[dropcap]A[/dropcap]fter falling in the BCS National Championship game in 2012 and suffering a minor down season that ended with a 29-16 win over Rutgers in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl and a 9-4 record last year, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame will look to make their way back into championship contender talk.
However, paths they must travel will not be easy. Not only do the Irish have to battle for a spot in the new college football playoff system, but they face one of the toughest schedules in the nation.
The Irish head into their first game Saturday against Rice (3:30 p.m. ET on NBC), ranked No. 17 in preseason polls, but immediately face a tough contest with Michigan the following week (a game The Pit will be at). While Rice should be a win the Irish can get with relative ease, the Wolverines will be a different story.
Brady Hoke and his Michigan team have been a thorn in Notre Dame’s side since Hoke’s arrival in Ann Arbor. Last year, Michigan handed Notre Dame their first loss of the season, 41-30. Both teams posted over 400 total offensive yards, but then-quarterback Tommy Rees gave up two interceptions, both to Blake Countess.
During their 2012 campaign, Notre Dame narrowly beat Michigan, 13-6, while losing in 2011, 35-31.
Hoke has posted a 2-1 record in his three years at Michigan over Notre Dame, but the Michigan coach will be looking for an elusive big road win that has escaped him during that time.
The September 6 game has rivalry implications on the line as well. Their upcoming game will be the last for the foreseeable future – save any bowl game match ups – because Notre Dame has opted not to play Michigan again. The Irish and Wolverines have met 41 times since 1881 with Michigan leading the series, 24-16-1.
Notre Dame will face Purdue and Syracuse before an October 4 game against No. 11 Stanford (another game The Pit will be at live). Stanford comes off a season that saw them fall in the Rose Bowl to Michigan State, a team that the Irish will not face this year. Following the Stanford game, the Irish will face No. 23 North Carolina before facing their toughest test of the season.
October 18, the Irish will head to Tallahassee to face the defending BCS National Champions in the Florida State Seminoles. The Seminoles are ranked at the top of the college football preseason polls and are the early favorites for another title win.
The latter half of the season will see the Irish face Navy, No. 19 Arizona State, Northwestern, Louisville and No. 15 USC.
To add further to trouble the quality of opponents the Irish will be facing, the university announced that four players — all probable starters — have been suspended for academic fraud and will remain that way until an investigation into the matter is closed.
The four starters — defensive back KeiVarae Russell, defensive lineman Ishaq Williams, linebacker Kendall Moore and receiver DaVaris Daniels — were interviewed by the university on August 15 concerning the matter after officials found inconsistencies in written assignments among the players.
Daniels was suspended last year for academic violations. The receiver is seen as the Irish’s top wideout, but his suspension leaves Chris Brown at the top of the receiving corps. Brown had just 15 catches last season compared to Daniels 49 before his suspension.
Good news is that starting quarterback Everett Golson returns after leaving the team last year, though his departure was due to what was called “poor academic judgment.”
Notre Dame has stated that they would vacate any victories the players were associated with if found to have committed academic fraud. This would include any wins from their 2012 season that saw the Irish lose in the BCS title game.
Once the internal investigation is complete, the NCAA will determine whether any additional punishments are warranted — including a loss of scholarships and recruiting privileges.
The announcement of the four players being suspended overshadowed an announcement and unveiling by Under Armour and the university for the new jerseys the Irish will be sporting this year. The collaboration between the two entities is called the most valuable apparel deal in college sports history. The jersey’s feature the signature gold and blue colors of Notre Dame with a slick look that stays true to its past.
Despite the strength of their schedule and the loss of four key starters, the Irish look to improve on last year, but will likely fall short. The Irish will have a strong season but not one to the same tune of their 2012 BCS run, finishing at 9-3 in the regular season again this year. Losses will come from Florida State, Stanford and USC.
Prediction: 9-3
Notre Dame to open season against Rice
As mentioned above, Notre Dame will open the college football season against Rice on Saturday.
The game should be a mark in the win column for the Irish, but the game should serve as a way to test out the replacements the Irish need to make on the field following the suspensions. The right players need to be found this week, as Michigan will travel to South Bend in week two with a mission to put away the Irish and the rivalry.
With the loss of Russell, sophomore Jaylon Smith is left as the default leader of the Irish defense. In Saturday’s game, Smith will be relied on to shut down the Owl’s running game. Sophomore running back Jowan Davis rushed for 445 yards last season while playing behind then-starter Charlie Ross and is important to Rice’s offensive production.
Senior quarterback Everett Golson returns to lead the Notre Dame offense. In 2012, Golson completed 58.8 percent of his passes (187 of 318) for 2,405 yards and 12 TDs with six interceptions. He joined Joe Theismann and Jarious Jackson as the only Irish quarterbacks to pass for more than 2,000 yards and rush for more than 300 in one season.
Last year, Golson was not with the university due to “poor academic judgement,” but served the Irish well in their road to the BCS title game.
The passing game may be a bit lackluster, at least until the suspensions are up. DaVaris Daniels will likely still be suspended, leaving the top target for Golson out of the equation. Last year, Daniels recorded 46 receptions, 720 receiving yards and seven TDs – second to TJ Jones.
Chris Brown will be seen as the Irish’s top target, but that may cause some worry about their passing game. Brown caught just 15 passes last year for 209 yards an a touchdown. He earned a career-best five catches in Notre Dame;s 29-16 over Rutgers in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, while his first touchdown came that October against Air Force off a 15-yard strike.
Rice remains the perfect opponent for Notre Dame to begin the season against despite the Irish’s setbacks. The Irish will need to use this opportunity to fill in the holes that need to be addressed before their first real test on September 6 against Michigan.
