Holtz predicts ND to win 10 games...

[BlindRef]

Homer much?

Mark May has them winning 4 or 5 wins.

Herbstreit predicts 6 or 7.

10 wins??? Where are they going to come from? ND's schedule is brutal, and nothing is tougher to overcome in football than not having an experience QB. I don't think Notre Dame misses a bowl game, but this is not their BCS year.

[Killian]

Their schedule is not brutal. It's a competitive schedule that is front loaded.

The only teams with more talent are USC and UofM. PSU and UCLA have more experience and are close on talent.

Split those 4 games and ND should be 10-2. Holtz expects ND to be good. The talent level is getting back to the Holtz glory days

[PSUFAN]

I expect PSU-ND to be a dogfight.

[RadioFan]

I expect PSU-ND to be a dogfight.

Should be an atmosphere similar to when tOSU was there a couple of years back -- phenomenal. I can't wait for this game.

[King Crimson]

I expect PSU-ND to be a dogfight.

a lightening rod of a metaphor these days...

[King Crimson]

and Holtz was probably merely referring to the experience at QB ND has coming back with Jarrious Jackson.

[RadioFan]

He also picked OU to beat USC in the national championship.

Therefore, he is correct.

;)

(actually, he's insane.)

Kiss of death from grandma.

[King Crimson]

I'll go 8-4.

but if there is ANY talk about them as a "hot" team at the end of the year "winners of 4 straight" i'll vomit--now if they beat SC, OK.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Homer much?

Mark May has them winning 4 or 5 wins.

Herbstreit predicts 6 or 7.

Interesting to talk and laugh about, but my mother probably could give you more insightful commentary about Notre Dame football than that trio of idiots.

Hmmm. Winning 10 games will be difficult when you start the season 0-4.

I don't see us losing to Georgia Tech without Johnson. And Michigan State is in even more flux this season than we are. If they beat us, and it's not a complete fluke, Dantonio deserves serious consideration for COY.

I'll go 8-4.

but if there is ANY talk about them as a "hot" team at the end of the year "winners of 4 straight" i'll vomit--now if they beat SC, OK.

I see this as an 8-4 season as well. I see Penn State, Michigan, UCLA and USC as losses. Fredo also looms out there as a potential "trap" game -- we have more talent, but ND is their Super Bowl.

Rather than ND being glossed a "hot" team, I foresee (at least on this board) a lot of scheduling smack being leveled at ND on the basis of their final four games, rather than the entire schedule as a whole.

If ND goes 8-4, they go to a BCS bowl. It is right there in the contract.

I'm not quite sure whether to go or , maybe a combination of both. Fwiw, ND has to have 9 wins and a Top 14 finish before they can be considered for a BCS bid. Realistically, the latter criterion probably means 10 wins with the 12-game schedule.

I don't think Notre Dame misses a bowl game, but this is not their BCS year.

I would agree with that. Fwiw, ESPN and Fox Sports Net already have posted bowl projections for this year. ESPN has us in the Sun Bowl vs. KAL (I'm not sure how that jibes with the predictions referenced above), and Fox Sports Net has us going to the International Bowl vs. Miami of Ohio (it would be interesting to see NDNation's reaction to that one, given the love affair most of the posters there have with Fox).

[Shoalzie]

I think 7 wins is a fair number but 8 is possible.

Georgia Tech won't be the same without Calvin Johnson. They'll roll up the three service academies. That's 4 wins there. Duke and Stanford are horrid so there's 6 wins. The rest of slate...Michigan and USC are pretty much guaranteed losses. Michigan State, Penn State and BC are toss-ups, I think they can beat Purdue and the trip out to UCLA will be tough. If they go 2-3 with those 5 games, that would put them at an 8-win season.

[RadioFan]

They should roll BC.

Oh, and Terry, I'll be rooting for them on Oct. 20.

[Jobocky]

7 wins

[King Crimson]

TiC: i meant "hot team" hype in the media, not this board or it's ND denizens.

[Jobocky]

7 wins

.. and a trip to the Gator Bowl

[King Crimson]

7 wins

.. and a trip to the Gator Bowl

i don't know. Gator is locked into the Big East (I think) and has to take a Big XII team 2 of the next 3 years...since they passed on Nebraska last year.

[Jobocky]

7 wins

.. and a trip to the Gator Bowl

i don't know. Gator is locked into the Big East (I think) and has to take a Big XII team 2 of the next 3 years...since they passed on Nebraska last year.

