first lets look at next year's schedule and who they have coming back.

 

DATE - OPPONENT (2007 record)

09/06/2008 - vs. SAN DIEGO STATE ( 4-8 )

Starting QB and best rusher graduated. Best RB graduated and top 2 WRs graduated.

 

Recruiting - (1) 3 star junior coll QB, ( 8 ) 2 stars or lower

 

09/13/2008 - vs. MICHIGAN (9-4)*

Starting QB, RB, and 2nd best WR (Arrington) are leaving. Super Mario Manningham may leave as well. Best OL - Jake Long is gone too. Defense loses #2 Crable, but they were fairly inexperienced anyway. Should be better next year, but have to learn a new system.

 

Recruiting - (2) 5 stars; (10) 4 stars; (3) 3 stars and (1) 2 star

 

possibility of adding 5 star QB Terelle Pryor as well as ATH Brandon Smith

 

09/20/2008 - at Michigan State (7-6)*

QB - Hoyer's back, RB - Ringer's back, but the big RB who gave us problems (Caulcrick) graduates. A big graduate is 2-way end Kellen Davis (he was really good). Hoyer's targets (Dell, and Curry) are all back and they had a pretty stingy defense at times. D'Antonio's a good coach and they can only get better. Their best WR - Thomas left early for NFL.

 

Recruiting - (1) 4 star; (6) 3 stars; (9) 2 stars or lower

 

Possibility of getting Nick Perry who could be the next Kellen Davis 2-way end for MSU.

 

09/27/2008 - vs. PURDUE (8-5)*

QB - Painter's back along with his two best RBs Sheets and Taylor. WR - Dorien Bryant graduates, but WRs Orton and Lymon are coming back. TE - Keller did graduate though.

 

Recruiting - (1) 4 star; (7) 3 stars; (10) 2 stars or lower

 

10/04/2008 - vs. STANFORD ( 4-8 )

QB situation - TC Ostrander was a senior, but Tavita Pritchard (who was the bigger talent) is a sophomore. They lose their leading rusher (Kimble), but they get frosh Jeremy Stewart and Tyrone McGraw back. Their biggest deep threat WR Rich Sherman is back, but they lose their senior WR Mark Bradford.

 

Recruiting - (3) 4 stars; (9) 3 stars

 

10/11/2008 - at UNC ( 4-8 )

QB TJ Yates, RBs Anthony Elzy and Johnny White and WR/RB Greg Little are all frosh. All of their WRs are back and they're a very young team. With another pretty good recruiting class, they could start making some noise in the ACC.

 

Recruiting - (4) 4 stars; (2) 3 stars; (1) NR

 

10/25/2008 - at Washington (4-9)

QB Jake Locker is a stud and he's back. RB Louis Rankin graduates which is big b/c he's a stud, but they do get frosh RB Brandon Johnson back. Their 2 best WRs were Seniors (not sure eligibility). Def Coordinator Dewayne Walker staying at UCLA was big as well.

 

Recruiting - (1) 5 star; (7) 4 stars; (12) 3 stars; (5) 2 stars

 

11/01/2008 - vs. PITT (5-7)

QB Pat Bostick and RB Lesean McCoy were frosh. They also get their top 2 WRs back. Wannstedt also had a pretty good recruiting class, but he's a bad game coach. They played a lot better in November then September, so they should compete even more this year.

 

Recruiting - (1) 5 star; (5) 4 stars; ( 8 ) 3 stars; (1) 2 star

 

possibility of adding LB/DE Shayne Hale

 

11/08/2008 - at Boston College (11-3)*

Loses QB - Matt Ryan and RBs - Callendar and Whitworth, but whoever starts at QB will have some targets b/c their top 2 WRs are back and their TE. The defense also loses a few key players including FS - Silva, but they get LB/FB Toal back who may have been their best player before his injury.

