ESPN's 2012 pre-season rankings

[Grahambo]

7-5 and below will be a complete disappointment

8-4: Meh, really depends on how we get to 8-4

9-3: 60/40 happy

10-2: 70/30 being happy with the season but being upset we still can't get past USC and losing a big game to OU. Or we lose to some crappy teams but beat the tough teams.

11-1: Very happy

12-0:

 

[IrishAlum1997]

I'll lay off a homer prediction for now, but how anyone can be thrilled with anything less than 10-3 blows my mind.

9-4 means yet another year of questions marks, and probably not winning a game on a "big" stage. It might be ok with a rookie under center, but a Jr. 3rd year starter should be carrying an offense at this point, and that kind of record would clearly indicate otherwise. And sorry, beating Michigan at home this year should NOT be considered a big win this year, I don't care where the Hype Machine will rank them to start the year.

We have a front 7 that many think can be elite THIS YEAR. An experienced O-line, an elite TE, an explosive special teams threat.....why are we waiting for 2013?

All of the talent in the cupboard and another Champs/Sun Bowl kind of season WILL affect recruiting a lot more than losing a WR and CB late in the recruiting cycle.

Protect this house, and beat the teams you should beat on the road. Throw in a win over USC OR Oklahoma, and you have a top 3 recruiting class next year and the foundation for a decade of top 10 seasons. This team SHOULD be there now.

No more phorking pessimism.

 

[BurningRiver]

If I don't get into Notre Dame next year, this could be my last year as a hardcore fan for a while. So take me out with a bang, National Championship style.

Of course, when I get in, we can keep winning national championships

 

[Irish YJ]

Call me a homer but if a viable QB steps up we can win every game on that schedule.

It's a matter of being able to sustain a winning attitude and mindset the whole time. It can be tough for a program that has been down to do that.

The onus is obviously on Kelly to have these kids knowing they will win week in and week out.

But like I said, without a capable field general all we'll hear is confident excuses and resolutions to get better and keep striving yada yada yada.

Hey Homer, you're abso-"f"ing-lutely correct.

 

[phgreek]

Man there are some Negative Nancys around here. We should be 11-0 heading in to USC.

your sarcasm font must be broken...hehehe

 

[irshtrain]

Time to make this comment when talking schedule/power rankings/Notre Dame's position on the college football landscape. "When Notre Dame wins its bigger than any damn conference". The nation is waiting-watch what happens when the Irish start to win in a season like they used to. Just one season-and you will see such an outpouring of national love that any conference would be jealous of. The catch is to win then the players will come to the point that you will have to turn away some quaility guys. This is precisely why the other schools want to keep Notre Dame under their boot-they dont want to deal with what they know will happen when Notre Dame wins. Ara knew it, Devine Knew it, Holtz knew it. If it happens you will see such an outpouring of national acclaim that it will make any other phenomenun in college football look insignificant. Can they do it? Has the knew pro football minor league passed Notre Dame by? God Bless Notre Dame. Go Irish.

 

[Irish Insanity]

0-12 at worse. 12-0 at best.

Realistically 10-2 or 9-3. Between Oklahoma, USC, Michigan, and a possible unfortunate usual stumble or 2.

 

[NDPhilly]

Currently listenining to the latest ISD show. They just talked about WR and how you don't need elite personel to run it. They also think TJ should be moved inside but since he who shall not be named decommitted we need him outside.

Driskell said that he wasn't sure if Molnar was going to be at ND much longer anyway considering the average to below average job he did.

Now onto DBs. Driskell just made a prediction that 2012 Bennett Jackson will be better than 2011 Rob Blanton and 2010 Gary Gray. He said that Bennett really turned it on late in the year and he should continue to impress.

 

[phork]

IN truth your offense doesn't need to be spectacular, see Bama, Ala & SU, L. No fumbles and stupid passes. Be able to run and stop the run.

 

[irishff1014]

Currently listenining to the latest ISD show. They just talked about WR and how you don't need elite personel to run it. They also think TJ should be moved inside but since he who shall not be named decommitted we need him outside.

