really good. We also talk former Granger, Indiana resident Richard Cacioppe, author of the book “Black Knights and Fighting Irish: A Rivalry, a Game, and America One Year After the End of World War II” about what this rivalry once was so many years ago.

We briefly review the Virginia game (particularly the fake punt call), muster up a Pod of Old that included a memorable escape against Army in the Meadowlands in 1995 (the Ivory Covington game), and close with one hot take and one prediction for this weekend's game.

We go Army heavy in this week's Pod as No. 6 Notre Dame (9-1) hosts No. 17 Army (9-0) at Yankee Stadium as part of the Shamrock Series game. We talk with Ken Kraetzer of the West Point Football Report on what makes the Black Knights so dangerous this season - it's more than just quarterback Bryson Daily, who's really good. We also talk former Granger, Indiana resident Richard Cacioppe, author of the book “Black Knights and Fighting Irish: A Rivalry, a Game, and America One Year After the End of World War II” about what this rivalry once was so many years ago.
We briefly review the Virginia game (particularly the fake punt call), muster up a Pod of Old that included a memorable escape against Army in the Meadowlands in 1995 (the Ivory Covington game), and close with one hot take and one prediction for this weekend's game.

We go Army heavy in this week's Pod as No. 6 Notre Dame (9-1) hosts No. 17 Army (9-0) at Yankee Stadium as part of the Shamrock Series game. We talk with Ken Kraetzer of the West Point Football Report on what makes the Black Knights so dangerous this season - it's more than just quarterback Bryson Daily, who's really good. We also talk former Granger, Indiana resident Richard Cacioppe, author of the book “Black Knights and Fighting Irish: A Rivalry, a Game, and America One Year After the End of World War II” about what this rivalry once was so many years ago.  We briefly review the Virginia game (particularly the fake punt call), muster up a Pod of Old that included a memorable escape against Army in the Meadowlands in 1995 (the Ivory Covington game), and close with one hot take and one prediction for this weekend's game.

Pod of Gold: Army preview, Virginia review (kind of), CFP views

NDI's Tom Noie and Mike Berardino and WNDU's Jackson Neill preview this week's game against Virginia, review the win over Florida State, talk College Football Playoff rankings, take a trip down Memory Lane with our Pod of Old segment, answer the question of the week and spend some time with former Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush on a variety of topics.

Wimbush touches on life in the spotlight as the Notre Dame quarterback, on if he had as much play-calling/changing freedom as Riley Leonard and how Leonard has adjusted to being the Irish starting quarterback.

We close with one hot take and hot prediction from each of the three hosts heading into Senior Day at Notre Dame Stadium. 

NDI's Tom Noie and Mike Berardino and WNDU's Jackson Neill preview this week's game against Virginia, review the win over Florida State, talk College Football Playoff rankings, take a trip down Memory Lane with our Pod of Old segment, answer the question of the week and spend some time with former Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush on a variety of topics.
Wimbush touches on life in the spotlight as the Notre Dame quarterback, on if he had as much play-calling/changing freedom as Riley Leonard and how Leonard has adjusted to being the Irish starting quarterback.
We close with one hot take and hot prediction from each of the three hosts heading into Senior Day at Notre Dame Stadium.

NDI's Tom Noie and Mike Berardino and WNDU's Jackson Neill preview this week's game against Virginia, review the win over Florida State, take a trip down Memory Lane with our Pod of Old segment, answer the question of the week and spend some time with former Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush on a variety of topics.  Wimbush touches on life in the spotlight as the Notre Dame quarterback, on if he had as much play-calling/changing freedom as Riley Leonard and how Leonard has adjusted to being the Irish starting quarterback.  We close with one hot take and hot prediction from each of the three hosts heading into Senior Day at Notre Dame Stadium. 

Post-College Football Playoff selection show - Notre Dame has an opponent

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