How about an Irish miracle season?

[PJWhitfield]

The unchanging, hopeless look
Out of which all miracles leap
--James Dickey in At Darien Bridge

OK, here's the Hail Mary season: Navy (Kelly goes 2-1, no big deal), Purdue (tougher but Irish make it five in a row), Michigan State (Kelly improves to 2-1 vs. Spartans), Michigan (Irish finally make up four-point differences in past two years), Miami (2010 all over again), Stanford (Luckless Cardinal finally lose), Brigham Young (10-3 last year but three wins by slim margins; Irish pull it off), Oklahoma (hey, Coach Terry Brennan beat a much better Okie team with less), Pittsburgh (not easy but Kelly goes 3-0), Boston College (always tough but Luke Kuechly is gone), Wake Forest (offensive line has lost four starters), and USC (the biggest leap but hey realists should be reading some other post or at least drinking a lot more than they are). Irish win to the 12th power and go bowling!

 

[Irish YJ]

Whatever your smoking, I like it. Pass me some. Go Irish.

 

[TheRealLynch51]

The unchanging, hopeless look
Out of which all miracles leap
--James Dickey in At Darien Bridge

OK, here's the Hail Mary season: Navy (Kelly goes 2-1, no big deal), Purdue (tougher but Irish make it five in a row), Michigan State (Kelly improves to 2-1 vs. Spartans), Michigan (Irish finally make up four-point differences in past two years), Miami (2010 all over again), Stanford (Luckless Cardinal finally lose), Brigham Young (10-3 last year but three wins by slim margins; Irish pull it off), Oklahoma (hey, Coach Terry Brennan beat a much better Okie team with less), Pittsburgh (not easy but Kelly goes 3-0), Boston College (always tough but Luke Kuechly is gone), Wake Forest (offensive line has lost four starters), and USC (the biggest leap but hey realists should be reading some other post or at least drinking a lot more than they are). Irish win to the 12th power and go bowling!

I am in like flynn my man!!

 

[ulukinatme]

It's so tough to run the table when you have trap games and an average schedule...let alone Oklahoma, USC, Michigan, Michigan State, Miami, and Stanford on the schedule. Then theres always Boston College who tends to play us tough in our best seasons, Navy who has given us trouble in recent years, and then Pittsburgh.

What the hell, we're going 12-0! (Drinks Koolaid)

 

[Zwidmanio]

Why not? We have equal or better talent than 10 out of 12 teams this year; the other two being USC and Oklahoma (pretty obviously I suppose). I feel that we were extremely unlucky last year and if that turns around (or even better, balances out last year), we could upset a few teams and actually do it.

Ahhh, I love the excitement and optimism of late summer.

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

When was our last upset that was meaningful nationally? I'm struggling here, it had to be in the 90's. I remember beating a pretty good Texas team that was a pretty big surprise. Or is the last important upset really the 93 Florida State game? Man, its been a while.

Beating Oklahoma would be a pretty big upset, and nationally important. I've talked myself into this being a potential turning point for the program.

 

[Kanye West]

When was our last upset that was meaningful nationally? I'm struggling here, it had to be in the 90's. I remember beating a pretty good Texas team that was a pretty big surprise. Or is the last important upset really the 93 Florida State game? Man, its been a while.

Beating Oklahoma would be a pretty big upset, and nationally important. I've talked myself into this being a potential turning point for the program.

2002 vs Florida State.
2005 vs Michigan

Those 2 were return to glory type seasons, and nothing ever happened after it.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

I feelin bold and predicting a ND win in Norman!

 

[FLDomer]

I feelin drunk and predicting a ND win in Norman!

fixed it

 

[tommyIRISH23]

fixed it

haha ancient greek oracles were high as kites predicting the future and they made out pretty well....

 

[Rhode Irish]

It's so tough to run the table when you have trap games and an average schedule...let alone Oklahoma, USC, Michigan, Michigan State, Miami, and Stanford on the schedule. Then theres always Boston College who tends to play us tough in our best seasons, Navy who has given us trouble in recent years, and then Pittsburgh.

What the hell, we're going 12-0! (Drinks Koolaid)

Maybe this isn't the right place to note this, but Miami is going to be terrible. They may only win 2 or 3 games. They may have a little more talent on their roster than BC or Wake, but they are a mess. I wouldn't be shocked if Miami finishes the season as the worst team on our schedule.

 

[jason_h537]

I just don't see it with the CB"s on the roster. I can see having a better season than 8 wins (which is what I expect) but Oklahoma, BYU, and USC are going to give ND fits without some breaks. Big Breaks. Like injuries and turnover breaks.

 

[Rhode Irish]

I just don't see it with the CB"s on the roster. I can see having a better season than 8 wins (which is what I expect) but Oklahoma, BYU, and USC are going to give ND fits without some breaks. Big Breaks. Like injuries and turnover breaks.

I agree on Oklahoma and USC....but BYU? I'm finding it very difficult to get worked up about them.

 

[Patulski]

I think if ND is going to surprise people they are going to have to get contributions by more athletically gifted athletes at WR and Safety. Goodman, Toma, McCarthy and Motta are not high caliber players. I predict at least two if not four will be surpassed by youngsters by the end of the season, if not sooner.

 

[loomis41973]

Bong hits for everyone.

 

[WabashFalcon]

I can only wish. And pray.

 

[BobD]

I think the general theme for this season will be, "Well, its about damned time!"

 

[tommyIRISH23]

I just don't see it with the CB"s on the roster. I can see having a better season than 8 wins (which is what I expect) but Oklahoma, BYU, and USC are going to give ND fits without some breaks. Big Breaks. Like injuries and turnover breaks.

SC is very talented but not deep. The game is at the end of the season, and SC is liable to be banged up. If ND can keep it close into the 4th Q our rotating Dline wll have fresh legs and hopefully beable to get to Barkley. I think that is our only shot, we need a few breaks, not major, just nothing going against us (99 yard fumble return).

I feel like ND Oklahoma will be higher scoring like 37-31 bc both secondaries are suspect. But, again, our front 7 will keep us in a lot of games. If we can be average on offense, and not last in TO margin...we could be a pretty good team

 

[tommyIRISH23]

I think the general theme for this season will be, "Well, its about damned time!"

Boom

 

[jason_h537]

I agree on Oklahoma and USC....but BYU? I'm finding it very difficult to get worked up about them.

BYU is good, they can beat ND and beat them badly. I think ND wins the game but they pose a major match up problem.

 

[NDhoosier]

BYU is good, they can beat ND and beat them badly. I think ND wins the game but they pose a major match up problem.

lol why? because they won 10 games last year against one of the worst schedules in the country? seriously, how can you be impressed with BYU's ten wins and blow-out loses to actual quality teams. BYU is highly overrated on this board simply because of their record. If ND played that schedule last year, they probably would have gone undefeated and still wouldnt have made it to the Title Game.

 

[woolybug25]

BYU is good, they can beat ND and beat them badly. I think ND wins the game but they pose a major match up problem.

I'm with the other dudes... BYU wasn't nearly as good as their record last year. Any team can win on any given Gameday, but Joseph Smith would have to fall from the heavens and land on Brian Kelly for them to beat us badly.

Their magic underwear wont be helping them this season...

 

[PraetorianND]

BYU - 2011

Mississippi
W 14 - 13

Texas
L 17 - 16

Utah
L 54 - 10

Central Florida
W 24 - 17

Utah State
W 27 - 24

San Jose State
W 29 - 16

Saturday
Oct. 15th

Oregon State
W 38 - 28

Idaho State
W 56 - 3

TCU
L 38 - 28

Idaho
W 42 - 7

New Mexico State
W 42 - 7

Hawaii
W 41 - 20

Tulsa - Armed Forces Bowl
W 24 - 21

 

[NDinFL]

I see a lot of close games there^

 

[jason_h537]

Hmmm they go 4-5 deep at WR and have averaged 10 wins the last 3 yaers and at best we have 3 CB's the coaches trust, and that is being generous. Not to mention a habit of losing games they should easily win. You guys are right, ND will be fine.

 

[NDinFL]

Hmmm they go 4-5 deep at WR and have averaged 10 wins the last 3 yaers and at best we have 3 CB's the coaches trust, and that is being generous. Not to mention a habit of losing games they should easily win. You guys are right, ND will be fine.

Ahhh the Jason we all missed.... He truly is back.

Actually though, I agree with Jason.

We can play the "they have a weak schedule" blahblahblah game all we want

As a matter of fact we HAVE played that game (USF, Tulsa)

We should beat BYU, but I personally won't be surprised if they put around 30 on us.

 

[jason_h537]

Ahhh the Jason we all missed.... He truly is back.

Actually though, I agree with Jason.

We can play the "they have a weak schedule" blahblahblah game all we want

As a matter of fact we HAVE played that game (USF, Tulsa)

We should beat BYU, but I personally won't be surprised if they put around 30 on us.

Thank you. I think ND wins the game but BYU is a good team whose strengths exploit ND's weakness. Yet people laugh like it's Army

 

[PraetorianND]

Ahhh the Jason we all missed.... He truly is back.

Actually though, I agree with Jason.

We can play the "they have a weak schedule" blahblahblah game all we want

As a matter of fact we HAVE played that game (USF, Tulsa)

We should beat BYU, but I personally won't be surprised if they put around 30 on us.

We should beat every team on our schedule except OU and USC. Will that happen? Probably not.

 

[D-BOE34]

Hmmm they go 4-5 deep at WR and have averaged 10 wins the last 3 yaers and at best we have 3 CB's the coaches trust, and that is being generous. Not to mention a habit of losing games they should easily win. You guys are right, ND will be fine.

4-5 at BYU...

I do fear BYU because they will be "big headed" but when quarter 4 comes, they are done.

 

[NDinL.A.]

lol why? because they won 10 games last year against one of the worst schedules in the country? seriously, how can you be impressed with BYU's ten wins and blow-out loses to actual quality teams. BYU is highly overrated on this board simply because of their record. If ND played that schedule last year, they probably would have gone undefeated and still wouldnt have made it to the Title Game.

How???? We lost to a 5-7 team. A 5-7 team IN THE BIG EAST. A team that lost to Rutgers and UConn and who scored 3 pts against Miami. ND needed a last minute drive to beat a bad Pitt team, and beat a HORRIBLE BC team by 2 points. And you think we would have went undefeated (with our QB giving away that many turnovers)?

How many opponents do we have to overlook that eventually beat us for fans to understand that we shouldn't overlook ANYBODY anymore. Remember Navy (a few times)? Tulsa? UConn? A 2-8 Syracuse team? I could go on and on.

Wear your ND goggles and wear them proud, but don't bash jasonh on this one, because he's absolutely right in saying that BYU could handle ND if ND didn't come to play. He even said he thinks ND will win, but that BYU could win. I absolutely agree with him.

And btw, I don't see how you consider a one pt loss to Texas and a 10 pt loss to a surging TCU team 'blowouts'. They had one bad loss, to Utah. And once they gave the reins to Riley Nelson, they were really, really good. He didn't play vs. Utah, and against TCU, they had 3 (!!!) muffed punts which put them in a huge whole that he damn near took them out of. And the dude can run, and how many elusive QB's have killed us over the years?

Meanwhile, we don't even have an established QB yet, and we're expecting to walk over a ranked team with loads of returners? Sorry, I'm just not seeing it. There's a reason BYU is ranked in many polls. Oh, and we're playing them between Stanford and Oklahoma (trap game anyone?). It should be a battle...