The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had a great 2015 season, one that was better than many expectations. The Irish had a lot of returning starters in 2016, so the natural view was that the Irish were in for a big year. Instead, they cratered. How can they pick up the pieces and bounce all the way back to the top in 2017?
How Did They End 2016
In 2015, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish came very close to making the College Football Playoff. In 2016, the Fighting Irish fell apart. The start of a season can always be difficult for a team which excelled the year before. Notre Dame picked up losses to talented teams from Texas and Michigan State. The true disappointment of the 2016 season was found in the fact that Notre Dame didn’t really improve. The Irish fired their defensive coordinator a month into the season, but the team remained inconsistent throughout its journey. The Irish were blown out by USC. They lost a shootout to Duke. They blew a big lead in another game against Virginia Tech. They lost a close defensive struggle in wet and muddy conditions to North Carolina State. They allowed Navy to control the clock in a 28-27 loss despite a very efficient performance from their offense. Generally, Notre Dame’s loss were close, USC being the exception. Six came by no more than eight points, which is one possession. The Virginia Tech loss came in Game 11 of the season and put the Irish at 4-7, knocking them out of bowl contention. Notre Dame was 2-3 after five games, 4-6 after 10, and then 4-8 to finish – no improvement ever surfaced for this frustrating team.
Offseason Changes
A bad season at Notre Dame means coaching changes. The opening day defensive coordinator, Brian VanGorder, was fired in the middle of the season. His full-time replacement was hired this past fall. Mike Elko, formerly the defensive coordinator at Wake Forest, will take over. Elko led Wake’s resurgence last season and made a name for himself in the industry.
The offense also got a new coordinator, but for a different reason. Mike Sanford, Jr. took the head coaching job at Western Kentucky. Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly selected Chip Long of Memphis to replace him. Memphis did extremely well on offense last season, but Long wanted the challenge of Notre Dame instead of staying on with a potent attack in Memphis. Long faces more pressure than almost any other offensive coordinator in the country.
Team X-Factor
Quarterback Brandon Wimbush will be the opening day starter, stepping into one of the most pressure-packed situations in all of college football. United with Long, a new coordinator, it is up to Wimbush to succeed where DeShone Kizer failed last season. So much is riding on how Wimbush takes over the offense and restores a healthy culture in South Bend.
What To Expect From The Notre Dame Fighting Irish This Year
The Fighting Irish had a ton of talent last year. They underperformed to an extent which still seems impossible… but it happened. People who think this team will be average are probably discounting how many good players Notre Dame has. This team will not struggle to make a bowl game.
Record Last 5 Seasons
2016: 4-8
2015: 10-3
2014: 8-5
2013: 9-4
2012: 12-1
Schedule and Outlook
The really big game is in Week 2 at home against Georgia. If Notre Dame wins that one, it can make a run at nine or even 10 wins. If it loses, the season will probably fall in the seven- to eight-win range. On balance, Notre Dame should be 4-1 after five games. If it can go 6-1 in its seven home-field or neutral-site games, there are enough road wins on the schedule (Boston College, Michigan State) to make the Irish feel comfortable about a bowl game and decent prospects for 2018. This won’t be a runaway success story – that’s next year. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will fundamentally stabilize this season. If they hit seven wins or less, it could cost Brian Kelley his job but we’re expecting at least eight. Go over.
Regular Season Win Prediction: Over 7.5
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