Preseason Rankings

[Old Man Mike]

I try to put myself into the place of a person who is actually trying to do this task [ranking]. To do that, I will have 100+ teams in mind, not just Notre Dame. I will also hope not to look like a complete dope, and embarrass myself, and not be "asked back" to do this again as an "expert". Having said that, if I have been paying attention to the last two seasons, I am in the majority of analysts who cannot believe that all the talent on this Notre Dame team has been so hamstrung by turnovers, and almost nothing but turnovers. [Take guys like Robert Smith who would pick ND week after week and then roll his eyes at how we'd blow the game. Smith was a long way from being alone in this].

That said: I the ranker-expert start slotting in all the usual suspects into the top 15 of my list, and then: who-the-heck else? These last ten will be the longshot intuitive picks. OK. Bang, bang, bang --- still mainly the usual suspects [including OSU/Meyer]. Lord!! Last five!! You know, Notre Dame is still loaded, even with that schedule. Maybe one of those QBs will finally figure it out. If he does, that's a manacled angry giant ready to bust loose. I can take a chance on putting them in there.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

We don't deserve to be ranked.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

That said: I the ranker-expert start slotting in all the usual suspects into the top 15 of my list, and then: who-the-heck else? These last ten will be the longshot intuitive picks. OK. Bang, bang, bang --- still mainly the usual suspects [including OSU/Meyer]. Lord!! Last five!! You know, Notre Dame is still loaded, even with that schedule. Maybe one of those QBs will finally figure it out. If he does, that's a manacled angry giant ready to bust loose. I can take a chance on putting them in there.

^

There's no science behind this, and it's largely a waste of time anyway. We have more talent than several teams that are ranked higher than us. If someone steps up at QB and FCB, we'll surprise a lot of people in 2012. If not, we're probably looking at another 8-5 season, and even then, we'll likely be flirting with the top 25 given our SoS.

There's really no reason to debate this.

 

[Buster Bluth]

The only thing worse than a meaningless poll is the argument that we don't deserve to be ranked...in a meaningless poll.

 

[NDhoosier]

The only thing worse than a meaningless poll is the argument that we don't deserve to be ranked...in a meaningless poll.

agreed

lets have a poll here on how we feel about the rankings. Are we:
A)Overrated
B)Ranked pretty accurately
C)even... underrated

 

[irishpat183]

They're being very kind. Especially with the questions at QB and in our secondary.

Oh, and our schedule doesn't help either.


I'm hoping that we shock the world and defy the odds.....but I'm staying with my 7-8 wins prediction.

Then we blow it up in 2013

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

8-5 without finding corners or a QB would be lucky with this schedule. 8-5 sounds like what would happen if we find one but not the other. If we don't find either, then 6-6 sounds right.

 

[Irish YJ]

Maybe a little generous, or about right. IDK, if Golson were already named the starter, Tee had stayed, we hadn't lost Lynch,,,,,I'd be saying mid teens. No QB, questions at DB, lack of home run WR,,,,, even with all that, we have a great OL, TE, RB, and DL.... I'm hoping we find answers early. If we do, look out world.

 

[Irish4Life09]

I love being highly overrated going into a new season...when was the last time we weren't? lmao

 

[phgreek]

I love being highly overrated going into a new season...when was the last time we weren't? lmao

1988

 

[ulukinatme]

OSU ranked that high?

They jump us after we play our spring game and they're at home eating cheeseburgers

I almost forgot about this, had to laugh

 

[Kansas Irish]

Athlon has us at #20.

Notre Dame | AthlonSports.com

 

[chubler]

Enjoying the healthy dose of realism.
But take a look at this profile of a certain team, year in and year out, and see what you think (hear me out here):

NFL-caliber o-line

stub RB(s)

1 good-to-very good pass catcher, either a TE or WR, and about 3 other schmucks who have no business catching footballs but benefit from the defense slanting their coverage towards the decent receiver

Game-managing quarterback, shellacked by fans every year for inability to make plays


Good-to-very good d-line

good-to-very good linebacker/safety play

unknown CB's who usually end up being solid-ish


This is how I would describe my favorite childhood team before I discovered our lovely Irish, the Wisconsin Badgers (except for the wonderful year of russel wilson.). They ride the running game on offense, pass to the go-to guy to set up the run, have mediocre to bad qb play usually, defend the run on defense, bend-but-dont-break in the passing game on D, and generally look a lot like our 2012 Fighting Irish.

