Pod of Gold: Notre Dame Football

He has spoken. It's been more than a minute since we last heard from Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman, so there was no shortage of topics to talk on when he stepped to the front of the Notre Dame Stadium interview room on Wednesday, January 15. Freeman talked of the end (for now) of the USC series. He talked of the NFL and his interest in maybe one day coaching at the game's highest level. He talked of the transfer portal. He talked of injuries. He talked of how the end of the 2025 season can fuel a deep run in 2026. We discuss all of it, and then end the Pod with a prediction for Monday's College Football Playoff championship game. Hint: It won't be close. 

We'll try, but we may mirror the College Football Playoff selection committee and fail miserably. In our latest Pod of Gold, we attempt to make sense that like that, the Notre Dame football season for 2025 is officially over. No College Football Playoff run to a possible national championship. No bowl game. No nothing. All of it, over. Who's at fault? Should fingers be pointed? Our crew of South Bend Tribune columnist Tom Noie and beat writer Mike Berardino and WNDU sports coordinator Jackson Neill try their best  to figure out how what happened could happen and what it all means moving forward. Short answer - watch out college football in 2026, Notre Dame is coming.

We're done. With the regular season. With the College Football Playoff rankings shows over those four Tuesday nights in November and December. All that's left is Championship Saturday and Selection Sunday. What does that mean for projected No. 10 seed Notre Dame? Are the Irish comfortably in the field of 12? Do they need to sweat Sunday? Do they need help from a team here or a team there? We discuss what Selection Sunday might have in store for Notre Dame, which closed the regular season with 10-straight wins each by at least 10 points. We discuss (sigh) the case for Miami (Fla.) which handed Notre Dame one of its two losses. We'll also (briefly) review the Stanford game, touch on Notre Dame football's recruiting class on signing day and offer a Pod of Bold statement on whether Notre Dame will be in the 12-team playoff field, and what seed to expect. At that point, the Pod of Gold will be done. Except for the wondering. Have the Irish done enough?

We start this edition of Pod of Gold wondering exactly what's wrong with the Atlantic Coast Conference. Specifically, what the league has against Notre Dame of late with its "Team A vs. Team B" comparison nonsense, and then deciding that, yeah, it's a good idea for the game at Stanford to kick at 10:30 p.m. The Irish, in fairness, have remained quiet and calm and composed as they chase down another College Football Playoff at-large bid. We then spend time with former SMU running back Craig James, who has again teamed up with former backfield buddy Eric Dickerson to create the Pony Express Award, which is presented to “the most dynamic, selfless tandem in college football.” Notre Dame running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are up for the award. James talks what makes the two so dynamic, talks Irish football and talks CFP. He even talks a little "Pony Excess." We look back a little bit on Pittsburgh and look forward a little bit to Syracuse, then close with a hot take and bold prediction as Notre Dame looks to run its win streak to nine.  

We're Notre Dame football heavy again in our latest Pod of Gold. The second College Football Playoff rankings are out, so what do they mean for Notre Dame? We review the Navy win, preview Saturday's game at Pittsburgh and spend some time with former Notre Dame offensive lineman Josh Lugg. What do our fans have to say in our Speak Up segment? How about our Pod of Bold wrap-up segment? Give it a listen. Now. Here.

If it's November, it means it's time for the College Football Playoff rankings roulette to begin. What do the guys think of Notre Dame opening at No. 10? Good? Bad? Perfect? We recap the sluggish win over Boston College, which didn't play like a 1-7 team and preview Saturday's prime-time matchup with Navy before spending some time with former Notre Dame All-American defensive back Mike Townsend, captain of the 1973 national championship team. We close this Pod as we do every one with one hot take and one prediction. Can Notre Dame get to 7-2?

Notre Dame football is back from an off week and right into a Final Five stretch to close the regular season. We preview (kind of) Boston College, review (kind of) the win over USC and debate several additional topics, including what the Irish need to improve on to stay College Football Playoff worthy and the future coaching aspirations of Marcus Freeman. Stick around for our Speak Up segment before we close with a Pod of Bold that includes hot take for Saturday's game and a final score prediction.