Driskell said that he wasn't sure if Molnar was going to be at ND much longer anyway considering the average to below average job he did.

Now onto DBs. Driskell just made a prediction that 2012 Bennett Jackson will be better than 2011 Rob Blanton and 2010 Gary Gray. He said that Bennett really turned it on late in the year and he should continue to impress.

Good to hear this about Bennett.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Now onto DBs. Driskell just made a prediction that 2012 Bennett Jackson will be better than 2011 Rob Blanton and 2010 Gary Gray. He said that Bennett really turned it on late in the year and he should continue to impress.

From your lips to God's ears, Coach D.

Seriously though, that would be huge. Best news I've heard all day.

 

[NDhoosier]

Call me a homer but if a viable QB steps up we can win every game on that schedule.

Agreed, that could have also applied to the 2011 season as well in my opinion...

 

[Irish YJ]

Agreed, that could have also applied to the 2011 season as well in my opinion...

We were probably 6 turnovers away from having a sensational season......

 

[NDhoosier]

We were probably 6 turnovers away from having a sensational season......

I would say only 4...

fumbled TD recovery ON THE 1 YD LINE against USF
fumbled TD recovery ON THE 1 YD LINE against USC
INT against scUM (really any one TO in the game would have sealed it for us, so take your pick) If we had only 2 turnovers that game, we would have won by 17 points...
Early pick against Stanford could have changed momentum. would have been a tough game regardless though.

11-1 would be my prediction...

 

[phork]

We were probably 6 turnovers away from having a sensational season......

I would say only 4...

fumbled TD recovery ON THE 1 YD LINE against USF
fumbled TD recovery ON THE 1 YD LINE against USC
INT against scUM (really any one TO in the game would have sealed it for us, so take your pick) If we had only 2 turnovers that game, we would have won by 17 points...
Early pick against Stanford could have changed momentum. would have been a tough game regardless though.

11-1 would be my prediction...

If you are going to list the plays they went against us, please list the plays that went for us and prevented upsets at the hands off Pitt, Wake and BC.

 

[NDhoosier]

If you are going to list the plays they went against us, please list the plays that went for us and prevented upsets at the hands off Pitt, Wake and BC.

We played horrible against those teams and still won. I am not bothered by lesser teams...

 

[DillonHall]

All good breaks for ND are deserved and earned; all bad breaks are due to bad luck.

 

[phork]

We played horrible against those teams and still won. I am not bothered by lesser teams...

But you can't discount those games if you are running up hypothetical games as wins.

 

[palinurus]

Fwiw, Bleacher Report has two Stanford OLs going in the first round of the NFL draft, along with, of course, Luck, plus Fleener, a top TE in, perhaps, the second round. Really hard to believe they are going to be nearly as good next season with those kinds of losses.

 

[NDhoosier]

But you can't discount those games if you are running up hypothetical games as wins.

just did. We had bad luck throughout the season with a terrible QB... But even with all that, we are still better than the teams you listed...

 

[DillonHall]

just did. We had bad luck throughout the season with a terrible QB... But even with all that, we are still better than the teams you listed...

I can't tell if you're being serious

 

[phork]

just did. We had bad luck throughout the season with a terrible QB... But even with all that, we are still better than the teams you listed...

I am not disagreeing with you. But you can't just arbitrarily say that without those fumbles we win all those games while ignoring games we could have outright lost to inferior teams.

 

[ThePiombino]

Fwiw, Bleacher Report has two Stanford OLs going in the first round of the NFL draft, along with, of course, Luck, plus Fleener, a top TE in, perhaps, the second round. Really hard to believe they are going to be nearly as good next season with those kinds of losses.

Why is it that you expect Stanford to lose a couple of "key" pieces plus their best offensive weapon, and get worse; yet we lose a couple of "key" pieces and our best offensive weapon, and you expect us to get better?

I do think the gap will be smaller next year between us and them, but I also think that has more to do with the depth that Kelly is building than anything else.

 

[Dizzyphil]

ESPN pre-season ratings are about as funny as Bleacher Report saying the Irish are one of the top 10 teams to go undefeated in 2012.... smh.....