 

Recruiting - (3) 4 stars; (10) 3 stars; (14) 2 stars or lower

 

11/15/2008 - at Navy (8-5)*

QB - Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada is back along with FB - Kettani. They lose a big playmaker in Reggie Campbell. They also lose FB - Adam Ballard and WR - Zerbin Singleton. Backup RB - Shun White does return though. They'll always have an undersized defense with some playmakers. They have a new coach, but same scheme as most saw in their bowl game vs. Utah.

 

Recruiting - (2) 2 stars

 

11/22/2008 - vs. SYRACUSE (2-10)

young skilled position players, so they get their QB, top 2 RBs, and best WR back. WR - Mike Williams is the best player on their team, if anyone saw this kid play, he has great playmaking ability. Team should be better with a year's experience, but we should still beat them.

 

Recruiting - (3) 4 stars; (2) 3 stars; (17) 2 stars or lower

 

11/29/2008 - at USC (11-2)*

QB Booty graduates along with TE - Fred Davis. This team is going to be nasty and we all know how good they are and going to be. They lose a few def guys, but are still going to be awesome. Should be #1.

 

Recruiting - (5) 5 stars; (5) 4 stars; (4) 3 stars

Thanks for pulling that together Ziggy. If I divide the season in half, the game that scares me the most in the first half of the season is @ Michigan State. I think that game is going to be very, very challenging. Michigan is an unkown right now but they don't scare me as much as MSU.

 

In the seocnd half, it goes without saying that USC will be the toughest game. Other then them, I think Pitt will be a tough win.

 

I won't make any predictions becuase the OL is such a huge factor in how well we do next year. The schedule looks very manageable IF (and this is a big if) we get good line play.

if ND can get their offensive line fixed and the team plays to their potential then i see seven wins for sure (san diego st., michigan, purdue, stanford, pitt, navy and syracuse.

ziggy, good projection , i just feel that some of us are looking at the star ratings. , i would throw them away and play the best person at that position , just look at what we had last year, a star is nothing you have to have a desire and some talent , just look at the bowl games most of the winners had a desire to achieve , i just hopr that some of this desire comes to south bend in this new class that has been recruited , can't wait till after signing day to see who is on board and which coaches are leaving, rumor has it that there all being kept . ?? i guess we can hope for better results in the future 5 wins is possible 7 wins might get us to a lesser bowl . what say you .

agreed Rick, im just giving everyone an idea of what the teams are bringing in.

I think if we only manage 5 wins or even 7 wins, than I would say Charlie has to go. If we end up that bad it will mean that Charlie truly can't develop players fast enough or he can't get them to perform the way they need to on this level.

 

There are numerous teams out there that do far more with less. Next year's schedule is a cake walk compared to this year's or any other years. If we had the same schedule next year as we had this year I would be pleased with 7 wins. But next year's schedule is one of those ones that if we were to succeed, every media outlet would be saying, yeah, but who have the played? Just like they said about Kansas.

 

Weis's first full recruiting class will be juniors. It's time to stop talking about how good these guys look on paper and actually producing on the field. I've been a big supporter of Charlie, but anything less than 8 wins and I will be pissed. No more excuses.

SDIrishFan, i agree, put the effort on the field not in some sport's writer typewriter, they are just trying to get hype . as the bad boys from MISSIOURI ha ha say SHOW ME . Charlie has to produce some sort of a promising team this year . go irish

WR Selwyn Lymon was kicked off the Purdue team for his latest arrest. Happened in November or early December.

WR Selwyn Lymon was kicked off the Purdue team for his latest arrest. Happened in November or early December.

 

It still amazes me that someone with so much potential and so much in front of them is willing to throw it all away for "partying".

if ND can get their offensive line fixed and the team plays to their potential then i see seven wins for sure (san diego st., michigan, purdue, stanford, pitt, navy and syracuse.

 

And UNC, Washington, and Boston College are also very winnable (especially when Boston College lose most of their veteran players). If ND does beat the 7 teams mentioned above, then a 10-2 season is not at all out of the realm of possibility.

