Notre Dame Football: 3 Bold Predictions for the Second Half of the Season

Drue Tranquill finishes as team MVP

Don’t be surprised if you see more passion in the second half of the season from Drue Tranquill than anyone else on the field. There were many factors that came into play for his return to Notre Dame this season, but one of them weighs directly on where the Irish are at right now.

Tranquill wants to finish what the team started. There was a feeling that he hadn’t completed what he set to accomplish when he came to South Bend. The motive is to win a National Championship.

So far this season, he has done what has been needed to get Notre Dame in the position for a playoff appearance.

The Irish have a great defensive unit, maybe the best in the Kelly era. From the front seven to the coverage, they have earned respect all season. Tranquill currently sits second on the team with 46 tackles so far in 2018. He is only surpassed by Te’Von Coney’s 56 tackles.

The main difference between these two great players is how often Tranquill gets it done himself. The linebacker leads the team with 38 solo tackles and has only eight assisted.

Tranquill’s time with the Irish hasn’t been the easiest. We’ve seen his potential, but injuries have harmed part of his career. In a 12-month period, he suffered from two ACL tears.

Here he is a graduate student and nothing seems like it could slow him down –not even a cast after suffering a fractured hand a few weeks ago.

The remaining schedule — while some games will be more difficult than you would think — should set Notre Dame up for a run at the playoffs. It also sets Tranquill up for a great finish to his Irish career.

Offensively, there are a lot of teams that struggle. Navy will not pass the ball, nor will they find many points against this defense. Northwestern, who has been seen as a potential trap game, averages 2.2 yards per carry. Florida State also has a hard time running the ball. The Seminoles average 2.7 yards per carry.

It’s the tail end of Tranquill’s career at Notre Dame, and you can fully expect him to take his game to an even higher level making — him the team MVP for the second half of the season.