Notre Dame Football: Prediction 15 for the 2016 Notre Dame Football Season

If Notre Dame can go unblemished at home in 2016, then expect some big time New Year’s Eve plans.

A undefeated record at home will mean only one thing for the Irish: PLAYOFFS. I’m saying if the Irish go undefeated at home then they will be a playoff team. All Notre Dame’s toughest games are played in the confines of Notre Dame Stadium. Unlike the past two season’s, there really is no daunting road game this year. There is no midseason trip to Tallahassee or Clemson. Really the toughest road games are at Texas and USC. This isn’t the Texas program of old, they are still in the rebuilding process. And USC lost some important pieces from last year’s team

Even if Notre Dame did lose that first game of the year against Texas, it wouldn’t be all that catastrophic. What’s that old saying again? It’s better to lose early than late. A week one loss to Texas would not be that fresh in the mind of the committee when they vote in November. The Irish would have three months to make them forget all about it. At the end of the day though, I don’t envision Notre Dame losing that week one game.

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USC might have the toughest schedule in the country. In September alone, they play Alabama in a neutral site game and then they have road trips to Stanford and Utah. Then after that they still have games against Arizona State, Oregon and UCLA. By the time they play the Irish in the last week of the season, there is a chance the Trojans could be physically and mentally worn down from such a grueling schedule.

So this brings us to Notre Dame’s toughest part of the schedule: the home games. Since Brian Kelly arrived in South Bend in 2010 the Irish have gone 29-9 at home, and six of the nine losses came in Kelly’s first two seasons. So over the past four seasons Notre Dame has been one of the best home teams in the country. If you look at the schedule Notre Dame’s three toughest games are Michigan State, Stanford, and Miami. Those three games have one thing in common; they all are at home. Kelly is a combined 4-1 against MSU and Stanford at home. The only loss was to an Andrew Luck-led Stanford team in 2010. Kelly is also 2-0 against Miami.

In the committee’s eyes wins over teams like Michigan State, Stanford and Miami will be impressive, even if they are all played at home.

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The three other remaining home games are Nevada, Duke and Virginia Tech. Nevada is Nevada and should be a game the Irish should win. Duke has turned into a respectable program under David Cutcliffe, but yet another game Notre Dame should win. They round out the home schedule against Virginia Tech. The Hokies are in rebuilding mode underneath first year coach Justin Fuente. All three are very winnable games for Notre Dame.

Because there really isn’t a Clemson or Florida State-like road game in 2016, there Irish just need to go through their home slate unblemished and we will see our Irish in the College Football Playoff.

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Prediction No.15 for the 2016 Notre Dame Football Season: If the Irish are Undefeated at Home then…

By Bobby Norell | May 19, 2016

If Notre Dame can go unblemished at home in 2016, then expect some big time New Year’s Eve plans.