Game by game predictions....

[hrc08]

College Football 2011: Predicting Notre Dame's 2011 Schedule Week by Week | Bleacher Report

This guy sees it being a great year. Can you imagine going into Stanford 1st or 2nd in the country? I am a buyer on ND this year but dang even I struggle with that senario.

Anybody want to list their game by game?

USF 34-17 Win
Michigan 24-14 Win
Michigan State 31-24 Win
Pitt 27-21
Purdue 50-3 (LOL!) Win
Air Force 28-17
USC 27-24 LOSS
Navy 33-13 Win
Wake Forest 41-14 Win
Maryland 31-17 Win
Boston College 41-10 Win
Stanford 28-27 Loss

 

[ACamp1900]

I'm not doing a game by game becuase we will prob. beat at least one of Stanford/USC and lose one or two we have no buisness losing to on paper...

I'll just go with 8-4

 

[hrc08]

Im not going to be very happy with 8-4.

With first year starters(last year that is) Crist, Wood, Eiffert, Martin, Dever, Cave, Jones, Sir Cierre and Watt(part-time) back and poised to improve, i think that the offense should average nearly 30ppg.

The defense should be top15-ish nationally, surrender around 21ppg.

9-3 reg. season at worst.

 

[BleedBlue&Gold]

I just got through watching the U$C game so i should not do this. 9-3

 

[NDPhilly]

Im not going to be very happy with 8-4.

With first year starters(last year that is) Crist, Wood, Eiffert, Martin, Dever, Cave, Jones, Sir Cierre and Watt(part-time) back and poised to improve, i think that the offense should average nearly 30ppg.

The defense should be top15-ish nationally, surrender around 21ppg.

9-3 reg. season at worst.

This would be a step back we gave up only 20.2 last year. I think we'll average something like 17

 

[GO IRISH!!!]

College Football 2011: Predicting Notre Dame's 2011 Schedule Week by Week | Bleacher Report

This guy sees it being a great year. Can you imagine going into Stanford 1st or 2nd in the country? I am a buyer on ND this year but dang even I struggle with that senario.

Anybody want to list their game by game?

USF 34-17 Win
Michigan 24-14 Win
Michigan State 31-24 Win
Pitt 27-21
Purdue 50-3 (LOL!) Win
Air Force 28-17
USC 27-24 LOSS
Navy 33-13 Win
Wake Forest 41-14 Win
Maryland 31-17 Win
Boston College 41-10 Win
Stanford 28-27 Loss

No way we lose to SC this year. No way. First of all, fans and students deserve a home victory against SC. It has been too long since that has happened. I still have the bad memories of the "Bush Push" game in my head. This is our best chance since '05 to beat them in our house. The new streak has begun. A new "Decade of Dominance" is upon us!

Secondly, it is my 40th birthday that very day. No way the Irish lose on my birthday. It won't happen.

 

[IrishLax]

Sure, why not. I'll fill this in with details later:

USF 31-6
Michigan 24-21 (although my alternate theory is that we get hosed by the Big 10 refs who will let Michigan hold all day long and not call PIs like '09 and we will lose 34-24)
Michigan State 31-14
Pitt 38-10
Purdue 31-3
Air Force 24-21
USC 38-35 (alternate version is that their defense is better... because "experts" keep telling me Robey and McDonald and some other guys are "stars"... and we lose 35-17. This will be the one offense we struggle to stop because we only have 2 proven corners and they have 4 billion 5* WRs. Unless their OL doesn't gel... in which case we might win this game going away. So I guess I'm saying I have no idea.)
Navy 41-10
Wake Forest 41-7
Maryland 28-17
Boston College 24-21
Stanford 17-21

On paper, going game by game, I only see one loss with two toss-ups (Michigan/USC). But there are also three traps in AF, Maryland and Michigan State. So if we lose all traps and all toss-ups we go 6-6... win all traps we should finish no worse than 9 wins. The Michigan game just has "screw job" written all over it.

 

[johnnykillz]

God, I hate Michigan.

I can't stand their fans.

 

[GBdomer]

bleacher report. haha

 

[GBdomer]

We lose to Stanford or USC. And we will have a slip up like we do every year where the whole country laughs at us. ala Tulsa, Syracuse, Navy, and Navy again. ooo ya and Navy.

 

[johnnykillz]

Bleacher report. haha. my sister could right for bleacher report.

She could do lots of things, but you surely couldn't: right or write?

lol.

 

[Buster Bluth]

Not really results, but this is how I'll feel with each regular season record:

12-0: !!!!!!!!!
11-1: Fantastic. Probably obsessed with the "one game that got away."
10-2: Great.
9-3: Fine. I am hoping for a bowl game victory though.
8-4: Something bad happened. A bowl win is a must.
7-5: Head scratching. A bowl win would mean little at this point.

6-6 or worse: The point in which I start cutting myself.

 

[Buster Bluth]

Bleacher report. haha. my sister could right for bleacher report.

Doubtful.

 

[ACamp1900]

I don't think either will happen, but I do believe a 6-6 type year is more probable than some 11 plus win, title contension season.

 

[johnnykillz]

bleacher report. haha

I don't think either will happen, but I do believe a 6-6 type year is more probable than some 11 plus win, title contension season.

GD-it I hope you're wrong.

I'm sick and tired of mediocrity.

 

[GBdomer]

i am saying 10-2.

 

[johnnykillz]

I will be happy with no less...