This week hits differently. Irish coaches and players can insist otherwise, but it just does. It's USC week. It's the biggest game on the schedule for Notre Dame, and the biggest game left in this season. Everyone knows the stakes, but nobody may know them better than former Notre Dame defensive back Tom Zbikowski, who played in this rivalry game and offered Irish fans one of the best moments of the last 25 years. You know the game. You know the play. We talked with Zbikowski about what it means to play USC and what life is like for him today as a high school coach in Chicago. We preview USC and what the Irish need to do to stretch their win streak to five straight. We close, as always, with one bold statement and predictions.

We're all over the map in this one - talking a little Boise State, previewing North Carolina State and then diving deep into the 1988 Notre Dame football national championship season friend of the show Pete Cordelli, an assistant coach during that Irish title run. Cordelli shares stories about that 1988 season, about Ricky Watters, about coaching Tony Rice and about Lou Holtz. Tune in to hear our thoughts about Irish football present day, but stay to hear about Irish football back in the day. We close this episode the way we close each Pod - one hot take and one prediction from our three-man Pod booth. Enjoy!  

Notre Dame is back to .500 and looking to climb over that break-even mark Saturday at home against Boise State in the first-ever meeting between the teams. Before previewing Boise State and talking Broncos with long-time radio play-by-play Bob Behler, we put a period on Notre Dame's win at Arkansas, arguably, the most complete Irish effort this season. What's up with that offense? What's up with that defense? What did Tribune beat writer Mike Berardino have for dinner in Fayetteville? All questions answered. This might be the only podcast you listen to where the following are discussed - Bob Dylan, a rack of ribs, a gold Trans Am and the Major League Baseball playoffs in addition to Irish football. Throw our listener Speak Up and Pod of Bold segments in there and you have podcast gold. Hear for yourself. 

Notre Dame football has issues. Even coming off its first win of the season over Purdue, Notre Dame has not looked and played like it should look and play. We're tired of talking about it, but there's no way of getting around it - the defense is overdue to deliver. Maybe this is the weekend when we watch the Irish and say, now that's how it's supposed to look. So we spend the first 20 minutes on the tired topic of the Irish defense. Then it gets good. Sometimes it's best to stay quiet and let a guest go, and we did that with former Notre Dame and Arkansas assistant football coach Pete Cordelli. He had stories - a lot of them, about former Irish coach Lou Holtz, about his time at Arkansas, about calling the hogs and about the atmosphere that awaits Notre Dame at Razorback Stadium. You'll want to tune into this episode just for Cordelli's segment. It doesn't disappoint. We close our show with one hot take and one bold prediction - Irish fans may not like the direction we're leaning, but we're just like you in that regard. We need to see the Irish defense to belive. Maybe that happens Saturday.

That's not how this season was supposed to go - not even close. Two games in, two losses for Notre Dame. We'll recap what didn't go right for Notre Dame in its come-from-ahead loss to Texas A&M and dissect why this Irish defense hasn't looked at all like the Irish defense should look. Then, it's on to the next one. In this case, it's Purdue, a team Notre Dame beat last season in West Lafayette, 66-7. What makes the Boilermakers better this time around? Why is head coach Barry Odom the guy? Is playing well but coming up short this weekend enough to feel like a win for Purdue? What three questions need an answer in our Speak Up segment? We'll wrap out Pod of Gold with one bold hot take and one prediction.

It will have been 13 days since Notre Dame football last played football by the time kickoff Saturday night arrives and the clash with No. 17 Texas A&M. The South Bend Tribune's Mike Berardino and Tom Noie and WNDU sports coordinator Jackson Neill discuss what improvement we need to see from the Irish offense and defense after that loss to Miami (Fla.). They also discuss if Notre Dame and head coach Marcus Freeman has this Southeastern Conference thing down as the Irish shoot for a fourth straight win against the mighty SEC, which dates back to 2020. We then speak with Texas A&M beat writer Travis Brown from KBTX to get an inside look at the Aggies and what makes this team better than the one that lost to Notre Dame at home last season. We wrap the episode with one bold prediction and one game prediction. Can Notre Dame get to 1-1?