Now, I'm not suggesting our O-line is as good as Wisco's. In fact, watching them both, I'd make fun of you if you said that. However, we're not too far off. We've got good enough RB's. I'll take our D-line and our Linebackers for 2012 over anything I've seen from Wisco in my life...

Back when OSU and Michigan were really good, these Wisco teams would cream the cupcakes and typically lose 2 out of 3 to OSU, Michigan, and PSU. So we'd finish with 9 or 10 wins, maybe 8 if we got upset, go to the outback or capital one bowl and wait for next year.

I think if we protect the ball like I'm used to seeing from Wisco, against the 2012 gauntlet we could reasonably pull out 9 wins, 10 if i get super optimistic. If we don't protect the ball, I'd say it sinks us down to 6 or 7 games.

Sorry about the length but it was an interesting parallel for me, especially as I leave Wisconsin for ND this summer...

 

[Kansas Irish]

I think if we protect the ball like I'm used to seeing from Wisco, against the 2012 gauntlet we could reasonably pull out 9 wins, 10 if i get super optimistic. If we don't protect the ball, I'd say it sinks us down to 6 or 7 games.

Yes, our O-line is showing great improvement and defense is a clear priority but it will take more than just protecting the ball to get those nine W's this season:

<table id="schedtable" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr id="1465524" title="2012,8,01,09,00,00" class="tr-hilite" bgcolor="#f1f1f1" valign="TOP"><td class="row-text">09/01/12</td> <td class="row-text">vs. Navy

</td> <td class="row-text">Dublin, Ireland</td> <td class="row-text">9:00 a.m. ET</td> </tr> <tr id="1465527" title="2012,8,08,15,30,00" class="" bgcolor="#d1d1d1" valign="TOP"> <td class="row-text">09/08/12</td> <td class="row-text">vs. Purdue

</td> <td class="row-text">Notre Dame, Ind.</td> <td class="row-text">3:30 p.m. ET</td> </tr> <tr id="1465603" title="2012,8,15,20,00,00" class="" bgcolor="#f1f1f1" valign="TOP"> <td class="row-text">09/15/12</td> <td class="row-text">at Michigan State

</td> <td class="row-text">East Lansing, Mich.</td> <td class="row-text">8:00 p.m. ET</td> </tr> <tr id="1465605" title="2012,8,22,19,30,00" class="" bgcolor="#d1d1d1" valign="TOP"> <td class="row-text">09/22/12</td> <td class="row-text">vs. Michigan

</td> <td class="row-text">Notre Dame, Ind.</td> <td class="row-text">7:30 p.m. ET</td> </tr> <tr id="1465612" title="2012,9,06,19,30,00" class="" bgcolor="#f1f1f1" valign="TOP"> <td class="row-text">10/06/12</td> <td class="row-text">vs. Miami

</td> <td class="row-text">Chicago, Ill.</td> <td class="row-text">7:30 p.m. ET</td> </tr> <tr id="1465610" title="2012,9,13,15,30,00" class="" bgcolor="#d1d1d1" valign="TOP"> <td class="row-text">10/13/12</td> <td class="row-text">vs. Stanford

</td> <td class="row-text">Notre Dame, Ind.</td> <td class="row-text">3:30 p.m. ET</td> </tr> <tr id="1465615" title="2012,9,20,15,30,00" class="" bgcolor="#d1d1d1" valign="TOP"> <td class="row-text">10/20/12</td> <td class="row-text">vs. BYU

</td> <td class="row-text">Notre Dame, Ind.</td> <td class="row-text">3:30 p.m. ET</td> </tr> <tr id="1465618" title="2012,9,27,23,59,00" class="event-listing" bgcolor="#f1f1f1" valign="TOP"> <td class="row-text">10/27/12</td> <td class="row-text">at Oklahoma

</td> <td class="row-text">Norman, Okla.</td> <td class="row-text">TBA</td> </tr> <tr id="1465620" title="2012,10,03,15,30,00" class="" bgcolor="#d1d1d1" valign="TOP"> <td class="row-text">11/03/12</td> <td class="row-text">vs. Pittsburgh

