(games in no particular order)

Georgia Tech

PSU

Michigan

MSU

Purdue

USC

BC

Standford

Duke

Navy

Air Force

UCLA

(games in no particular order)

Georgia Tech-W

PSU-W

Michigan-W

MSU-W

Purdue

USC-L/w coin toss

BC-W

Standford-W

Duke-W

Navy -W

Air Force-W

UCLA-W/L? coin toss basically

Someone's been sniffing glue.

I wondered why my one nostrel was close up this morning

(games in no particular order)

Georgia Tech

PSU

Michigan

MSU

Purdue

USC

BC

Standford

Duke

Navy

Air Force

UCLA

 

My heart says 10-2 but my brain is saying 8-4.

My heart says 10-2 but my brain is saying 8-4.

 

This I honestly understand...the heart vs brain thing.

 

Georgia Tech - W

PSU - W

Michigan - Wow...Hoping for a Toss here (ok more of a prayer)?

MSU - W

Purdue - W

USC - Toss

BC - W (could be tough though)

Stanford - W

Duke - W

Navy - W (after Duke...hope we are not lax)

Air Force - W (Navy woke us up)

UCLA - Toss (If situation repeats itself, look for option pass for a 1st down))

 

Feeling good about surviving with a 9 - 3, it would still be better than expected...but never what we hope for.

(games in no particular order)

Georgia Tech

PSU

Michigan

MSU

Purdue

USC

BC

Standford

Duke

Navy

Air Force

UCLA

 

My heart says 10-2 but my brain is saying 8-4.

 

 

I keep stabbing my brain with a Q-tip because it's telling me 7-5. It all comes down to the first two games.

Someone's been sniffing glue.

Hey it's not like someone can't believe in their team!

this was my question to Lou Holtz, i asked him how he thought we would compete. He said top 15 finish...ill try and transcribe the interview though

that what i think.... i think we lose one regular season game to either usc and ucla and we (hopefully win our bowl game). Just trying to be optomistic. Id even be happy if we lose both the games i said coin toss and win a bowl. im trying to be the opposite of mark may who thinks we get 2 wins this year probably

I understand the whole optimism thing, but I also feel that meaningful debate is bread from reality. 11-1 to me is completely unrealistic. That's a good GOAL, and the team needs to believe they can accomplish that, but for us pundits on the DD I would much rather listen to reality based debates on how the season might go. Blind faith is kind of boring as a football fan. Anyone can simply say we are the best, we're gonna be great, we're winning a National Title this year. This forum, however, is for people who actually care to engage on the specifics of why that may or may not happen.

 

Oh, and PS....we don't all have to agree either.

We might not have as many pre-season all-american candidates this year but I think we might have a more cohesive team on both sides of the ball.

 

I'm looking for the shakiness to be gone early... unlike last year when we never stopped shaking.

 

I'll go with 9 wins.

There are only 2 teams with better talent on that schedule. USC and Michigan. Why can't we win 10 games. BC isn't as talented as we are, neither is UCLA, GT, or Purdont.

Okay in my opinion there are four games on the schedule that we should easy win. (Stanford, Duke, Air Force, Navy) There are also two games on the schedule that we should also win, but not as easily. (Purdue and Michigan State) There are also four games that could go either way. (Penn State, Georgia Tech, UCLA, BC) And there are two games that we should most likely lose. (USC and Michigan) My gut is telling me that we will most likely go 10-2, with a shot at 11-1 if we can avoid turnovers in close games.

I like your attitude, Irishfan.

who's playing qb and then ill get back to ya

Hate to burst your bubble optimists, but its hard for a team to a) replace 8 starters on offense, and b) switch to a different defensive alignment where we don't really have all the positions adequately filled. Our NT situation has an undersized guy who should be at DE, a converted offensive lineman, and an incoming true freshman (Ian Williams). Even with Corwin Brown's presence, there are going to be growing pains, period.

 

There are few teams in the country who would lose 8 offensive starters (including QB) and be expected to compete for a BCS birth. Teams that reload without blinking, like USC, or Texas, can maybe pull that off. Hate to break it to ya, but Notre Dame isn't quite there yet. If the recruiting pace continues like this, then we enter that conversation, but not yet. Tyrone's recruiting woes are still being felt (only 6 remain on the roster from his 2007 class).

 

Baring some miraculous stuff like we saw with Tyrone's first year (8-0 start), their record will be worse than last year's. I think it would be unfair to expect Weis to whip up a better season than last year when there is so little veteran leadership, simply from a #'s perspective.

 

I think the best combo of optimism and realism would be to expect the Irish to reach their potential late in the year. The first three games will be hard to deal with, as will the stretch of UCLA, BC, and USC. I think getting 2 wins from those 6 won't be anything to be ashamed of (unless all 6 teams lose their starting and backup QB's for the season). The final month though gives them a great stretch where they can find themselves and get on a roll. I'd say they're a good bet to go 9-4, including a bowl victory.

I understand the whole optimism thing, but I also feel that meaningful debate is bread from reality. 11-1 to me is completely unrealistic. That's a good GOAL, and the team needs to believe they can accomplish that, but for us pundits on the DD I would much rather listen to reality based debates on how the season might go. Blind faith is kind of boring as a football fan. Anyone can simply say we are the best, we're gonna be great, we're winning a National Title this year. This forum, however, is for people who actually care to engage on the specifics of why that may or may not happen.

 

Oh, and PS....we don't all have to agree either.

 

Well said D&D. Put in a way we all can relate too. So I will stand by my intellilect and say...9 and 3 at best. Also, a win in the post season. I feel that we can beat USC this season. While they seem to always restock on talent...I honestly feel that we can take them. UM on the other hand appears to be down right invincible, even looks like they may be consumed with an attitude...of course they brought it on themselves. I also feel that the other tough game will be not only BC, but UCLA. With these four teams alone we could...I say could be with four losses.

 

By the way...I developed the blind faith thing being a Raider fan. Irish fan...more from the heart.

Georgia Tech - Toss

PSU - L

Michigan - L

MSU - W

Purdue - W

USC - L

BC - W

Standford - W

Duke - W

Navy - W

Air Force - W

UCLA - Toss

 

I think we should be very happy with 9 wins.

9-3 with losses to USC, Michigan,UCLA

I wanna say we beat one of the two in Penn State and Michigan, prolly Penn State, but i dont think we win both, if we do, im going to be extremely impressed and excited, i think we have a good shot at SC, 8th game at nd, prolly a great envioronment like in 2005...I think we lose to BC because were looking forward to SC and UCLA is going to be tough, otherwise all the other games should be wins...We cant overlook GaTech tho, lots of starts back on Defense for them