You need a life

[RadioFan]

You need a life

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Sept. 1 GEORGIA TECH W
Sept. 8 at Penn State L
Sept. 15 at Michigan L
Sept. 22 MICHIGAN STATE W
Sept. 29 at Purdue W
Oct. 6 at UCLA L
Oct. 13 BOSTON COLLEGE W
Oct. 20 USC L
Nov. 3 NAVY W
Nov. 10 AIR FORCE W
Nov. 17 DUKE W
Nov. 24 at Stanford W

That's how I see it.

[Terry in Crapchester]

I think 7 wins is a fair number but 8 is possible.

I'm going with 8, with a margin of error of 1 in either direction.

Georgia Tech won't be the same without Calvin Johnson. They'll roll up the three service academies. That's 4 wins there.

We don't play Army this year, so that's actually three wins.

Duke and Stanford are horrid so there's 6 wins. The rest of slate...Michigan and USC are pretty much guaranteed losses.

Worth noting with Michigan: the underdog/road team has won each of the last two seasons. Michigan and Penn State are both road games this year, so I think a sweep would be damn near impossible.

Michigan State, Penn State and BC are toss-ups,

I wouldn't put these three teams in the same category.

Penn State has comparable talent, more experience and home field this year, I think this is a loss for us.

Even with this year being a down year talent-wise for us, we have more talent than Michigan State (sorry, Mgo and Screw). And they're in even more flux than we are this year. I think we beat them.

On paper, we should beat Boston College. But this game is always their Super Bowl, so it looms as a potential trap game for us, particularly if we exceed expectations out of the gate.

I think they can beat Purdue and the trip out to UCLA will be tough. If they go 2-3 with those 5 games, that would put them at an 8-win season.

We need to go 3-2 in these games to win 8.

i don't know. Gator is locked into the Big East (I think) and has to take a Big XII team 2 of the next 3 years...since they passed on Nebraska last year.

If ND is not selected for the BCS, they become eligible for any non-BCS bowl with a Big East tie-in (assuming that they're bowl-eligible).

The Gator Bowl, of course, is one such bowl. They have an alternate tie-in with the Big XII, and to be honest, I'm not sure exactly how that works. I read that the Gator has the option of taking a Big XII team twice in the four-year period beginning last season, which I would interpret as meaning that the Gator could take a Big XII team a maximum of twice in that four-year period, but is not required to take a Big XII team twice. However, I've also heard that the contract calls for the Big XII to take a Big East team (or ND) twice in that four-year period, and a Big XII team twice in the same period.

The interpretation is critical here. If it's the former, I believe the tie goes to the Big East this season, as selection of a Big XII team would mean that the Gator would lose one of its Big XII options over the next two seasons. If it's the latter, I believe the tie goes to the Big XII this season. In light of the fact that the Gator Bowl chose West Virginia last season, under the latter interpretation the Gator would be tied into the Big XII for the next two seasons (note that under either interpretation, I think it was clear that the tie was going to the Big East last season). OTOH, if the Gator Bowl wants Notre Dame within that four-year period, I think this season is the best chance to get ND. I think we'll be in the BCS in each of the next two seasons.

[Danimal]

8-4 would be a solid year that could see ND back in the top25 later-on. With newbies on O and much to prove on D 8-4 would be respectable. But with what Weis is making any less will get boos. He didn't get that contract to go 7-5 and look towards next season.

[RumpleForeskin]

I see an 8-4 season in them too, but I do think one of those wins will come against UCLA, Michigan, Penn St., or USC. I think their 4th loss will be a let down game from either Michigan St., Stanford, Purdue, or BC.

[Terry in Crapchester]

They should roll BC.

I agree with you to a point. But from a history standpoint, it's worth noting that BC has won 4 straight and 5 of the last 6 meetings. http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/di ... teamid=374

Of course, the last meeting was 3 seasons ago, so the majority of both of these teams have never faced the other. And in fairness, BC had a significant coaching advantage for that time period. Given the changes both teams have made since then, that appears no longer to be the case.

OTOH, this game is BC's Super Bowl. Fredo has a serious "little brother" complex when it comes to ND, and throw in the fact that the series will end in the near future, which they don't want to happen, and they're likely to be up for this game. It's also a potential trap game for ND, if ND surprises out of the gate, especially given that it's only one week before USC.

ND needs to get ahead early and keep the pressure on. If we let them hang around, this will be a battle.