For the first time since 2022, Notre Dame football is 0-1 to start a season following Sunday's 27-24 loss at Miami (Fla.) The loss dropped the Irish from No. 5 to No. 9 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Miami moved to No. 5. What happened in South Florida? How did it happen? Why did it happen? South Bend (Ind.) Tribune columnist Tom Noie and WNDU sports coordinator Jackson Neill take a deep Tuesday dive into the hows and whys of the loss and what it means from a big picture perspective for the Irish. Where does Sunday's loss rank on the angst meter? Right there with Clemson losing at home to LSU? Below Alabama being shredded at Florida State? We'll slot the Irish loss on the angst meter and answer pressing questions from our readers/listeners, then wrap by offering how the Irish will move forward the final 11 games of the regular season. Need your football fix to carry through until September 13 when Notre Dame hosts Texas A&M? We've got you covered. 

It's game week. We made it. No more quick views of practices. No more talking season. The regular season is here for No. 5 Notre Dame, which opens Labor Day Sunday at No. 10 Miami (Fla.). We set the stage for what we're going to see Sunday in South Florida with news of the week - Marcus Freeman, player comments, depth chart and injury updates before joining long-time Miami (Fla.) play-by-play radio voice Joe Zagacki, who believes Notre Dame is walking into a snake-pit like atmosphere similar to 2017 and 1989. Yikes. No bueno... We wrap this episode with a readers/listeners question segment - name three Irish football players who might be able to help the basketball team this season - and some quick hitters predictions on the season, and for for Sunday's game. Are the Irish a 10-2 team? How about 11-1? Who are the offensive and defensive most valuable players and breakout standouts? Tune in...

It's done. It's over. Twelve days before No. 5 Notre Dame opens the 2025 regular season at No. 10 Miami (Fla.), the Irish have their starting quarterback. Welcome to the role, CJ Carr. No use burying the lead - we spend a good chunk of the show discussing/dissecting the Carr promotion. After battling Kenny Minchey, Carr was named the starter heading into the 2025 season. Why Carr? What's next for Minchey? Plenty of Irish quarterback talk early and often. We also review the naming of the six team captains, which were announced Monday. Who was a lock? Who wasn't on the list? We also touch a bit on the close of preseason camp. What did we learn? What didn't we learn? What's next as game week approaches? Don't look now, but we're almost there. Tuesday's QB announcement is just one step, but it was a big one. Football's back. 

A new season of Notre Dame football brings the return of a new season of Pod of Gold, where the South Bend Tribune's Mike Berardino and Tom Noie and WNDU's Jackson Neill discuss everything Irish. There was plenty to ponder in this early August episode. What are the early impressions of preseason  camp, specifically, how good can that Notre Dame defense be in 2025? How about the offensive line? Then, there's the little issue of the quarterback competition, and who might have the early edge between C.J. Carr and Kenny Minchey. We also discuss the future - or lack thereof - of the Notre Dame/USC rivalry.  

With spring practice and the transfer portal in the rearview, NDI looks back on the last few weeks of Notre Dame football, which includes the transfer of a potential starting quarterback and the ascension of a possible starter that no one saw coming. We'll run through some of the highs and lows and positions of strength and of weakness following Notre Dame's 14 workouts. What's the latest with the new Irish coaching staff? The NFL draft? The regular season schedule? It's been too long since we talked Notre Dame football, so listen as we make up for lost Irish time.  

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.

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.

