Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/531612
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 135 revealed a startling lack of fortitude. When negativity creeps in at Notre Dame, it can become quite a bad scene." Still, the publication concludes that when it comes to all the returning talent and ex- perience for the Irish in 2015, it's up to the critic to prove the negative. "Why not the Irish?" the magazine asked rhetorically. "Why can't they leap into play- off contention? They have the horses to do it. Early results against Texas (home), Georgia Tech (home) and Clemson (road) will speak volumes." In the publication's list of top 10 story- lines entering the season, No. 10 was: "Do the Irish have their mojo back?" "Last season was strange and, at times, awful for Notre Dame," it wrote. "But 2015 could be special. Good luck finding a team anywhere with more returning starters than Brian Kelly and his staff have to work with. Offensively, this should be Kelly's best Irish team by a long stretch with Malik Zaire ending up with the quarterback job. An opening test at home against Texas will be a huge tone-setter." Given Notre Dame's standing as an in- dependent, the Irish are all over the pub- lication's list of top 12 non-conference games, including Notre Dame's contests versus Clemson (No. 4), USC (No. 7), Texas (No. 9) and Georgia Tech (No. 11). Both offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley and linebacker Jaylon Smith are first-team All-Americans according to Lindy's, while Zaire tops the magazine's list of "Heisman Sleepers." "Zaire showed in late-season games against USC and LSU that he's capable of leading an offense that should finally play up to Brian Kelly's previous standards," the magazine noted. The Irish are also represented well in the magazine's position unit rankings, includ- ing offensive backfield (No. 6), receivers (No. 2), offensive line (No. 4), defensive line (No. 10), linebackers (No. 4) and defen- sive backs (No. 5). In fact, Notre Dame and defending national champion Ohio State are the only two teams ranked among the top 10 in every position group. On a list of ranking head coaches, the magazine includes Brian Kelly at No. 17. "He's the smartest guy in the stadium (and that's not said with a smirk)," the publication wrote. "On those occasions when he con- nects with his players, magic happens." SPORTING NEWS This publication has Notre Dame at No. 10 in its preseason ratings, and predicts a bid to the Russell Athletic Bowl to face Texas for the second time in 2015. Among its opponents, USC leads the way at No. 6, followed by Clemson at No. 11, Georgia Tech at No. 12 and Stanford at No. 24. The magazine takes note of Notre Dame's coaching staff changes as one of the con- cerns facing this year's team. Not necessarily that the hires won't pan out — just that some shakeups in the staff occurred. They tagged new running backs coach Autry Denson and new defensive backs coach Todd Lyght as "big-name" hires, adding that new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Sanford brings "fresh blood" from Boise State. Wide receiver Will Fuller was tabbed the team's "Difference-Maker." "The speedy Fuller was known before last season as a deep threat," the magazine said. "With [now departed] Everett Golson back at quarterback in 2014, Fuller also showed himself to be a go-to option on any given pass play. While four other Irish receivers had 29 or more receptions, Fuller's 76 were 36 more than any other teammate and his 15 receiving touchdowns were third in the FBS." In addition, the publication believes the Irish boast a pair of preseason first-team All-Americans in offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley and linebacker Jaylon Smith. Sporting News includes an annual list of college football's top overall programs that is more inclusive than strictly on-the-field performance, adding facilities, coaching, recruiting bases and fan support to the mix. The Irish rank at No. 10 overall, trailing Ohio State, Texas, USC, LSU, Florida, Michigan, Alabama, Florida State and Or- egon in consecutive order. "There is still the natural draw of Notre Dame, of tradition and history and pag- eantry," the magazine wrote. "The rest of the program must catch up (hello, sta- dium upgrades). The days of high school players dreaming to play for Notre Dame are gone. The Irish are battling in recruit- ing trenches like everyone else, where sustained success is the key to making it all work. Think about this: the year Brian Kelly got the Irish to the national title game, Will Muschamp was a Notre Dame loss from getting Florida there. That's how quickly it can turn, espe- cially considering not much has hap- pened since for Kelly." Sporting News also includes a separate tailgating ranking, which places Notre Dame at No. 5 behind LSU, Wisconsin, Ole Miss and Tennessee. "Arguably the 'mecca' of college football, Notre Dame offers a game-day experience unlike any other and that extends to tailgat- ing … Sure, it will be much colder in South Bend than anywhere in the SEC in Novem- ber, but that only adds to the atmosphere, which even the most avid Notre Dame hat- ers concede is pretty special," the magazine noted. ✦ Blue & Gold Illustrated Staff Predictions Category Lou Somogyi Bryan Driskell Andrew Ivins Jordan Wells Regular Season Record 10-2 11-1 10-2 10-2 Bowl Game Fiesta Bowl Fiesta Bowl Chick-Fil-A Bowl Fiesta Bowl Team MVP Malik Zaire Jaylon Smith Malik Zaire Jaylon Smith Breakthrough Player Max Redfield Malik Zaire Cole Luke C.J. Prosise Most Anticipated Game USC USC Clemson USC Upset Alert Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Texas Pittsburgh Opponent on the Rise Texas Texas USC Texas Opponent on the Decline Virginia Stanford Virginia Virginia Coach of the Year Bret Bielema Mark Richt Gary Pinkel Dabo Swinney CFP Championship Game Ohio State vs. Alabama Georgia vs. Florida State Ohio State vs. Alabama Ohio State vs. Auburn Crystal Ball: Notre Dame Predictions Preseason Publication Rank Projected Bowl Athlon Sports No. 12 Russell Athletic vs. West Virginia Lindy's Sports No. 7 Fiesta vs. Boise State Phil Steele's No. 12 Fiesta vs. Boise State Sporting News No. 10 Russell Athletic vs. Texas Irish Player National Rankings Player (Position) Lindy's Phil Steele's Sheldon Day (DT) 7 5 Will Fuller (WR) 7 19 Jarron Jones (DT) — 28 Nick Martin (C) 3 3 Corey Robinson (WR) — 11 KeiVarae Russell (CB) 9 7 Jaylon Smith (LB) 1 2 Ronnie Stanley (OT) 2 2