i'd say anything less than 9-3 would be disappointing, and I base this solely on our schedule. the tough games are going to be GT, PSU, USC, UM, and UCLA. Out of GT, PSU, and UCLA, i think it's fair to expect 2 wins and one loss. i expect PSU to always be a bit offensively challenged, and CW hasn't had much trouble with their D just yet. UCLA might be better next year than this year, but i still think we'll be a better overall team. GT? I think this is our loss. they have other weapons at WR besides Johnson, and my guess is that their backup QB is better than Ball, he was just starting because of leadership. and that defense is always good.
i think you see the character of ND change drastically next year. i say we'll run the ball a whole lot more (2/3 of the time), with walker and aldridge splitting most of the time. it's a whole lot easier to break in a new o-line running the ball. maybe that will create more ball control, keep our defense off the field a bit more.
maybe i'm too optimistic, but i do know that CW is a pretty good coach, and despite how young his team will be next year, you'd think that he will maximize their potency by utilizing strengths.