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 columnist Tom Noie, beat writer Mike Berardino and WNDU sports coordinator open this episode by recapping what the first College Football Playoffs rankings show means to Notre Dame and its chances of possibly even hosting a first-round playoff game. We (somewhat reluctantly) preview this weekend's game against a Florida State team that has the look of a team that long gave up trying to compete. Why are the Seminoles this baaaaaaad? We recap Notre Dame's previous game against Navy and take a trip down Memory Lane in our latest Pod of Old, which really isn't that old. Keep listening to our Pod of Gold question of the week before we close the show with our hot takes (for what will be a cold night) and a prediction for Saturday's game. 

In this episode, South Bend Tribune columnist Tom Noie, beat writer Mike Berardino and WNDU sports coordinator Jackson Neill preview Saturday's matchup with No. 24 Navy and the problems the Midshipmen present as an undefeated and ranked opponent. They also recap the Georgia Tech game, including the out-of-left-field commentary/opinions offered by the ESPN crew about how Notre Dame needed to score style points for College Football Playoff consideration. This week's Pod of Old segment looks back on a big road win over Florida State, 22 years to the day on Saturday which got the Irish thinking of a national championship. Our guest interview is Don Doxsie, author of “Elmer Layden: Notre Dame’s Quiet Hero.” The question of the week centers on, what else, the Irish quarterback situation. We close the show by offering one hot take (or two or three) and a prediction for Saturday's game against Navy at MetLife Stadium.

NDI columnist Tom Noie and beat writer Mike Berardino and WNDU sports coordinator Jackson Neill open the show by previewing Saturday's neutral-site game against Georgia Tech, and what it means in terms of a possible path back toward a College Football Playoff berth. We also bury the lead by discussing a possible season-swinging injury to a key Notre Dame captain. The Stanford game is recapped - briefly - because this one wasn't much of a game after Notre Dame trailed 7-0, then scored 49 unanswered points. Our Pod of Old is a look back at a classic - Notre Dame 31, Miami 30 in 1998. Our special guest Gene Watson, director of player devleopment for the Chicago White Sox, stops by to talk his love for Notre Dame football and his 25 years spent in baseball. We close the show with each of the three hosts offering one hot take and a prediction for Saturday's game against Georgia Tech in downtown Atlanta.  

In this special edition of Pod of Gold, NDI columnist Tom Noie and Irish beat writer Mike Berardino and WNDU sports coordinator Jackson Neill stray from the usual pod script. The three preview Stanford (a little bit) and touch on the Notre Dame football news of the week (injuries, depth chart, Georgia Tech kick time, etc.) before welcoming former NFL defensive lineman Marc Spindler, the father of Irish offensive guard Rocco Spindler, for a special conversation. Marc Spindler touches on his role as a father to a college football player, what college football player looks like now (he doesn't recognize it), his son's touching promise to his Marc's father (Rocco's grandfather) and what his son attending Notre Dame means to him every time Marc Spindler steps on campus. We asked Marc Spindler for 15 minutes, but talked with him for 30. It could've gone 90. The pod closes with each reporter offering one hot take and one prediction for Saturday's game.

NDI's Tom Noie and Mike Berardino and WNDU's Jackson Neill preview a critical/key (big) home game against Louisville for Notre Dame, which has won two straight. They recap the less-than-appealing home win over Miami (Ohio) and recap the latest depth chart changes, injury news and roster movement. In the weekly Pod of Old segment, they look back on the 2019 Notre Dame victory at Louisville, the first game the program ever played in the state of Kentucky. Finally, it's hot take and prediction time. Does anyone think Notre Dame won't win this one? Tune it and find out.

In this episode, Tom Noie, Mike Berardino and Jackon Neill set the stage for Notre Dame's home game against Miami (Ohio) - can the Irish handle success two weeks in a row. They look back on the wipeout of Purdue and rewind to this week's Pod of Old - Notre Dame's road win in 1996 at Texas in the final seconds thanks to the right leg of Jim Sanson. Author Mark O. Hubbard joins them to discuss his authorized biography on Notre Dame legend Ara Parseghian. They close with the question of the week before hot takes and predictions for the Miami (Ohio) game.