</td> <td class="row-text">Notre Dame, Ind.</td> <td class="row-text">3:30 p.m. ET</td> </tr> <tr id="1465623" title="2012,10,10,23,59,00" class="" bgcolor="#f1f1f1" valign="TOP"> <td class="row-text">11/10/12</td> <td class="row-text">at Boston College

</td> <td class="row-text">Chestnut Hill, Mass.</td> <td class="row-text">TBA</td> </tr> <tr id="1485089" title="2012,10,17,15,30,00" class="" bgcolor="#d1d1d1" valign="TOP"> <td class="row-text">11/17/12</td> <td class="row-text">vs. Wake Forest

</td> <td class="row-text">Notre Dame, Ind.</td> <td class="row-text">3:30 p.m. ET</td> </tr> <tr id="1465628" title="2012,10,24,23,59,00" class="" bgcolor="#f1f1f1" valign="TOP"> <td class="row-text">11/24/12</td> <td class="row-text">at USC

</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[chubler]

Personally I don't share your fear of Stanford, and I figure we'll pick up either MSU or scUM, I'm more worried about losing games like BYU or Miami or Purdue that we have no business losing, or another turnover meltdown.

 

[Black Irish]

If you call Dublin and Chicago home games (which is not a stretch) the Irish basically have home field advantage in 6 of their first 7 games. That's gotta count for something.

 

[PJWhitfield]

Navy and Purdue should let N.D. get a tune-up before MSU. But it's hard to be optimistic, isn't it?

 

[Kansas Irish]

Not ranked in top 25 here:

College football's Way-Too-Early 2012 Top 25 - ESPN

 

[ACamp1900]

Navy and Purdue should let N.D. get a tune-up before MSU. But it's hard to be optimistic, isn't it?

Yes it is. With the luck this program has had...

I don't think of navy as a tune up they have been consistently better than half of the fcs at least over the past ten years. Very hard team to play

 

[NDPhilly]

Not ranked in top 25 here:

College football's Way-Too-Early 2012 Top 25 - ESPN

Article is garbage from the beginning. "Notre Dame's 'best player' transferred to USF".

 

[NDPhilly]

Oh and according to that we play 5 of the top 12 teams. Fantastic.

 

[phork]

Article is garbage from the beginning. "Notre Dame's 'best player' transferred to USF".

Errr... He did.

 

[NDPhilly]

Errr... He did.

Manti Teo ring a bell?

 

[clashmore_mike]

Errr... He did.

Te'o, Eifert, Slaughter, Wood are all better than Lynch was. Could make a strong case for Tuitt, Z Martin, Kap also. Lynch had best potential, but he couldn't play half the defensive snaps because he couldn't be trusted to do his assignment.

 

[NDPhilly]

I actually thought Tuitt played better at the end of the year than Lynch.

 

[stlnd01]

I actually thought Tuitt played better at the end of the year than Lynch.

I actually thought Tuitt played better all season than Lynch (when healthy, anyway). But I loved having both of them. But if you're bumping us out of the top 25 because Lynch transferred, than you're basically saying that the marginal value of Lynch over KLM is worth a win, which I think overstates the value of any individual defensive lineman.

This is a silly debate. Based on what we lost and our schedule, it's hard to rank us in the top 25 right now. But who cares? It's May.
If we beat the teams we're supposed to and win two out of three against UM, MSU and Stanford, we'll be in good shape. If not, we'll be outside looking in. We won't know until October.

 

[mgriff]

Lynch was great for a freshmen because he has incredible talent, but if the rumors of him not taking coaching well, then he's going to stay an incredible talent like countless other football players. He was a wonderful player and I was pissed we lost him, but he was not the best player on our team.

 

[NDhoosier]

Errr... He did.

Err... that wasnt our best player

 

[phork]

Sounds like sour grapes for the most part. I am not saying it should drop us out of the top25, we shouldn't be there to begin with, but Lynch was an absolute freak of an athlete and to say he won't be missed means you are fooling yourself.

 

[Chamellion]

Difference between saying he wont be missed, and saying that he was a better player than a sure-fire first round draft pick in Manti.