Greg McElroy predicts college football powerhouse will win 'by a million' in Week 13

Bold Week 13 prediction sparks attention after a national analyst highlights a major statistical gap between opponents.

College football analyst Greg McElroy believes the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will win by a huge margin in Week 13 against Syracuse. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Syracuse’s season has gone from promising to painful in just a few short weeks. The Orange enter Week 13 at 3-7, mired in a six-game losing streak and struggling to find stability after losing quarterback Steve Angeli to an Achilles injury. Backup Rickie Collins has been thrust into the spotlight, but turnovers and inconsistency have defined the offense, while the defense has allowed over 30 points in five of the past six games.

During Tuesday’s episode of ESPN’s Always College Football, analyst Greg McElroy turned his attention to this matchup and wasted no time in making his prediction. “Picking this game, Notre Dame by a million,” McElroy said. “This is one of the most significant statistical mismatches of the season. The Irish are elite on both sides of the ball. Meanwhile, Syracuse, they are 123rd in scoring offense, they’re 110th in scoring defense. So, it should get sideways in favor of the Irish.”

McElroy said the Orange would need near perfection to pull off an upset. “They can’t turn it over,” he said. “They are -10 in the turnover margin this year. In their seven losses, they turn it over at least 1.5 times per game. That’s a direct result of the quarterback play because Collins has 10 picks.”

Greg McElroy Cites Major Statistical Gaps Between Notre Dame, Syracuse

Notre Dame enters its final home game at 8-2 and looks every bit like a playoff contender. The Irish average 458.2 yards and 38.5 points per game behind quarterback CJ Carr, who has thrown for 2,487 yards and 21 touchdowns. Running back Jeremiyah Love, who McElroy believes should be in the Heisman conversation, has piled up 1,135 yards and 14 scores, while wide receiver Malachi Fields leads the team with 596 receiving yards.

Defensive coordinator Chris Ash has built one of the nation’s most complete units. The Irish rank 13th in rushing defense and 17th in scoring defense, allowing just 18.4 points per contest. They also rank inside the top 10 nationally in turnover margin at +9.

For Syracuse head coach Fran Brown, the challenge is daunting. His team ranks 113th nationally on third down, 125th in total defense, and 129th in turnover margin. The offense hasn’t topped 20 points in over a month, and the quarterback play remains erratic.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) has 1,135 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on 177 carries this season. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

McElroy called this game a “mandatory step” for the Irish in maintaining their postseason push. “They want to make the playoff. They got to win,” he said.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman will look to cap Senior Day with another dominant performance. The Fighting Irish will host the Syracuse Orange at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC.