FBS Independents: Notre Dame

We will present the FBS Independents in a little different format then the conference previews. The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame are up first!

Notre Dame 

ND vs the American Athletic Conference (AAC) 

The Irish open their season against Temple… The Owls are picked dead last in the AAC (not ACC as I like to write) by many, to most preseason publications. A good place for the Leprechans to begin with an unproven rushing attack and a QB who is dependent on play action. They will need this game to get a better idea of who will step up at running back, perhaps, Greg Bryant, their prize recruit from Florida? 1-0 after game one.

ND vs The Big Ten

ND plays @ Michigan, @ Purdue, & then welcomes Michigan State to South Bend. The Irish will struggle with Michigan, although the Wolves were 0-4 vs ranked teams last year. These games have been really close with the ‘Dog’ (Tean who is not the Favorite) winning 7 of the last nine.

Purdue will struggle in 2013, yet, they will  present a few obstacles for the Irish, the biggest being, the game is @ Purdue. That said, the Boilers are 1-7 in the last eight vs ND.

MSU beat the Irish in OT on a fake field goal the last time the teams played in South Bend. ND has not beaten MSU three straight since the early 1990’s. The Spartans will need to establish their running game, as ND’s front seven have dominated the line of scrimmage the past two years.

The Irish should win against both Purdue & MSU… the Michigan game will come down to the fact that the ND defense will stop Devin Gardner & the Wolverines offense at crunch time. The  Irish have been unable to deal with Michigan & Denard Robinson @ the end of games in the recent times, 2009; 38-34 Michigan, 2010; 28-24 Michigan, 2011; 35-31 Michigan, (in each of these Irish losses, ND had the lead in the last minute & lost the game in the final seconds… not this time)! Last year the game was close, a 13-6 ND win, close, despite the fact that the Wolverines turned the ball over six, that’s right, 6 times! The MSU game … per usual (although not the last two games) … will be tight as well …. 9 of the last 13 games have been decited by 9 of fewer points! The Irish will emerge from their Big Ten encounters 3-0 and @ 4-0 overall.

ND vs the Big 12

Oklahoma is a shocking 1-9 vs ND… let me say that again …. 1-9, as it seems imposible, but it is true. Oklahoma lone win was in 1956, a real tail whipping, 45-0, they put on the Irish! Then, the next year, ND stopped OU 47 game win streak @/on OU home field, 7-0. In the 2012 meeting, the game was tied 13-13 @ the 9 minute mark of the 4th quarter, then ND scored 3 unanswered (2 TD & a FG) in the last 8 minutes of the game.

The Sooners were last in South Bend during the 1999, in that game, OU was winning 30-14 in the 3rd quarter, yet lost to the Irish, who put together three TD drives from that point on to win, 34-30!

As for OU, you know you have a great program, when you go 10-3, as Oklahoma did last year and people talk about the season as if it were a disaster. Things are not getting any easier for OU as they may have to play 5 ranked teams away from home this year (ND, Texas, Baylor, Kansas State, & Oklahoma State). OU will lose two of these games, one will be to ND! The Irish move to 5-0!

ND vs the PAC 12

ND better be prepared for some rocky times when they get in against Arizona State, USC, & Stanford. A much tougher group than the 3 Big Ten teams they will face. Most people around the country do not realize how good ASU is with 15 returning starters from a team that won 8 games a year ago.

ND will win this game in the three Saturday prior to the Oct. 5th meeting. ASU plays Wisconsin & Stanford, who will slobberknock them all over the field and then, while still banged up will have to deal with USC athleticism. Then they will have to battle the Irish Defense, @ a nuetral Site, Dallas / Cowboy Stadium! A beat up (Stanfrod & Wisconsin) / worn out (chasing the Beach Boys all over hell) ASU goes down to the Irish.

ND has a bye week prior to this intersectional battle, while, USC plays Arizona at home, on Oct. 10th, the Thursday before the Saturday, Oct. 19th game with ND. As a result, SC will have nine days to prepare for the Irish.

This USC is / will be a much improved team in 2013, as they are deeper at every position and better able to deal with injuries. The visitor has won four straight in this series and nothing changes, SC gives the Irish their first loss of the year. Damn Beach Boys… it’s all that Sea & Ski they put on …. The Micks kept sliding off tackles!

In week 14, Stanford welcomes the Irish to Stanford Stadium, this game may have National Championship implications, if the Cardinal or Irish arrive undefeated or with one loss. Based on last year’s OT game, there is no love lost in this series, yet, just for the record, Stepfan Taylor’s elbow, clearly, hit the ground before he broke the plain … so no TD … Right Call!!

ND survives Stanford, 2-1 vs PAC 12!

ND vs the Mountain West

In week nine the Irish take on Air Force, ND is 23-6 vs the Airmen and other than the game being played at Falcon Stadium, same old, same old … The Irish have their way with AFA.

ND vs MWC … 1-0

ND vs FBS Independents

In week ten, ND welcomes Navy to Notre Dame Stadium. From 1964 to 2006, ND had beaten Navy 43 straight times, however, since 2009 the teams have split four games. That said, the Midshipmen have earned the Irish coaches & players full focus, seemingly not a good thing, ND has scored 106 points against Navy the past two years. ND will continue this trend as Navy is at a significant athletic & skill disadvantage. The Midshipmen’s mental conditioning is as good or better than any team’s in the country, it simply will not be enough to overcome the Irish advantages.

Then in week 13, BYU cones ‘a callin’ with one of the counties best run defense’s. ND will again benefit from the physiacl work of their neighbors to the north, the Badgers welcome (sort of) BYU to Madison Wisconsin on Nov. 9th and the Cougars will still be recovering from that physical encounter when they arrive in South Bend on OCt. 23rd. ND beats BYU in South Bend for the second year in a row.

The Irish go 2-0 vs FBS Independents!

ND vs the ACC

In week week 11, The Irish pack their bags and head for Pittsburgh. This game a year ago led many to believe that ND was not as good as advertised. ND stumbled through, an unimpressive, 3 OT win, over the Panthers & ….. ND was not only bad, they were lucky, Pitt missed a chip shot,in the 2nd OT, that could have brough ND’s, so called, ‘house of cards’ down on their heads. They missed and the rest is now history!

Pitt has moved up a step in competition going from the Big East (AAC Now) to the ACC. The Panthers will have battled Florida State, Virginia Tech, & Georgia Tech by the time they line up against the Irish. ND wins this game, as a banged up Pitt will be struggling to become bowl eligible against the improved competition in the ACC!

ND will be 11-1 in 2013!

That said, the Irish will be in four swing games; USC, Michigan, Stanford, & Oklahoma ( we have them winning 3 of 4 … these games could easily go either way).

The Arizona State (check out ASU’s schedule prior to the ND game … it’s brutal – in fact, if not for their schedule… we would have them as a swing… not … a trap game), Michigan State, Pitt, & BYU are trap games, the Irish better bring their A game or a failure is just around the corner.

Navy, AFA, Temple, & Purdue should be locks (we are talking locks on paper… not in the real world) for ND!