SOUTH BEND — How does Notre Dame football pick itself up from the canvas after a stunning blow from Northern Illinois last Saturday. Well, it starts with taking out that frustration from its unthinkable 16-14 loss to the Huskies on Purdue Saturday. Kickoff on CBS is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette. South Bend Tribune Notre Dame football beat writers Tom Noie and Mike Berardino, along with WNDU sports director Jackson Neill, unpack the stunning loss to NIU and breakdown Saturday's game against the Boilermakers (1-0) on this week's Pod of Gold Notre Dame football podcast. Special guest this week is Sam King, Purdue football beat writer for the Lafayette Journal & Courier. This week's show was recorded in the studios of news gathering partner WNDU. 

SOUTH BEND — Coming off the biggest win in Marcus Freeman's three years as head coach, Notre Dame football is favorably positioned for a run at the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. Yes, there's still 11 more regular-season games to play, but Saturday's 23-13 win over No. 20 Texas A&M in front of 107,000-plus at Kyle Field, stands as a benchmark for what this Irish team is capable. So, what's at stake this week when the seventh-ranked Irish (US LBM Coaches Poll) host Northern Illinois of the Mid-American Conference? Pretty simple: Avoid a Marshall repeat (home-opening upset loss in 2022), avoid injuries and keep on improving, especially along the offensive line. South Bend Tribune Notre Dame football beat writers Tom Noie and Mike Berardino, along with WNDU sports director Jackson Neill, unpack the win in College Station and breakdown Saturday's game against the Huskies on this week's Pod of Gold Notre Dame football podcast. Special guest this week is college football recruiting guru Tom Lemming. This week's show was recorded in the studios of news gathering partner WNDU.

SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame football opens its 2024 season Saturday night at No. 20 Texas A&M in College Station. Kickoff is scheduled 7:30 p.m. EDT. It's a challenging situation for the seventh-ranked Irish to start in front of 105,000 Aggies fans at Kyle Field. It's also the perfect barometer for a team with College Football Playoff aspirations in search of its first national championship since 1988. The storylines are abundant. New graduate transfer quarterback Riley Leonard makes his first ND start in new offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock's first game in front of a new offensive line with a combined six collegiate starts between them. Lenorard will also go against new defensive-minded Aggies coach Mike Elko who was his head coach last season at Duke. Oh yeah ... it will be hot, to. So what does that all mean? South Bend Tribune Notre Dame football beat writers Tom Noie and Mike Berardino, along with WNDU sports director Jackson Neill, break it all down on this week's Pod of Gold Notre Dame football podcast before setting off for East Texas. Special guest this week in Aggies beat writer Alex Miller of the Bryan-College Station Eagle. This week's show was recorded in the studios of news gathering partner WNDU.

SOUTH BEND — Will Notre Dame football's defense be dominant enough to pave the way to and through the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024? Can the Irish offense under the presumed direction of transfer quarterback Riley Leonard look like "polished glass?" Will the special teams be, well, special? South Bend Tribune Notre Dame football beat writers Tom Noie and Mike Berardino, along with WNDU sports director Jackson Neill, breakdown those questions and many more in this season's first Pod of Gold podcast of the 2024 season This week's show was recorded in the studios of news gathering partner WNDU.

SOUTH BEND — There's plenty of Notre Dame football news to unpack on this week's Pod of Gold podcast. South Bend Tribune and NDinsider.com beat writers Tom Noie and Mike Berardino size up the Irish transfer portal finds, their 2024 early signees and of course what to expect from the Dec. 29 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl matchup with No. 21 Oregon State in El Paso, Texas. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. It's the 90th Sun Bowl contest and marks the third post-season battle with the Beavers who won both the 2001 Fiesta Bowl and 2004 Insight Bowl by a combined average score of 39.5-15.

