re: This classic sums up Notre Dame and their pre-season ranking quite well

quote:

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IF, Notre Dame could get to 5-0 beating Clemson at their place, they could end up in a New Years 6 bowl easily. If they split with SC and Stanford, they could even wind up in the playoff. As they would have gone unbeaten in the ACC and beat Clemson, BC, Pitt, and UVa in true road games.


I am not sure though they can go through that unbeaten, but it is a real possibility.

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This team definitely has the firepower to go through unscathed or 11 - 1, but we've spit the bit against at least one team under Kelly that we had no business losing every single year (Tulsa in 2010, USF in 2011, Pitt in 2013, Northwestern in 2014) except the 2012 title run year (and we very nearly did...really should have...against Pitt that year as well). I just don't trust Kelly; he'll get cute and start throwing the ball all over the yard against teams we can maul up front, and it's cost us.

Also, after last year, we need to stay healthy - can't be throwing out a starting 11 on defense with a bunch of freshmen and walk-ons by the end of the year again.