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And any questions about whether or not the Irish are a legitimate playoff contender should be much clearer by Oct. 18.
In the month prior to their bye-week on Oct. 24, the Irish square off against four opponents with a combined 2014 record of 38-15. After maneuvering their way past Texas and Virginia—games the Irish should win—coach Brian Kelly’s squad squares off with two of the ACC’s top teams in Georgia Tech and Clemson before returning home to play Navy and USC. A Sept. 26 home game against UMass awaits Notre Dame after Georgia Tech.
This five-week stretch is the make-or-break part of the schedule. Until Texas finds a quarterback capable of running its offense well, the Irish should be favorites to clear the first hurdle. An away trip to Virginia shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge, nor should Mid-American Conference foe UMass. But it's part of the challenging five-week slate.
If—and that’s a big if/—the Irish are able to win the first seven games, a College Football Playoff berth looks extremely likely. Two of the final five opponents the Irish should be wary of are Pittsburgh (Nov. 7 at Pittsburgh) and Stanford (Nov. 28 at Stanford). Both programs are consistently difficult for the Irish to put away, and they’re the biggest obstacles for Kelly’s team after the Oct. 24 bye-week.
How do the Irish’s opponents stack up from weakest to strongest? Here areIrish247’s rankings of each opponent.
12. UMass
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The return of 18 starters and one of the Mid-American Conference’s best offensive tandems could give the Irish defense something to think about. UMass’s offense revolves around fifth-year senior quarterback Blake Frohnapfel and wide receiver Tajae Sharpe, the latter of whom averaged 107 receiving yards per game in 2014. Still, UMass is an opponent the Irish should be able to put away by the end of the third quarter.
11. Wake Forest
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Wake Forest remains in rebuilding mode under second-year coach Dave Clawson after a 3-9 campaign in 2014. One of the worst offenses in college football, Wake Forest rushed for fewer than 40 yards per game. The Irish dropped Wake Forest 38-0 on senior day three years ago, and it doesn’t look like the result of the final home game of 2015 at Notre Dame Stadium will be much different.
10. Virginia
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Only eight starters return on a Virginia team that finished 5-7 and has a new starting quarterback. Virginia lost key pieces of its front seven and its top-three rushers from a year ago. Without a proven quarterback and a rushing offense that could be worse off than last year’s—which ranked No. 97 nationally—Virginia shouldn’t trouble the Irish.
9. Temple
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Will the Irish be tricked on Halloween? Probably not, even though Temple returns all 11 starters on one of college football’s best scoring defenses. Like Virginia, Temple’s offense set it back in 2014. Quarterback P.J. Walker struggled in the final seven games, a reliable receiving threat didn’t step up and Temple ranked 117th in total offense. Still, seven starters return on the offensive side of the ball, and Walker could redeem himself with a solid junior season.
8. Boston College
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The 2014 Boston College team would have posed a few more problems for the Irish. But Boston College has to replace four offensive linemen and quarterback. Its defense should be strong again, but the offense will have trouble keeping pace with the Irish.
7. Pittsburgh
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With two of the ACC’s top playmakers and seven returning starters on offense, Pittsburgh has the pieces in place to make life tough on the Irish defense. The fact the Irish travel to Heinz Field—where they lost the 2013 meeting to Pittsburgh—in early November makes the matchup even more difficult. Question marks surround Pittsburgh’s defense though, even with first-year coach and defensive mastermind Pat Narduzzi taking over. The Irish get the win on paper, but recent history between these two programs shows that a more talented roster doesn’t guarantee anything.
6. Texas
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Texas could pose more of a threat to the Irish if this were a mid-November game. Instead, it will be the first game in which one of the Texas quarterbacks—the starter remains to be determined—tries to run the up-tempo offense second-year coach Charlie Strong is trying to install. Texas has athletes on both sides of the ball, and its defense should have similar success to what it did in 2014. Running back Jonathan Gray will be a key part of the offense as it tries to kick-start itself following a frustrating year.
5. Navy
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Navy travels to South Bend in between two of the Irish’s toughest games, against Clemson and USC. Program record-holding quarterback Keenan Reynolds plays against the Irish for the third and final time, his last visit to Notre Dame Stadium ending 31 yards shy of the game-winning score in a four-point loss. The Irish face a more athletic version of the triple-option in Georgia Tech three weeks earlier, which should be a good barometer for the Navy game. Stuffed in the middle of the challenging four-game stretch, Navy is a formidable threat.
4. Stanford
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The Irish have dropped their last three games at Stanford, which returns most of its offense and two key linebackers. Quarterback Kevin Hogan was far more efficient in Stanford’s final three games of 2014, and sophomore running back Christian McCaffrey could give the Irish defense problems.
3. Georgia Tech
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Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson returns to South Bend for the first time since his Navy side defeated Notre Dame in triple-overtime to snap a 43-game losing streak to the Irish. He returns with a faster, more athletic team that went 11-3 a year ago and has a potential dark-horse Heisman Trophy candidate under center in junior Justin Thomas. Like the top two teams on this list, Georgia Tech plays the Irish as part of a challenging five-week stretch.
2. Clemson
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Clemson would be listed ahead of USC if it returned more starters on the top-ranked defense in 2014. Even though it only returns three, the depth chart is stacked with athletes who will give opposing offenses fits. Clemson’s offense has playmakers too, including Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Deshaun Watson, speedsters Artavis Scott, Wayne Gallaman and a 6-foot-4 receiving target in Mike Williams. Clemson needs to shore up its offensive line, which has only one returning starter. But it will have a month to do so before facing Notre Dame in what should be a night game in Death Valley.
1. USC
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There’s only one way to say it: USC quarterback Cody Kessler flat-out embarrassed the Irish last November, tossing six touchdowns in a nearly flawless performance in Los Angeles. USC does lose its top receiver (Nelson Agholor) and defensive tackle (Leonard Williams), but its lineup is still stacked with talent. Two-way player Adoree’ Jackson—who also returns kicks—is one of the most electrifying players in the country. Outside linebacker Su’a Cravens recorded 17 tackles for loss and had a team-high three interceptions as a sophomore, while Juju Smith caught 54 passes for 724 yards as a true freshman. Oh, and Kessler is still the quarterback. There’s plenty of talent returning for USC – can its youth find a way to win at Notre Dame Stadium?
LINK
And any questions about whether or not the Irish are a legitimate playoff contender should be much clearer by Oct. 18.
In the month prior to their bye-week on Oct. 24, the Irish square off against four opponents with a combined 2014 record of 38-15. After maneuvering their way past Texas and Virginia—games the Irish should win—coach Brian Kelly’s squad squares off with two of the ACC’s top teams in Georgia Tech and Clemson before returning home to play Navy and USC. A Sept. 26 home game against UMass awaits Notre Dame after Georgia Tech.
This five-week stretch is the make-or-break part of the schedule. Until Texas finds a quarterback capable of running its offense well, the Irish should be favorites to clear the first hurdle. An away trip to Virginia shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge, nor should Mid-American Conference foe UMass. But it's part of the challenging five-week slate.
If—and that’s a big if/—the Irish are able to win the first seven games, a College Football Playoff berth looks extremely likely. Two of the final five opponents the Irish should be wary of are Pittsburgh (Nov. 7 at Pittsburgh) and Stanford (Nov. 28 at Stanford). Both programs are consistently difficult for the Irish to put away, and they’re the biggest obstacles for Kelly’s team after the Oct. 24 bye-week.
How do the Irish’s opponents stack up from weakest to strongest? Here areIrish247’s rankings of each opponent.
12. UMass
Click here to read the opponent preview.
The return of 18 starters and one of the Mid-American Conference’s best offensive tandems could give the Irish defense something to think about. UMass’s offense revolves around fifth-year senior quarterback Blake Frohnapfel and wide receiver Tajae Sharpe, the latter of whom averaged 107 receiving yards per game in 2014. Still, UMass is an opponent the Irish should be able to put away by the end of the third quarter.
11. Wake Forest
Click here to read the opponent preview.
Wake Forest remains in rebuilding mode under second-year coach Dave Clawson after a 3-9 campaign in 2014. One of the worst offenses in college football, Wake Forest rushed for fewer than 40 yards per game. The Irish dropped Wake Forest 38-0 on senior day three years ago, and it doesn’t look like the result of the final home game of 2015 at Notre Dame Stadium will be much different.
10. Virginia
Click here to read the opponent preview.
