Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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134 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW T here's not much variance on the national scene regarding Notre Dame's 2015 squad. Preseason ex- pectations are almost universally high for an Irish team coming off an 8-5 record in 2014, thanks to a ton of returning talent and experience. Here's what the national magazines had to say about the upcoming season. ATHLON SPORTS This publication ranks Notre Dame's 2015 squad as the deepest team in sixth-year head coach Brian Kelly's tenure in South Bend. It even invokes (some) comparisons to Kelly's 2012 Irish team that finished the regular season 12-0 before falling to Alabama in the national championship game. Still, they note that only once in the last five seasons has Notre Dame finished a season with less than four losses. "If the Irish can maximize the quarterback position, establish a consistent ground game and be more stout up front defensively, this season should resemble 2012 more than any of the others under Kelly," the magazine stated. "That would mean playing in a New Year's Day bowl if not contending for a CFB Playoff spot." Notre Dame checks in at No. 12 in the publication's 1-128 rankings, trailing only one team on the 2015 schedule (USC at No. 6). Also ranking in the top 25 are Clem- son (No. 14), Georgia Tech (No. 18) and Stanford (No. 24). A schedule with four top-25 teams (two of them road contests) — plus Texas (No. 33) and Pittsburgh (No. 41) won't be pushovers — resulted in the Irish being projected to finish 9-3, but with a caveat that if the de- fense improves appreciably after suffering key injuries and suspensions last year, the Irish could break into the top 10. Athlon's eventual postseason projection is the Russell Athletic Bowl versus West Virginia. In the national unit rankings, Notre Dame is represented twice. The linebacking corps checks in at No. 5 in the country, trailing Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama and Okla- homa. The receiving corps checks in at No. 8. "Key Fighting Irish" include wide receiver Will Fuller and linebacker Jaylon Smith, joined by defensive tackle Sheldon Day. An- other defensive lineman, Jerry Tillery, ranks as the team's "Rising Star." Interestingly, anonymous opposing coaches weighed in with an expert take of their own on the Irish: "The big thing is just finding consistency on the offensive side because they're going to have some weapons. Their receivers and their backs are really good, and I think their O-line and tight end group is one of the best in the country. They'll probably get back to being one of the top teams in the country if they can get consistency in quarterback play … [Defensively] they were trying to adjust to a new system last year. I like what Brian VanGorder does. He attacks. He's blitz-heavy and tries to bring a lot of differ- ent pressures and different looks coverage- wise. They struggled a lot against tempo offenses trying to get adjusted to some of the calls and those things, but I think they'll be pretty good because they're big up front and they've got linebackers that can really run. They were kind of young in the secondary and those guys will get better. Their pressure packages are pretty extensive." LINDY'S SPORTS This publication is the only one of the three to have Notre Dame ranked higher than all of its 2015 opponents. The Irish come in at No. 7 — also the highest ranking of the three magazines — with Clemson at No. 9, USC at No. 11, Georgia Tech at No. 15 and Stanford at No. 26. Accompanying the No. 7 ranking is the note: "Exorcising own demons is the key." Lindy's left Notre Dame out of the College Football Playoff, but does project a berth in the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State Jan. 1. "The Irish will be very experienced on both sides," the magazine wrote. "Their of- fensive line, led by Ronnie Stanley and Nick Martin, will give Malik Zaire a chance at a special season. The defense will be strong. Maybe not 2012 strong, but balanced, tough and explosive in the back end. "There has to be at least some question about the mental toughness of this group, which, when the going got tough a year ago, What They're Saying About The Irish Athlon — "If the Irish can maximize the quarter- back position, establish a consistent ground game and be more stout up front defensively, this season should resemble 2012 more than any of the others under Kelly. That would mean playing in a New Year's Day bowl if not contending for a CFB Playoff spot." Lindy's — "Why not the Irish? Why can't they leap into playoff contention? They have the horses to do it." Sporting News — "Notre Dame's 12-1 season in 2012 is a distant memory, but this Irish team is good enough for double-digit wins and a spot in the Col- lege Football Playoff." LUCK OF THE IRISH? Magazines predict big things for Notre Dame in 2015 Head coach Brian Kelly will aim to lead the Irish to double-digit victories in a season for the second time during his tenure at Notre Dame. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND