And he probably thought he had decent odds of getting it considering the response the performance was getting.
Considering the buzz that surrounded Sandler after Uncut Gems debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival, it’s probably difficult to let some of that not get to you.
That, and frequently the Oscars have seemed to appreciate when comedic actors take a more dramatic turn.
Based on comments that Sandler had made publicly, while he might not have necessarily been expecting the nomination, he almost certainly wanted it and was hoping it would happen.