There are currently four teams of the 124 universities in the FBS, who are operating as independents (not members of a conference), Army, BYU, Navy, & Notre Dame. While not in a league, these teams do have some connections: 1) BYU visits ND on 10/20/12; 2) Navy opens the season against ND in Dublin, Ireland; 3) The Midshipmen challenge Army on the last day of the regular season; 4) ND will play Army in 2014 and again in 2016; 5) ND has played Navy on an annual basis since 1927! BYU has indicated it would like to play ND annually and are playing the Irish this year & in 2013. That said, Navy & Army are not scheduled to play BYU in the near future.
Notre Dame: ND fans believe they were one position away from a BCS Bowl a year ago. Quarterback Tommy Reese threw 20 TD’s and 14 INT’s and fumbled on several more occasions. The Irish turned the ball over a staggering 29 times in 2012, many in the Red Zone when it looked as if ND was about to score. The QB position will be a four-way battle among Reese, Andrew Hendrix, Everett Golson and newcomer, Gunner Kiel. Look for Hendrix to win the job. Cierra Wood will lead the way at RB, with help from Theo Riddick and George Atkinson. USC transfer, Amir Carlisle should challenge for playing time. The Wide Receiver position will be down due to the loss of Michael Floyd, yet ND boasts the nation’s best Tight End in Tyler Eifert. The O-line has 3 starters back, including its leader, Braxston Cave, at center. The D is led by middle linebacker Monti Te’o and should get good support from the D-Line led by Nose Guard Louis Nix. The secondary, while talented, is inexperienced and lacks depth. ND’s front seven will need to play well, especially early, if ND is to improve on its last two win totals of 8. They will … Prediction: 9-3
BYU: The Cougars were 10-3 a year ago and bring back 14 starters, 7 on each side of the ball, including their QB, Riely Nelson. Last year Nelson, while splitting time with Jake Heaps (transferred at the end of 2011 regular season), passed for 1700 plus yards and threw for a very respectable 19 TD’s to 7 INT’s. BYU lost its leading rusher from 2011, in fact, their leading returning rusher is QB Riley Nelson. Their receivers, Cody Hoffman, 6-4 208 and Ross Apo, 6’3 206, are big, fast, & dangerous. The O-line will bring back 3 starters from a year ago and a 4th who was injured in 2011, but did start in 2010. The defense returns 2 starters on the D-line, all 3 linebackers, and cornerback, Preston Hadley will lead an experienced secondary. BYU has earned double digit wins in six of the past seven seasons, this year’s team is better than a year ago… but so is the schedule! Notre Dame, G-Tech, Boise State and the Holy War, BYU vs Utah… are all on the road, while PAC 12 opponent Oregon State will travel to Provo to face the Cougars. This is no walk in the park! Prediction: 9-3
Army: The Black Knights return eight starters on defense and seven on offense , including QB, Trent Steelman. Steelman is the team’s 2nd leading rusher from the 2011 season but must improve his passing, as he threw for an anemic 424 yards …. for the entire season. Army is an option team and all three runners; FB, Larry Dixon, RB, Jared Hassin, the team’s leading rusher, slot back, Raymond Maples (1066 total yards) are all back for the 2012 campaign. Army will start two new wide receivers, and the O-line returns 3 of its 5 regulars from a year ago. Army’s defense will be the strength of this year’s team. The D will lead Army to its second bowl appearance in the past three years. And of far more importance, the Black Knights, led by their defense, will end Navy’s ten year dominance in this historic series! Prediction: 6-6
Navy: The Midshipmen return 13 starters as they prep for the 2012 cruise, 6 on offense and 7 on the defensive side of the ball. In 2011, Navy failed to make a bowl appearance for the first time in 8 years and if they are successful in getting the ship back on course… they will have to do so with a new QB! The Midshipmen will also have to replace their three leading rushers from the 2011 season. Navy does return its three leading receivers, who are used intermittingly to keep defenses somewhat honest. Opposing D’s will often crowd the Line of Scrimmage with 7 or 8 defenders to slow down the Midshipmen’s vaunted option attack. The O-line returns only two staters from a year ago. The D-line performed poorly last year but with three starters back should be significantly, not relatively, improved in 2012. The Line backers return 3 of 4 starters and should be more effective against both the run and pass. In the secondary, 4 players who started 5 or more games last years are back for this year’s voyage. Navy’s has a favorable schedule and could easily be favored in 10 of their 12 games (Not ND & Penn State). Prediction: 8-4
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