SOUTH BEND — How did this happen? How did No. 15 Notre Dame football land in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl opposite No. 21 Oregon State? How do Irish fans get excited about this? South Bend Tribune and NDinsider.com beat writers Tom Noie and Mike Berardino chat with equally surprised Sun Bowl Executive Director Bernie Olivas to scratch at those answers on this week's Pod of Gold podcast. Kickoff on Friday, Dec. 29 is set for 2 p.m. It's the 90th Sun Bowl contest and second for the Irish, who topped Miami (Fla.) 33-17 on New Year's Eve 2010. The game also marks the third post-season matchup between Notre Dame and Oregon State, with the Beavers winning both the 2001 Fiesta Bowl and 2004 Insight Bowl — both in Phoenix — by a combined average score of 39.5-15.

SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame football didn't have the benefit of an opponent last week to help eradicate the taste of its flop at Clemson Nov. 4. Senior Day against Wake Forest Saturday can't seem to get here fast enough. Kickoff at Notre Dame Stadium Saturday is 3:30 p.m. with a ceremony honoring 31 Irish seniors shortly beforehand. Notre Dame (7-3) still has a 10-win season in its sights even though a New Year's Six Bowl is off the table. On this week's Pod of Gold Notre Dame football podcast, hosts Tom Noie and Mike Berardino unpack the Irish disappointment in South Carolina, assess how the ND can get its offense back on track and monitor transfer portal percolations. They also breakdown the Wake Forest game with Learfield sideline reporter Dave Goren.

SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame football landed at No. 15 in the first College Football Playoff rankings unveiled Tuesday night. The Irish need to win their final three games starting Saturday against a struggling, but still very dangerous Clemson team in Death Valley, in order to have any chance at a New Year's Six Bowl invitation. As are South Bend Tribune Pod of Gold hosts Tom Noie and Mike Berardino unpack Notre Dame's impressive win over Pitt last Saturday and breakdown what it needs to do against the Tigers this Saturday. They are joined this week by Eric Mac Lain, a former Clemson football captain and current analyst for the ACC Network. Kickoff Saturday at Memorial Stadium is noon ET.

SOUTH BEND — Even with Louisville's convincing upset of Notre Dame football last Saturday zapping some "Big Game" energy this week, the annual Irish rivalry game with USC still packs a punch. Just ask former Notre Dame defensive end and two-time Super Bowl champion Justin Tuck (2001-04) who accumulated 19 tackles — including four for a loss and a sack — in three games against the Pete Carroll-led Trojans at their prime. Or ask former running back Eric Penick, whose 85-yard touchdown run help propel Notre Dame past the sixth-ranked Trojans and onward to the 1973 national championship. South Bend Tribune ND beat writer Mike Berardino and columnist Tom Noie are joined on this week's Pod of Gold podcast at the WNDU Studios by both Tuck and Penick who offer perspective to just how special this series — now in its 94th installment — is to the two programs.

SOUTH BEND — Another week, another undefeated opponent, another night game. And another episode of Pod of Gold as we breakdown Notre Dame football vs. Louisville. Kickoff Saturday at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium is 7:30 p.m. on ABC South Bend Tribune ND beat writer Mike Berardino and columnist Tom Noie take us through the final moments at Duke from the sidelines, talk the emergence of tight end Mitchell Evans and "freakin" Rico Flores Jr. And when will QB Sam Hartman throw his first interception since the Gasparilla Bowl? He's had his struggles against the Cardinals Tom and Mike are joined by former Major League manager and Notre Dame enthusiast Dave Trembley on how Marcus Freeman has adapted to the spotlight under the Golden Dome.

SOUTH BEND — It's time to move on. We all know what happened down the stretch in Notre Dame football's last-second 17-14 loss to Ohio State last Saturday. Now it's time to look ahead to an Irish schedule that suddenly appears more challenging than at the beginning of the season with road games at undefeated No. 17 Duke (4-0) and Louisville (4-0), and at home against No. 8 USC (4-0). South Bend Tribune ND beat writer Mike Berardino and columnist Tom Noie wrap-up the Buckeye debacle and turn to what the Blue Devils bring to the table for Saturday's 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.

