Notre Dame Football: 2010 Preview
Dave Curtis - SportingNews.com
Aug 05, 2010
Sporting News previews the Fighting Irish as we count down our preseason top 100 college football teams leading into the season opener on Sept. 2.
Last year: 6-6
2010 projected record: 8-4
Why we know we're right: Where Brian Kelly goes, good things seem to happen. With only one losing record in 19 years as a head coach, his success is well documented. More important, Kelly, strength coach Paul Longo and athletic director Jack Swarbrick have overhauled how Irish players are treated in-house. There's talent here, and it should play to potential in 2010.
Why we might be wrong: Kelly's offense works best with a proven passer, and Dayne Crist remains an unknown commodity behind center. He ran a similar scheme in high school, but doing it against Purdue in the opener or in the first road game at Michigan State will be a different deal. Then there's the defense, which allowed 398 yards per game last year and returns nine players with significant starting experience.
Our confidence level in this pick: High. Everything out of South Bend will sound positive in August. But the combination of new coaches and player inexperience, especially at quarterback and on the offensive line, will keep this team out of BCS contention. Look for the Irish to lose at least once as a favorite.
Judgment day: Nov. 27 at USC. By Thanksgiving weekend, Kelly's high-tempo offense should be clicking. And given the Trojans' potential depth issues, the Irish should be favorites to snap their eight-game skid in the series.
Coach's job security: Strong. Kelly's hire ranked as the most ballyhooed of the offseason, and the hype has continued. Reports have him retooling the team on the field and reconnecting with alums off it. Now, he just needs to win.
Grading the positions: QB (B-), RB (B), WR/TE (A), OL (C+), DL (B-), LB (B), DB (C), ST (B+).
Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com.
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