Preliminary Reaction

In hindsight, obviously, the decision is not that difficult. Think about it.

The kicker is young. It's a 46 yard kick. The best possible result? Another OT.

The most important factor? You've already held ND to a field goal. The defense is not likely to do it again. The offense looks worse with each passing second. The QB is, to put it kindly, doing everything wrong. The line isn't giving him any time and the play calling is atrocious. In the next OT MSU has the ball first, giving Kelly the same benefit of knowing whether he needs a TD or just a field goal. As a coach what would you do? I think, although your odds are only about 25%* of completing the fake, you might only have a 25% chance of winning in another OT. That may be generous.

So, again with the benefit of hindsight, the call wasn't that ballsy. In fact, it may have been the logical thing to do.

*based on zero research, analysis, or expertise