SOUTH BEND — This was suppose to be Notre Dame football's proclamation to the college football world. And in many ways it was, except for the painful finish. South Bend Tribune ND beat writer Mike Berardino and columnist Tom Noie unpack what went wrong in Notre Dame's deflating 17-14 home loss to Ohio State Saturday night. And to nobody's surprise, it starts with arithmetic. This special edition of Pod of Gold was recorded live at the WNDU Studios in South Bend, home of the Countdown to Kickoff pregame show before each Notre Dame football game.

  SOUTH BEND — There's a special energy on and around Notre Dame's campus the week of a big game. This week is no exception as the ninth-ranked Irish prepare to host No. 6 Ohio State at Notre Dame Stadium Saturday. Kickoff on NBC is set 7:30 p.m. But before the game, and before ESPN's College GameDay crew sets up residency with Touchdown Jesus as its backdrop, South Bend Tribune ND beat writer Mike Berardino and columnist Tom Noie break down the Irish chances at a signature victory that would propel them into the College Football Playoff conversation. They are joined this week by former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire, who says this is a "can't miss" opportunity and a chance to "change the narrative" moving forward.  

SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame football has a huge game coming up. And it's not this weekend. As the ninth-ranked Irish (3-0) prepare to take care of its housekeeping at home Saturday against Central Michigan (1-1), it's the Sept. 23 matchup with No. 6 Ohio State at Notre Dame Stadium that casts a shadow over the Chippewa's trip to South Bend. South Bend Tribune ND beat writer Mike Berardino and columnist Tom Noie are joined on this week's Pod of Gold podcast by Columbus Dispatch sports columnist Rob Oller, to NOT talk about Central Michigan. Instead Oller helps breaks down the Irish vs. Buckeyes matchup that is expected to have College Football Playoff implications. This week's Pod of Gold was recorded live at the WNDU Studios in South Bend, home of the Countdown to Kickoff pregame show before each Notre Dame football game. Kickoff Saturday against the Chippewas is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.  

SOUTH BEND — After impressive and appropriate blowout wins against Navy and Tennessee State, Notre Dame football (2-0) gets its first true road test of the 2023 season when it visits N.C. State at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C. Saturday. The Irish are 0-1 in Raleigh, losing to the Wolfpack in 2016. South Bend Tribune ND beat writer Mike Berardino and columnist Tom Noie are joined on this week's Pod of Gold podcast by Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer to breakdown an Irish defense yet to give up a touchdown, how Notre Dame is perceived in the ACC and what the Wolfpack brings to the table Saturday. Kickoff Saturday on ABC is scheduled for noon EDT.  

SOUTH BEND — We brush off the jet lag following Notre Dame Football's season-opening 42-3 "Irish invasion" victory over Navy in Dublin, Ireland with another edition of Pod of Gold. South Bend Tribune ND beat writer Mike Berardino and columnist Tom Noie break down how good this Notre Dame team is (best since 2012?), discuss Irish quarterback Sam Hartman's ceiling after tossing four touchdown passes and look ahead to Tennessee State in Saturday's home opener. Kickoff for the first ever Notre Dame matchup with an Historically Black College or University is 3:30 p.m.

  SOUTH BEND — The 2023 Notre Dame Football season is upon as thousands of passport-holding Irish fans make the trek across the Atlantic for a Week Zero matchup with Navy Saturday at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. ET. On this edition of Pod of Gold, Notre Dame football beat writers Mike Berardino, and Tom Noie set the stage for Game Week and talk depth chart surprises, sight seeing on the Emerald Isle and throw out a prediction of two. They are joined by special guest — direct from Ireland — Column Cronin, co-host of the Irish NFL Show, "Ireland's Premier American Football Outlet.. This week's Pod of Gold was recorded at the WNDU-TV studios in South Bend, home of the "Countdown to Kickoff" Notre Dame football pregame show on NBC. Cheers!  

