Rank Our 2015 Opponents

[gkIrish]

In order of the game you are most worried about to least.

My list:

USC
Georgia Tech
@Clemson
@Pitt (just have a bad feeling about this one)
@Stanford
@UVA
Texas (I think there's <10% chance we lose this one but they have talent)
Navy
Boston College
@Temple
Wake Forest
UMass

 

[greyhammer90]

We're fairly close. I switched Clemson and Georgia Tech; Navy and UVA. We've barely escaped against Navy for years and it feels (kind of like Pitt a few years ago) that they're due one.

USC
@Clemson
Georgia Tech.
@Pitt
@Stanford
Navy
Texas
@UVA
Boston College
Temple
Wake Forest
UMass

 

[notredomer23]

In order of the game you are most worried about to least.

My list:

USC
Georgia Tech
@Clemson
@Pitt (just have a bad feeling about this one)
@Stanford
@UVA
Texas (I think there's <10% chance we lose this one but they have talent)
Navy
Boston College
@Temple
Wake Forest
UMass

Agree with all this especially about Pitt, except I would switch Clemson and GT. GT is at least at home, but Clemson at Death Valley is going to be a helluva game for ND.

 

[gkIrish]

Agree with all this especially about Pitt, except I would switch Clemson and GT. GT is at least at home, but Clemson at Death Valley is going to be a helluva game for ND.

I'm more worried about GTECH because (a) we play really well in big road games at night under BK (FSU, Oklahoma, Michigan St., etc.) (b) where each game is on the schedule.

Clemson is the week after UMass so essentially we have an extra week to practice for that matchup. I'm pretty sure we could beat UMass without even game planning against them. Georgia Tech is after UVA which won't be a gimme at all.

 

[IrishLax]

In talent of team:

USC
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Boston College (sleeper team, IMO)
Stanford (overrated, IMO)
Texas
Pitt
UVA
Navy
Temple
Wake
UMASS

 

[Ndaccountant]

In order of the game you are most worried about to least.

My list:

USC
Georgia Tech
@Clemson
@Pitt (just have a bad feeling about this one)
@Stanford
@UVA
Texas (I think there's <10% chance we lose this one but they have talent)
Navy
Boston College
@Temple
Wake Forest
UMass

USC
Georgia Tech
@Clemson
@Stanford
Navy
Texas
@Pitt
@UVA
Boston College
@Temple
Wake Forest
UMass

I really don't like that GT match-up.

 

[Blaise]

In order of the game you are most worried about to least.

My list:

USC
Georgia Tech
@Clemson
@Pitt (just have a bad feeling about this one)
@Stanford
@UVA
Texas (I think there's <10% chance we lose this one but they have talent)
Navy
Boston College
@Temple
Wake Forest
UMass

Exactly this list... except part of me wants to put G Tech #1..... We struggle against Navy's attack.. It really worries me what we are going to do against a team who runs the same offense but with WAY better talent

 

[gkIrish]

Exactly this list... except part of me wants to put G Tech #1..... We struggle against Navy's attack.. It really worries me what we are going to do against a team who runs the same offense but with WAY better talent

Excellent point. And the scary thing is that they throw the ball a lot more and have some talent at Wide Receiver. You really can't cheat too much. If I'm BK I have this game circled on the calendar.

 

[IrishLion]

Navy
Navy
Navy
Navy
Navy
Navy
Navy
Navy
Navy
Navy
Navy
Navy

 

[irishfan]

1) vs. USC
2) at Clemson
3) at Stanford (haven't won there since 07...still talented)
4) vs. Georgia Tech (we should be more "up" for this game than the usual Navy lull we have)
5) vs. Texas
6) vs. Navy
7) at Pittsburgh
8) vs. Boston College (we just do well in SS games, but sneaky tough team)
9) at Virginia
10) at Temple
11) vs. Wake Forest
12) vs. UMASS

 

[NDgradstudent]

(1) Clemson
(2) USC
(3) GT
(4) Texas
(5) Stanford
(6) Pittsburgh
(7) BC
(8) Navy
(9) Virginia
(10) Temple
(11) WF
(12) UMass

 

[Irish YJ]

Best team / toughest game
1/2) vs. USC
2/1) at Clemson
3/4) vs. Georgia Tech
4/3) at Stanford
5/5) vs. Texas
6/6) vs. Navy
7/7) at Pittsburgh
8/8) at Virginia
9/10) vs. Boston College
10/9) at Temple
11/11) vs. Wake Forest
12/12) vs. UMASS

 

[gkIrish]

(1) Clemson
(2) USC
(3) GT
(4) Texas
(5) Stanford
(6) Pittsburgh
(7) BC
(8) Navy
(9) Virginia
(10) Temple
(11) WF
(12) UMass

Curious why Clemson worries you more than USC?

 

[ACamp1900]

Exactly this list... except part of me wants to put G Tech #1..... We struggle against Navy's attack.. It really worries me what we are going to do against a team who runs the same offense but with WAY better talent

Excellent point. And the scary thing is that they throw the ball a lot more and have some talent at Wide Receiver. You really can't cheat too much. If I'm BK I have this game circled on the calendar.

My ND fan ptsd is basically resigned to a GT loss... (I'm a big pussy I know)... but they are the only team I just feel hopeless about...

 

[Ndaccountant]

My ND fan ptsd is basically resigned to a GT loss... (I'm a big pussy I know)... but they are the only team I just feel hopeless about...

I am with you, mostly b/c of Pauly owning BVG. But if we have anything going for us, it is that this will be the first true test for GT.

