This doesn't fit exactly, as they weren't nearly as bad last year as we were this season, but look at what Georgia has done this season.

 

Last year, they played a highly-touted true frosh, same as us. He struggled mightily at times. He has been much better this year.

 

This season, their top rusher is a redshirt FR. Their o-line now consists of 3 FR (2 true). Even with all that, their offense has been rollin.

 

I have little doubt our D will improve, while we'll miss Laws for sure, I don't think they will be hung out to dry quite as much as they were this season.

 

If we can get our coaching turned around and get some confidence by waxing SDSU, maybe this thing can get rolling.

 

Anything less than 9-3 next season and I'm driving the Uhaul to Charlie's house.

You expect us to go from 3-9 to 9-3? Come on now. If he's still recruiting like an animal 6-6 and above will buy him another year then he really better be at 9+ wins.

9-3 This season needs to be a heavy dose of reality for a lot of fans.... It's not going to get that much better that fast.. Just get to a bowl and win it.

Did you guys look at the schedule for next season?

2008 Notre Dame Football Schedule

Sept. 6 SAN DIEGO STATE

Sept. 13 MICHIGAN

Sept. 20 at Michigan State

Sept. 27 PURDUE

Oct. 4 STANFORD

Oct. 11 at North Carolina

Oct. 18 Open Date

Oct. 25 at Washington

Nov. 1 PITTSBURGH

Nov. 8 at Boston College

Nov. 15 at Navy (Baltimore)

Nov. 22 SYRACUSE

Nov. 29 at USC

 

Michigan loses a ton of experience and will be playing their second game under a new head coach. Boston College loses everyone. 6-6 against that schedule would be pathetic.

I think 8 wins is a great year for us.

 

I'm still in the 5-7, 6-6, 7-5 range though.

 

9 wins isn't entirely crazy because a few teams we play next year lose starting QB's. 4 that I can think of quickly actually.

But still, 9 wins will be tough.

Did you guys look at the schedule for next season?

2008 Notre Dame Football Schedule

Sept. 6 SAN DIEGO STATE

Sept. 13 MICHIGAN

Sept. 20 at Michigan State

Sept. 27 PURDUE

Oct. 4 STANFORD

Oct. 11 at North Carolina

Oct. 18 Open Date

Oct. 25 at Washington

Nov. 1 PITTSBURGH

Nov. 8 at Boston College

Nov. 15 at Navy (Baltimore)

Nov. 22 SYRACUSE

Nov. 29 at USC

 

Michigan loses a ton of experience and will be playing their second game under a new head coach. Boston College loses everyone. 6-6 against that schedule would be pathetic.

 

9 might be tough but we can get 7 from that schedule maybe 8! That schedule is alot easier.

This doesn't fit exactly, as they weren't nearly as bad last year as we were this season, but look at what Georgia has done this season.

 

Last year, they played a highly-touted true frosh, same as us. He struggled mightily at times. He has been much better this year.

 

This season, their top rusher is a redshirt FR. Their o-line now consists of 3 FR (2 true). Even with all that, their offense has been rollin.

 

I have little doubt our D will improve, while we'll miss Laws for sure, I don't think they will be hung out to dry quite as much as they were this season.

 

If we can get our coaching turned around and get some confidence by waxing SDSU, maybe this thing can get rolling.

 

Anything less than 9-3 next season and I'm driving the Uhaul to Charlie's house.

 

it's funny you mentioned stafford, as i was going to use him as an example of highly touted qb who started as a frosh, struggled and then one year later is a top qb in his conference.

 

i'm sure i'll be called an idiot, and maybe i am but i'm with ya. i see the same possibilities for JC and ND next year.

Bottom line is this. Nobody has a clue how well we will perform next year. Nobody. Look at this year. How many people were calling for 8-4, 9-3 or better? Even those who were saying 6-6 were way off. We could be very bad again, moderately improved, or dramatically improved. Nobody knows what is going to happen. It's a fun conversation but that is about it.

We have the talent, it's just about executing. I will say that every game on that schedule is winnable, especially with the quarterback changes to other schools, USC is really the only tough game. Honestly, I see us looking like the Penn State of this year.

We have the talent, it's just about executing.

 

Exactly, and that's falling on CW.

It does fall on Weis, but there were so many freshman that played, and I'm sure Weis didn't expect that. My thinking is that it was impossible to totally prepare for this season. Alot of the upperclassmen were suppose to step up, but most of them gave their spots up easily. I wouldn't say Weis, I'd say the Coaching staff. Latina needs to be equally responsible.

Reminds me of the "retreating" by Marines in Korea. "We are attacking in a new direction." Changes are necessary

i think ND will get seven wins for sure. the improvement of our OL and Jimmy Clausen will determine how our season shapes out.

Ill say it now. ND will go 10-2 next season.

Ill say it now. ND will go 10-2 next season.

Im not gonna lie, alot of us were talking about 7 plus wins this season and we all know how that turned out. Im not trying to be negative but i dont know if any one can say well go 10-2 next year based on wins over duke and Stanford. I know the schedule is easier, but i think we will see how good were gonna be next year after the Michigan game.

I think 8-9 wins is very achievable next season. We have a pretty east schedule that allow us to get back in a groove and rise up again. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case this year. (Thanks Kevin White)

Our schedule looks completely winnable! If this season had not happened, I would have seen this as a NC type of schedule. A tough game with scUM at the beginning of the season to get some respect, and a huge game vs usc to cap things off. A similar schedule in '06 got us into a bcs bowl, even though we were blown out by scum and usc. Problem is that while I do not count the Irish out completely, our o-line MUST be solidified and our young d-line MUST...MUST over achieve. I know it is a long shot...but, the schedule isnt as impossible as this years. I don't want anybody saying we will win the NC, I'm just saying the schedule looks doable.

Bottom line is this. Nobody has a clue how well we will perform next year. Nobody. Look at this year. How many people were calling for 8-4, 9-3 or better? Even those who were saying 6-6 were way off. We could be very bad again, moderately improved, or dramatically improved. Nobody knows what is going to happen. It's a fun conversation but that is about it.

 

I'm with blarney. There can't even be an educated guess on how we will perform next year. We still have soooo many holes on our team and to expect all those to be fixed in the off-season is asking a lot! Now, I'm as big of an optimist as anyone but I see a 7-5 or 8-4 season next year. Anything better than that would be unbelievable considering what transpired this year. Anything worse than that and I'll be with Eskimo and his U-Haul.

Did you guys look at the schedule for next season?

2008 Notre Dame Football Schedule

Sept. 6 SAN DIEGO STATE

Sept. 13 MICHIGAN

Sept. 20 at Michigan State

Sept. 27 PURDUE

Oct. 4 STANFORD

Oct. 11 at North Carolina

Oct. 18 Open Date

Oct. 25 at Washington

Nov. 1 PITTSBURGH

Nov. 8 at Boston College

Nov. 15 at Navy (Baltimore)

Nov. 22 SYRACUSE

Nov. 29 at USC

 

Michigan loses a ton of experience and will be playing their second game under a new head coach. Boston College loses everyone. 6-6 against that schedule would be pathetic.

 

Did you see any of what we did, or more importantly DIDN'T do, this year? Sure, next year is a new year, but I simply don't believe that our Oline will magically figure this out in the next 9 months. For that very reason, we will be LUCKY to get 6-6. We lost to Navy and got blown out by Air Force for crying out loud.

A voice of reason?

Maybe just logic.