What Are Your Expectations For 2008 Irish?

[Golden Domer93]

I expect a 9-3 season or 8-4 at worse and many breakout stars like Duval Kamara, Brian Smith and Robert Hughes to emerge as well as many of the freshman on defense. If we finish 9-3 it will be a springboard to a National Title run in 2009.

 

[irishmarine]

i am expecting between 6 and 8 wins. they could go on and win up to ten games if they get lucky bounces and do some things right but until the line shows that they can block im still iffy

 

[notredomer23]

Exactly what Marine said. Minus the 6 to 8 wins. I am fully expecting a 180 degree turn around from the line and Notre Dame will atleast go 9-3. AND we will win a bowl game against the Criminoles or Convicts in the Gator

 

[KamaraPolice]

I think anywhere in the 11-13 win category will be good for me. We may lose to USC but still get to the National Title game, in which case 11 wins would be acceptable. However, 12-1 is about what im hoping for.

Maybe a top 5 heisman candidate as well.

 

[NDsuperfan09]

7 wins at least. A bowl win. A solid defense that shows improvement all over the field. An offense that shows balance. Special Teams that aren't flat out pathetic. A kick return for a TD. An upset victory. All of these are more than realistic for the year. This will give us a foundation to build on for 2009 so we can return to a BCS game. 2010 (if guys like Clausen, Kamara, Hughes, Smith, Walls, McNeil, Brown, etc don't leave early) is going to be the next best shot we have at contending for a national title.

 

[Golden Domer93]

irishmarine and nd23, who do you expect the Irish to lose to

 

[IHateMarkMay]

I would love to see an 8 and 4 campaign.. However, if we go 7 and 5 and win a second tier bowl, i'd be ecstatic as well.

 

[Golden Domer93]

I think even 8-4 and 7-5 would be an improvement over last season and a springboard into 2009.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

I want a winning record, vast improvement on both sides of the ball, and to be in every game until the final minutes.

 

[Golden Domer93]

Sounds like a start Gioa

 

[notredomer23]

Honestly, the only losses SHOULD be to MSU and USC. I think we will lose MAYBE to Pitt or UNC, but not both or maybe even neither. We could beat MSU too, but we wont. USC is USC. 11-1 is if we play perfect games in the 3 i mentioned. 8-4 if the mental mistakes continue, but 9-3 or 10-2 being a decent chance

 

[GO IRISH!!!]

Not talking about records here, but there are a few goals I would like to see achieved: The first one might occur on the first play of the game - a kickoff that goes into the end zone. I also will be looking for a kickoff or punt return for TD. Other things I am looking for will be a big gain on a rushing play and a play action pass for a big gain.

The other thing I want to see (which some may not agree with me on) has to do with the fire, intensity, and nastiness we have all heard so much about - I want to see someone stand up and get in someone's face when the QB gets hit late! More than a few times last season, Jimmy got popped late and no one got in the guys' faces or pushed back. That needs to stop. Guys like Jeff Faine or Aaron Taylor would not have let someone hit their QB late without some sort of retaliation. I am not for stupid penalties, but you have to stand up for your boys.

I have a good feeling about this year! I really think we are going to be better than a lot of people think.

18 days and counting! Go Irish!!!

 

[Golden Domer93]

I think MSU, Purdue and Michigan are all beatable and down from last season and we are obviously much better.

 

[IrishRamMan10]

Ima start with an SDSU win. i will reevaluate after that game

 

[NDsuperfan09]

Honestly, the only losses SHOULD be to MSU and USC. I think we will lose MAYBE to Pitt or UNC, but not both or maybe even neither. We could beat MSU too, but we wont. USC is USC. 11-1 is if we play perfect games in the 3 i mentioned. 8-4 if the mental mistakes continue, but 9-3 or 10-2 being a decent chance

Pitt is a team we shouldn't lose to under any circumstance. They have a decent defense and they have LeSean McCoy. We could have beat Pitt last year. There is no reason for us to lose to them this year. Plus Wannstedt is still coaching.

 

[Mare426]

Wins this season

Wins this season

I am hoping for at least 8-4. 10-2 would be even better. Plus the Irish to go to a bowl game and win!!!!

 

[Golden Domer93]

10-2 would be BCS bound for Irish.

 

[JeremyND07]

I have one goal for the irish this year...the OL needs to block a lot better. Everything else will take care of itself.

 

[Irish Legend]

9 wins. 8 at the least.

 

[WordsofanIrishman]

I have thought about this since last year and i came down to this.
* 2008 finish in the top 25 and a bowl win
* 2009 Finish in the top 10 with a BCS win
* 2010 National Championship bound

I would love to see a plus 7 game win turn around. I am telling everyone undefeated my y year old asked me and i told him we will win em all. I think the above scenerio is more likley and would give great building blocks for the future.

 

[Golden Domer93]

Jeremy well said about the o-line.

 

[fightinirish68]

lets get real here...how do any of u think we will win 10 games..yall do realize that we went 3-9 last year. offensively we were a mess las year. blame it on the backs if u want but the line sucks. defensively we couldnt stop the run. hopefully tenuta will help with that.and we were 2nd in the nation on pass defense...but mostly bc we got an on all day so no one had to pass. 6-6/7-5 max

 

[Golden Domer93]

fightinirish98, glad your here but lets be a little more positive. I stand by my 11-1 or 10-2 prediction.

 

[DaLastFarleyite]

I project 7 or 8 wins. That represents a nice turn around when compared to 3 wins a year ago.

While I expect the O line to improve....the question is by how much. Couple that with a lingering thinness in depth on the line (heaven forbid any early season injuries) and I can't get optimistic enough to go beyond 8 at best.

I also do not think we're good enough at wide receiver yet to top 8. IMO we're slow at wideout and we can't stretch the field enough to help the running game.

I agree with the predictions being made for 2009 and 2010. If the coaches can continue to develop the players and maintain recruiting momentum, we should get 10 in 2009 and 10++ in 2010.

The offense was pathetic in 2007 and should be serviceable in 2008, but not a scoring machine. The defense was respectable in 2007 (they spent a ton of time on the field in 2007 because of all of the 3 and outs and the frequent "retreat" by the offense via sacks and other lost yardage plays. This year I see them not allowing an average of more than 20 points per game.

After saying all of the above, if ND is plus 12 in turnover margin, they could get to 9 wins.

 

[SouthernIrish]

I expect 8-4 and win a bowl game.

next year though...

 

[Golden Domer93]

I think if we play well and the freshman class steps up we can be very very good.

 

[fightinirish68]

we all know we arent that great of a team. as of right now we are mediocre. we may have the talented frosh like florida, usc, and georgias, but our on field speed and athleticism is nowhere close. im not tryin to be negative but people are talkin about a 7 or 8game+ difference. it takes more than a year for that big of a turnaround. msu, mich, bc, purdue are all games even espn analyst say are a toss up due to key losses and young talent playng dominant roles

 

[SoCalDomer]

even espn analyst

you may have valid points, but those folks aren't authorites. the espn people under research and over sensationalize.

 

[notredomer23]

lets get real here...how do any of u think we will win 10 games..yall do realize that we went 3-9 last year. offensively we were a mess las year. blame it on the backs if u want but the line sucks. defensively we couldnt stop the run. hopefully tenuta will help with that.and we were 2nd in the nation on pass defense...but mostly bc we got an on all day so no one had to pass. 6-6/7-5 max

7-5 MAX? Max is what got me. I can understand if you said 7-5 or 6-6, but saying MAX????? MARK MAY

 

[notredomer23]

I will seriously bet you money fightingirish68 that we ATLEAST win 8 games