{
  "id": 679884,
  "title": "Josh Pate's Comments About Notre Dame Will Make SEC Fans Mad",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/josh-pates-comments-about-notre-dame-will-make-sec-fans-mad",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-12T16:27:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/ncaa/josh-pates-comments-about-notre-dame-will-make-sec-fans-mad-12310971"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Notre Dame's star analyst, Josh Pate, has ignited SEC fan ire with his bold comments about the Fighting Irish's championship potential. During a recent show, Cowherd probed Pate about whether Notre Dame could claim the national title this season, and the analyst didn't mince words. \"If they played in the SEC, I think I'd pick them to win the SEC this year,\" Pate stated bluntly. He believed the team's abilities would be underestimated due to their unimpressive regular season schedule. This year's Fighting Irish squad, which included a memorable upset of 2024 SEC champions Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, could be a force to reckon with across the nation. However, Pate's comments are bound to ruffle some feathers in SEC territory. The Irish's run to the national championship last year ended with a loss to SEC power Texas A&M, and even a strong performance against Arkansas in their final CFP matchup wasn't enough to secure their spot. With a challenging regular season ahead, it seems Notre Dame will need to overcome a narrow margin for error to make the playoffs.",
  "summary": "College football analyst Josh Pate commented on how well Notre Dame would do if it played in the SEC this season.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}