Only eight starters return on a Virginia team that finished 5-7 and has a new starting quarterback. Virginia lost key pieces of its front seven and its top-three rushers from a year ago. Without a proven quarterback and a rushing offense that could be worse off than last year’s—which ranked No. 97 nationally—Virginia shouldn’t trouble the Irish.
9. Temple
Click here to read the opponent preview.
Will the Irish be tricked on Halloween? Probably not, even though Temple returns all 11 starters on one of college football’s best scoring defenses. Like Virginia, Temple’s offense set it back in 2014. Quarterback P.J. Walker struggled in the final seven games, a reliable receiving threat didn’t step up and Temple ranked 117th in total offense. Still, seven starters return on the offensive side of the ball, and Walker could redeem himself with a solid junior season.
8. Boston College
Click here to read the opponent preview.
The 2014 Boston College team would have posed a few more problems for the Irish. But Boston College has to replace four offensive linemen and quarterback. Its defense should be strong again, but the offense will have trouble keeping pace with the Irish.
7. Pittsburgh
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With two of the ACC’s top playmakers and seven returning starters on offense, Pittsburgh has the pieces in place to make life tough on the Irish defense. The fact the Irish travel to Heinz Field—where they lost the 2013 meeting to Pittsburgh—in early November makes the matchup even more difficult. Question marks surround Pittsburgh’s defense though, even with first-year coach and defensive mastermind Pat Narduzzi taking over. The Irish get the win on paper, but recent history between these two programs shows that a more talented roster doesn’t guarantee anything.
6. Texas
Click here to read the opponent preview.
Texas could pose more of a threat to the Irish if this were a mid-November game. Instead, it will be the first game in which one of the Texas quarterbacks—the starter remains to be determined—tries to run the up-tempo offense second-year coach Charlie Strong is trying to install. Texas has athletes on both sides of the ball, and its defense should have similar success to what it did in 2014. Running back Jonathan Gray will be a key part of the offense as it tries to kick-start itself following a frustrating year.
5. Navy
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Navy travels to South Bend in between two of the Irish’s toughest games, against Clemson and USC. Program record-holding quarterback Keenan Reynolds plays against the Irish for the third and final time, his last visit to Notre Dame Stadium ending 31 yards shy of the game-winning score in a four-point loss. The Irish face a more athletic version of the triple-option in Georgia Tech three weeks earlier, which should be a good barometer for the Navy game. Stuffed in the middle of the challenging four-game stretch, Navy is a formidable threat.
4. Stanford
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The Irish have dropped their last three games at Stanford, which returns most of its offense and two key linebackers. Quarterback Kevin Hogan was far more efficient in Stanford’s final three games of 2014, and sophomore running back Christian McCaffrey could give the Irish defense problems.
3. Georgia Tech
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Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson returns to South Bend for the first time since his Navy side defeated Notre Dame in triple-overtime to snap a 43-game losing streak to the Irish. He returns with a faster, more athletic team that went 11-3 a year ago and has a potential dark-horse Heisman Trophy candidate under center in junior Justin Thomas. Like the top two teams on this list, Georgia Tech plays the Irish as part of a challenging five-week stretch.
2. Clemson
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Clemson would be listed ahead of USC if it returned more starters on the top-ranked defense in 2014. Even though it only returns three, the depth chart is stacked with athletes who will give opposing offenses fits. Clemson’s offense has playmakers too, including Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Deshaun Watson, speedsters Artavis Scott, Wayne Gallaman and a 6-foot-4 receiving target in Mike Williams. Clemson needs to shore up its offensive line, which has only one returning starter. But it will have a month to do so before facing Notre Dame in what should be a night game in Death Valley.
1. USC
Click here to read the opponent preview.
There’s only one way to say it: USC quarterback Cody Kessler flat-out embarrassed the Irish last November, tossing six touchdowns in a nearly flawless performance in Los Angeles. USC does lose its top receiver (Nelson Agholor) and defensive tackle (Leonard Williams), but its lineup is still stacked with talent. Two-way player Adoree’ Jackson—who also returns kicks—is one of the most electrifying players in the country. Outside linebacker Su’a Cravens recorded 17 tackles for loss and had a team-high three interceptions as a sophomore, while Juju Smith caught 54 passes for 724 yards as a true freshman. Oh, and Kessler is still the quarterback. There’s plenty of talent returning for USC – can its youth find a way to win at Notre Dame Stadium?