 

I think the key is the game against San Diego State. If the team looks confident and absolutely demolishes them, this will build tremendous amount of confidence throughout the season (unlike the Georgia Tech fiasco this past season. I really think that game sucked all the confidence out of the 07 team). September can't come fast enough!

I know an MSU alum who says that MSU's #1 WR Thomas is gone

Speaking of Selmon Lymon. Our local HS principal just got caught on tape for DUI here in Fishers and is most likely going to lose his job. I think he should be given a 2nd chance. Indiana is really strict with it's professionals though and I know Drs lose their license to practice if they get caught for DUI.

I know an MSU alum who says that MSU's #1 WR Thomas is gone

 

I saw this confirmed on the ESPN ticker last night.

Yeah I took it easy on Charlie last year, but not anymore. Next year is on him. He knows what we need to have fixed, and if we continue to struggle up front, and see players digress, I think we should look elsewhere. The offensive line will be fairly experienced and we won't be able to use that as an excuse next year.

I think if we only manage 5 wins or even 7 wins, than I would say Charlie has to go. If we end up that bad it will mean that Charlie truly can't develop players fast enough or he can't get them to perform the way they need to on this level.

 

There are numerous teams out there that do far more with less. Next year's schedule is a cake walk compared to this year's or any other years. If we had the same schedule next year as we had this year I would be pleased with 7 wins. But next year's schedule is one of those ones that if we were to succeed, every media outlet would be saying, yeah, but who have the played? Just like they said about Kansas.

 

Weis's first full recruiting class will be juniors. It's time to stop talking about how good these guys look on paper and actually producing on the field. I've been a big supporter of Charlie, but anything less than 8 wins and I will be pissed. No more excuses.

I'm with you SD.

I think 7 wins is a mandatory minimum.

With that schedule and and who is staying and going for our opponents, it's time for this team to take a big step forward.

People absolutely do more with much less.

Even if we lose one of those 7 games that druss laid out, we still need to upset a team that we weren't supposed to beat.

8 wins would be really nice and 9 would be great IMO.

Exactly. No more excuses. Stop pointing the finger at yourself and saying its on me. Cuz guess what, it is on you. It's time to shite or get off the pot. Stop with the candid humor about "have your fun now." When should we expect them not to have fun, 1 year? 3 years? 10 years? I expect a big improvement across the board from the mad scientist. Some fans may be okay with 5, 6, or 7 wins, but I'm not one of them. 8 wins and i will be mildly pleased, but i expect more from the ND football program.

I stated right after the season that 9-3 would be my benchmark for Charlie. It seems like people's win expectations are starting to drift up, and by the time we get into August practice reports, I'll have many people in my boat.

I stated right after the season that 9-3 would be my benchmark for Charlie. It seems like people's win expectations are starting to drift up, and by the time we get into August practice reports, I'll have many people in my boat.

 

Ha, I'm sure. After we hear about how great the off-season lifting went and how we are bigger and stronger than ever. And after the Spring game giving no true indication of anything b/c of how it is run, there will be plenty of ppl saying the USC/ND game at the end of the year will be for a right to play in the NC game. You watch, I said it here first.

I stated right after the season that 9-3 would be my benchmark for Charlie. It seems like people's win expectations are starting to drift up, and by the time we get into August practice reports, I'll have many people in my boat.

9-3 is nothing eskimo.

By the time August rolls around, Coach Holtz will have them going undefeated.

9 wins is very doable with the schedule next year. In fact I expect nothing less from next year's squad. The offensive line should be good to great with the amount of talent we have recruited there the past few years. The offensive skill positions are loaded with top 10 talent and the defensive side of the ball is getting there too.

 

But of course games are not won on paper. The Irish better buck up and show some fight starting with spring practice. I want that nasty team we were promised a long time ago.

The offensive line should be good to great with the amount of talent we have recruited there the past few years.

 

Did you watch the same games i watched last year??? I'm not sure it's realistic to expect our line to go from that to "great" just b/c of one one off-season. But, i still believe the talent is there, I'm just wondering where the coaching is at?