Predicting Notre Dame football: Record and bowl game

We are only two days away from Sunday’s opener against Texas, a game the Irish are favored in by three points. But what about the rest of the schedule?

Editor’s Note: This is the fifth installment in a week-long series leading up to Notre Dame’s season opener against Texas on Sunday. Check back in for a new set of predictions each day until Sunday.

This offseason, a lot was made about Notre Dame’s supposedly weak strength of schedule: The Irish face just three teams ranked in the preseason polls and have only three true road games. Whether that’s just too bad or reason to keep Brian Kelly’s squad out of the College Football Playoff pretty much depends on your rooting interests.

But forget all that. The season is upon us, and all the Irish can do is face the team in front of them each week. Even with half its starters gone from last year, even with uncertainty at quarterback and lots of youth on defense, Notre Dame will still be favored in most of its games this season. Site expert Greg Hadley and and contributor Chase Eyrich make their picks for how the Irish will do against these expectations.

Greg Hadley: 10-2, Orange Bowl

A good chunk of Notre Dame’s schedule this year should be easy wins. I say should be because on paper, the Irish are far more talented than about three-quarters of their opponents. But weird things happen when less talented teams play Notre Dame; all too often, they rise to the occasion and give the Irish the fight of their lives.

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But let’s assume for the moment that Notre Dame will survive these games, be they blowouts or thrillers, and look at the three signature games of the season: Michigan State, Stanford and USC.

USC is definitely a cut below the other two teams in terms of ability, but it is the only one Notre Dame will face on the road. Playmakers like Adoree Jackson and JuJu Smith-Schuster are what worry me most about that matchup. Right now, that one looks like a tossup, with the Trojans having a very slight edge.

Michigan State and Stanford are two teams that have given the Irish fits over the past few years, and while I believe Brian Kelly’s boys will handle one of them, I have a hard time seeing them winning both, even if they are at home.

Between these three games, I’m pegging Notre Dame’s odds between one or two wins at 50-50. But considering the ever present possibility of a trap game and some sneaky good opponents like Miami and Duke, I feel more comfortable saying the Irish will lose two games this season, knocking them out of CFP contention and into their second straight New Years Six Bowl.

Chase Eyrich: 11-1, Orange Bowl

Looking at this year’s schedule, you can see it going a variety of ways. Any Notre Dame fan knows that it doesn’t matter how good each week’s opponent is, they will throw everything but the kitchen sink. For any opponent, especially against a top-10 Notre Dame team, playing the Irish is like playing the Super Bowl. Everyone wants to beat Notre Dame, and if they accomplish it, it will always be considered a signature win. Notre Dame cannot sleep on anyone or overlook any opponent this season.

I’m putting my faith in all the good things going for the Irish, from the coaching staff to the running situation to the defense; I think this could be an 11-1 season with the sole loss coming against Stanford. The fact that Stanford and Michigan State, Notre Dame’s top two opponents, are playing in South Bend this year gives me more confidence that the Irish can finish out a strong season.

Really, all that stands in the way of an undefeated season is Christian McCaffrey, coming off his Heisman runner-up season. A situation that could change this is the dreaded trap game, which I believe will be Virginia Tech on Nov. 19.

Next: When does Notre Dame vs. Texas kick off?

Still, 11-1 might not be good enough this year for the College Football Playoff. Presuming that the SEC, Big Ten and ACC will all be represented leaves one spot open, and that’s only true if only one team from each of those conferences is picked. Based off this season’s strength of schedule and lack of a conference championship, the CFP Committee will overlook the Irish. But the Irish will make a New Years Six Bowl, which will be the Capital One Orange Bowl. In lieu of the playoff, this could give us the matchup that college football has missed so desperately. Yes, I’m talking about Notre Dame vs. Michigan.

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