Diz

 

[NDPhilly]

Post from some guy on the II boards.

During his weekly spot on bill king this am he was discussing kiel or golson playing time.
he said flat out everett golson is a gamer. Said he saw him play vs good teams and did things few qb's he had seen could do, e.g. run the option when he had to in a. Key game. Basically said that golson is highly unerlooked and because of his multi sport background and expereince as a leader could be just what the doctor ordered if he can gain chemistty with a few WR's. It seems that there is something special in this kid, not too many lower ranked qb's get this much talk.

 

[BGIF]

Why is it that you expect Stanford to lose a couple of "key" pieces plus their best offensive weapon, and get worse; yet we lose a couple of "key" pieces and our best offensive weapon, and you expect us to get better? ...

DING!, DING!, DING!

It is a two edged sword.

Reps TP!

 

[phork]

Its those damn green colored glasses again.

 

[IrishLax]

DING!, DING!, DING!

It is a two edged sword.

Reps TP!

I completely disagree with Piombino, actually.

Stanford loses 2 Top 5 OL, their best (or second best) receiver, and is replacing a #1 overall pick at QB who was beyond dominant in college.

ND loses 1 go-to WR... and that's really it. We will have better QB play from Tommy as he ages OR a new QB with a better skill set so our QB situation is getting better. We're going to be replacing two non-NFL caliber OL with guys who most experts think have much higher ceilings, our All-American TE is back, and our RB situation will be the same or better with Cierre + Theo + maybe someone else.

So ND upgrades all positions except WR. Stanford downgrades all positions across the board except for maybe RB. I don't see how the situations are comparable. Especially when you consider how important QB play is to a team. You don't lose a true centerpiece QB like Luck, Manning, Bray, Griffin, etc. from your football team at any level and just move along with business as usual. There will be growing pains for Stanford.

 

[NDhoosier]

I completely disagree with Piombino, actually.

Stanford loses 2 Top 5 OL, their best (or second best) receiver, and is replacing a #1 overall pick at QB who was beyond dominant in college.

ND loses 1 go-to WR... and that's really it. We will have better QB play from Tommy as he ages OR a new QB with a better skill set so our QB situation is getting better. We're going to be replacing two non-NFL caliber OL with guys who most experts think have much higher ceilings, our All-American TE is back, and our RB situation will be the same or better with Cierre + Theo + maybe someone else.

So ND upgrades all positions except WR. Stanford downgrades all positions across the board except for maybe RB. I don't see how the situations are comparable. Especially when you consider how important QB play is to a team. You don't lose a true centerpiece QB like Luck, Manning, Bray, Griffin, etc. from your football team at any level and just move along with business as usual. There will be growing pains for Stanford.

Agreed, there are only 3 players we are losing that will hurt a little bit.
Michael Floyd - Biggest talent leaving, but this may be a good thing in my opinion. I have been saying this on couple irish boards. When a WR like Floyd leaves, half the time the WR core gets better because each WR gets a chance to step up. While I do not see DD or anyone stepping up to equal Floyd, I do expect the entire WR core to step up and become balanced
Harrison Smith - We will miss him at first, but with our front 7, our defense will be solid. We keep Slaughter and will probably have an equal CB situation. (I was never impressed with our senior corners this year) The FS position may have taken a hit, but its not a game changing hit.
Jonas Gray - Our running game will not take a hit. Wood will be tremendous in 2012 and there is plenty of depth behind him. We may get a running QB to add a threat in Golson or Hendrix. Also, we will probably have a better QB in 2012 so it will only help the run game. I am a fan of Gray, but his loss was felt at the end of this season, it wont be felt in 2012.

Stanford loses Luck, which is bigger than all 3 of these athletes combined because of his skill and his position. Stanford will not be the same team they were last year. I think their preseason ranking is a little high to be honest. I expect them to be a top 25 caliber team, but nothing in the top 10 or even 15.

 

[Kanye West]

It's Brian Kelly's 3rd year, 13-0 National champs.