Notre Dame Football: Realistic Expectations Before the Blue and Gold Game
Notre Dame football is already considered a favorite for the 2017 College Football Playoff. But what are the realistic expectations prior to the Blue and Gold Game?
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As much as fans would love to say Notre Dame is a shoe in for the 2017 College Football Playoff, it’s not even close to guaranteed. Coming off a 4-8 season, the Fighting Irish have a long way to go before they are considered a team worthy of the top 10 let alone the top four.
The coaching changes the Irish have made this offseason have certainly boosted their potential. Mike Elko and Chip Long are two of the brightest young coordinators in the NCAA, and Matt Balis has single-handedly transformed Notre Dame into one of the scariest teams in the country.
Their defense returns with another year of experience and only loses three major players. With Nyles Morgan and Drue Tranquill leading the way, this defense should be much better than their pitiful 2016 season.
Compared to last year, this unit should at least be able to hold teams away from 30-plus points per game. Now that their sophomore corners Julian Love and Donte Vaughn have a year under their belt, the Irish’s defensive backfield should be much more reliable. With Shaun Crawford returning from a season-ending knee injury, the secondary is going to go from one of the worst in 2016 to one of the best in 2017.
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On the offensive end, Notre Dame will have one of the best offensive lines, running games and receiving cores in the country. If new starting quarterback, Brandon Wimbush, can transfer his play in spring practice to a live game, the Irish offense will be nearly unstoppable.
You could expect Josh Adams to surpass the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career. Equanimeous St. Brown will no doubt be one of the best wideouts in the NCAA. Adding 15 pounds, bumping up to 6’4, 220-pounds, St. Brown is going to be the Irish’s most dangerous offensive weapon.
With the return of Aliz’e Jones, the Irish return to their “Tight End U” form with Jones catching passes and Durham Smythe blocking. Having Chase Claypool more involved and bringing back Miles Boykins, C.J. Sanders, and Kevin Stepherson, Wimbush will have plenty of options to look for during his first season.
Add all this together, and Notre Dame looks like a National Championship team on paper. How they’ll play on the field is an entirely different story. Right now, it’s nothing more than a mystery we can guess at from videos of spring practice.
They aren’t a team who can afford to start 2017 off slow or really take a loss in general. They’ll need to prove themselves from day one and continue to impress throughout the season if they want to find themselves competing for a playoff spot.
The way it looks, this could happen. No one knows how they’ll come out and play in the Blue and Gold Game, but from what we’ve seen so far, Notre Dame is for real. This team is dangerous and contains some of the best athletes in the country. Combine with their new and improved coaching staff, the Irish should make noise next season.
Pre-spring game, Notre Dame’s expectations for College Football Playoff. They have everything they could ask for. Looking back at how terrible they were last year, it’s mind blowing how much this team has changed. But the adjustments were made, and now, Notre Dame is fully loaded at almost every position.
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How well this team performs on Saturday will be a much clearer indication of their future. Right now, though, you could keep your hopes high and expect Notre Dame to be a top team in 2017.