  SOUTH BEND — As Notre Dame football prepares to fly across The Pond next week for its season opener against Navy in Dublin, Ireland, this week's Pod of Gold podcast implores the expertise of Len Clarke for getting around and enjoying The Big Smoke ahead of the Big Game. Clark assembled a 100-page guide to Dublin for Irish Illustrated ahead of the Saturday, Aug. 26 game vs. the Midshipmen at Aviva Stadium. The two teams last played at The Pale for 2012's season opener, a season that ended with the Irish losing to Alabama in the BCS National Championship game. Beyond Clark's guide to Ireland, Notre Dame football beat writers Mike Berardino, and Austin Hough talk through South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com staff predictions regarding Notre Dame's upcoming 2023 season, as well as this year's choices for team captains. This week's Pod of Gold was recorded at the WNDU-TV studios in South Bend, home of the "Countdown to Kickoff" Notre Dame football pregame show. Cheers!    

  SOUTH BEND — Could a Notre Dame win over Ohio State on Sept. 23 come to be known as "The Green Pants Game?" In this week's South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com Pod of Gold podcast, Notre Dame football beat writers Mike Berardino, and Tom Noie talk Irish fashion, Jerry Maguire and what's to be gleaned so far from Irish fall camp. They are also joined in the WNDU-TV studios by special guest John Brice of Footballscoop.com, who provides insight on Notre Dame's place in conference realignment, the reported Under Armour apparel extension and narrowing the speed gap.   

Notre Dame football officially begins its 2023 campaign with the opening of fall camp Wednesday, July 26, 2023. ND Insider's "Pod of Gold" podcast previews what to look for in head coach Marcus Freeman's second season. South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com Irish beat writers Mike Berardino and Tom Noie, along with WNDU-TV sports director Matt Loch, delve into grad transfer QB Sam Hartman's impact, who's going to catch his passes and how the defensive front is going to bring the pressure. Plus the South Bend Tribune's Austin Hough points out the trap games on Notre Dame's schedule. 

ND Insider's "Pod of Gold" podcast is back. South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com Irish beat writers Mike Berardino and Tom Noie, along with WNDU-TV sports director Matt Loch, unpack Saturday's soggy Blue-Gold Game, address QB's Tyler Buchner's defection to the Alabama Crimson Tide, break down Notre Dame players in the NFL Draft and even chat a little Irish basketball and baseball.  0:25 - Former Notre Dame QB Tyler Buchner headed to Alabama and what are ND's options to backup Sam Hartman 6:20 - Other Notre Dame players in the transfer portal 12:55 - How is the portal changing college football 17:50 - Blue-Gold Game recap 21:40 - How many Notre Dame players will be picked in the 2023 NFL Draft 28:15 - How is Micah Shrewsberry's ND men's basketball staff and roster shaping up? 33:10 - Florida State baseball coach Link Jarrett returns to South Bend to face his former Irish squad      

Much has changed since Bob Chmiel was Notre Dame football's recruiting coordinator in the 1990s under former head coach Lou Holtz. Chmiel joined South Bend Tribune and ND Insider “Pod of Gold” hosts Mike Berardino and Fernando Ramirez this week to discuss the current Irish recruiting push, his reverence for the University growing up as a Catholic kid from Chicago, and the direction of the program under first-year coach Marcus Freeman.

Disregard that football in the Pod of Gold logo today. Imagine instead a baseball. Because that's what ND Insider and South Bend Tribune columnist Tom Noie is talking about on this episode as the Irish are set to play in their first College World Series since 2002. That's two decades for those scoring at home. Joining Tom is Footballscoop.com's John Brice, a college football and baseball expert who used to cover University of Tennessee athletics. Notre Dame punched its ticket to Omaha with a three-game Super Regional upset of the No. 1 Volunteers in Knoxville. The Irish open CWS play Friday at 7 p.m. (ET) against Texas.