That said, here is something to chew on:

You know what's interesting? This fall, Georgia Tech projects to have 37 players on scholarship on offense (including walk-on Isaiah Willis, who should have a scholarship by kickoff of the Alcorn State game). Of those, only 17 have any experience in a collegiate game -- that number drops to 16 if you remove J.J. Green, who will sit out. Over half of the scholarship players on offense will be either redshirt freshmen or true freshmen. (Compare that to the defense, where 26 have experience and 15 are redshirt freshmen or true freshmen.)

Also, cumulative receiving stats of all returning players for GT: 12 rec, 176 yrds, 1 TD.
Georgia Tech Football: 2015 Position Previews - Offense - From The Rumble Seat

 

[Irish YJ]

Curious why Clemson worries you more than USC?

At Death Valley

 

[gkIrish]

At Death Valley

Sure but how is this particular Clemson team remotely scary compared to USC?

 

[Irish YJ]

Sure but how is this particular Clemson team remotely scary compared to USC?

Lost a lot but have a lot to reload. And this is the game the fans and team are hyped for from what I hear. I personally would rather play USC at home than Clemson on the road.

 

[pkt77242]

USC
@Clemson
Georgia Tech
@Stanford
@Pitt
Texas (if they actually have competent QB play they would jump Pitt and Stanford on my list)
@UVA
Navy
Boston College
@Temple
Wake Forest
UMass

 

[NDgradstudent]

Curious why Clemson worries you more than USC?

USC is after the Navy game, but it is at home. Clemson on the road scares me more- I would say that is the only possible blowout on the schedule. If we lost to USC I think it would be a brutal, late-FG, lots of IE hand-wringing later that night type game.

The good news is that three of the four hardest games (Clemson, USC, GT, Texas) are at home. I think we win three (four?) of them.

 

[RDU Irish]

I think we punch Clemson in the mouth. We will match up well IMO. The atmosphere will be electric and I think BK has had our boys ready to play on those days. USC after Navy concerns me the most. Wish we had them at USC over Thanksgiving so they were more season worn with their thin numbers.

 

[GoldenToTheGrave]

I'm not so worried about Stanford this year, I don't think they're better than last year, and if their defensive front 7 is as decimated as I've read they should be (if anybody has the numbers I'd appreciate it) we should do OK.

Stanford is still a good team, but their red zone efficiency last year was atrocious. If that trend continues, with a weakened defense I think we win this one.

 

[RDU Irish]

UVA really better than BC and Pitt? I have been thinking of day tripping that one b/c it looks less expensive than lots of other games. Our fans might take that stadium over.

 

[alohagoirish]

I think its very fair to put Clemson on top of the list. They have only lost 2 games at home in the last four years , one against FSU the other against South Carolina.

Going to death valley and winning is not the kind of game we usually win , where we have had some recent success against USC, disregarding last seasons mess .

USC likely has as much or more talent as we do and on paper should top the list. But common sense tells us AT CLEMSON would be a very unlikely win for our program , it would be similar to the win at Oklahoma in 2012 when we played a near perfect game, and was the critical win in our undefeated season.

Clemson
USC
Stanford
GT
Pitt
Texas

Its a six game schedule , I doubt any of the other teams have enough to beat us even on an off day.

 

[ACamp1900]

If you're right about those percentages we aren't making the playoffs...

Playoffs?!?!?!

 

[Rocknes Ghost]

At Death Valley

We could play on the moon. My team's better than yours.

 

[ACamp1900]

Lol at Prats first post, overconfident at 8 wins?! I predict 8 wins every year and half this board wants to revoke my fan card for being "a hater"

 

[greyhammer90]

Fixed, you punk-ass b*tch.

Fixed.

 

[Crazy Balki]

I think its very fair to put Clemson on top of the list. They have only lost 2 games at home in the last four years , one against FSU the other against South Carolina.

Going to death valley and winning is not the kind of game we usually win , where we have had some recent success against USC, disregarding last seasons mess .

USC likely has as much or more talent as we do and on paper should top the list. But common sense tells us AT CLEMSON would be a very unlikely win for our program , it would be similar to the win at Oklahoma in 2012 when we played a near perfect game, and was the critical win in our undefeated season.

Clemson
USC
Stanford
GT
Pitt
Texas

Its a six game schedule , I doubt any of the other teams have enough to beat us even on an off day.

Let's be fair though, outside of FSU and South Carolina, who has Clemson played at home over the last four years? Georgia outside of that and that's about all I can think of.

In terms of USC, I think they're the closest thing to as talented as we are. I still think we hold the edge. We've recruited as good or better than them since Kelly took over minus last year. We also have better coaching. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Kelly has his faults, but you have to admit, his staff knows how to develop talent. Not so sure about Sark and his squad. The only guy I was rather impressed with on their staff was their OL coach, and he's no longer there (took the OC job at scUM). USC was not that impressive last year, and I don't think they'll be that much better this year. They've got plenty of talent, but their depth is a huge concern and it's a problem practically everywhere. ND ran into some horrible luck last year, while USC got extremely fortunate by avoiding the injury bug. We just have to hope ND's fortunes are better this year. Call me overly optimistic, but that's just how I see it.

 

[Irish YJ]

Best team / toughest game / confidence
1/2) vs. USC 60%
2/1) at Clemson 55%
3/4) vs. Georgia Tech 80%
4/3) at Stanford 70%
5/5) vs. Texas 95%
6/6) vs. Navy 98%
7/7) at Pittsburgh 99%
8/8) at Virginia 100%
9/10) vs. Boston College 100%
10/9) at Temple 100%
11/11) vs. Wake Forest 100%
12/12) vs. UMASS 100%