 

[Rocket89]

I don't think either will happen, but I do believe a 6-6 type year is more probable than some 11 plus win, title contension season.

Ugh, don't get me started again! No way we go 6-6 with the shape our program is in. No way.

We had so much crap go wrong last year, how can anyone seriously think we'd get even worse in 2011?

 

[IrishLax]

There is no way 6-6 is more likely than 11-1. You've got to put the "probable" O/U at 9.5 wins... where then 12-10 wins would have the same aggregate probability as 9-0 wins.

6 wins is about the same probability as 12 wins... it involves everything possible that can go right going right... whereas 6 wins or fewer would require the inverse.

 

[IrishInFl]

Irish infinite +1 - everyone else -7

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I'd also put the o/u at 9.5 wins.

Kinda sad to see our once irrepressibly optimistic fan base running for emotional cover by keeping expectations low. Can't say I blame them, but THOSE DAYS ARE OVER.

 

[Veer option]

Michigan 24-21 (although my alternate theory is that we get hosed by the Big 10 refs who will let Michigan hold all day long and not call PIs like '09 and we will lose 34-24)

The Michigan game just has "screw job" written all over it.

I tend to believe the Irish will be jobbed this game for sure.


Over all I say a 9-3 season.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

From Bruce Feldman's CF chat today:

Over/Under for wins for the Irish this year?

I'd set it at 9.5 or 10. I'd go over if it was 9.5 and I'd gamble on the over if it was 10, I think. ND regime under Kelly has a lot of momentum right now. This isn't the Charlie Weis group any more.

A lot of people are saying Hoke and Michigan will end up 7-5 this season. As a fan of UM I am cautiously optimistic we could be as good as 9-3 or 10-2. Is a philosophical change in Offense and Defense too much for us to anticipate a good season?

If the over/under for them is 8, I'd take the over.

 

[hrc08]

I'd also put the o/u at 9.5 wins.

Kinda sad to see our once irrepressibly optimistic fan base running for emotional cover by keeping expectations low. Can't say I blame them, but THOSE DAYS ARE OVER.

I cant blame us for having "beatin spouse syndrom" though!

"Roughing the snapper."
...Leading UNC by alot at halftime, 1st series, pick 7.
Having the go ahead td pass bounce off of Michael Floyd's BACK against Navy.
Fake FG against MSU
Tulsa. WTF do you call that pass Rees attemtped? A rollout, fade?

I mean, we did go on a 3 year tour of "how to lose games in the most devasting way possible" Im just saying.... I undertstand.

 

[ACamp1900]

I have very high expectations... my over/under is 5.5


seriously though, i stated yesterday that this fan base is living in an endless circle... I def. stand by that... everything the optimists have said here is said every damn year pretty much word for word.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

seriously though, i stated yesterday that this fan base is living in an endless circle... I def. stand by that... everything the optimists have said here is said every damn year pretty much word for word.

Not true. We haven't seen defensive dominance like ND showed at the end of the 2010 season in almost a decade. We haven't seen a recruiting class stacked with defensive talent like 2011's since Holtz left. We also haven't had an experienced HC and a proven winner at the helm since Holtz either.

Some of the more general optimism about the offense, and that our ?s will be resolved favorably, is very similar to the same stuff we hear every year. But there are reasons to be genuinely optimistic now that didn't exist during the Great Mediocrity.

 

[Veer option]

I cant blame us for having "beatin spouse syndrom" though!

"Roughing the snapper."
...Leading UNC by alot at halftime, 1st series, pick 7.
Having the go ahead td pass bounce off of Michael Floyd's BACK against Navy.
Fake FG against MSU
Tulsa. WTF do you call that pass Rees attemtped? A rollout, fade?

I mean, we did go on a 3 year tour of "how to lose games in the most devastating way possible" I'm just saying.... I understand.

Not to mention losing to an absolutely pitiful Syracuse team.

 

[ACamp1900]

Not true. We haven't seen defensive dominance like ND showed at the end of the 2010 season in almost a decade. We haven't seen a recruiting class stacked with defensive talent like 2011's since Holtz left. We also haven't had an experienced HC and a proven winner at the helm since Holtz either.

Some of the more general optimism about the offense, and that our ?s will be resolved favorably, is very similar to the same stuff we hear every year. But there are reasons to be genuinely optimistic now that didn't exist during the Great Mediocrity.

that's my point... there is always some reason(s) given as to why this team is the 85 bears... It was the great classes we have had numbers of times... Weis' scheme... the offensive output, the schedule... it's always something and someone always takes issue when those like me point that out... it's always differnt, yet exactly the same...

This team was blown out by Navy and lost to Tulsa at home... with no proven QB and only one running back.

I won't buy it til I see it... talk is cheap... show me.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

that's my point... there is always some reason(s) given as to why this team is the 85 bears... It was the great classes we have had numbers of times... Weis' scheme... the offensive output, the schedule... it's always something and someone always takes issue when those like me point that out... it's always differnt, yet exactly the same...

I agree that people can always come up with reasons to be optimistic. The ones I listed above are different because we haven't seen that combination since Holtz left; I don't think that's a coincidence.

You have every right to be cynical, but to say the buzz this year is just like the buzz every year isn't accurate.

 

[hrc08]

it has nothing to do with the players, fam. The difference is the leadership at the top.

Swarbrick.

Kelly.

Martin.

Longo.

20 years of proven success. 19 winning year. An unreal winning % when holding leads at halftime, 4th qrt.

A system.