Weis: ND will win 9-12 games this year.

[spartan80]

Originally Posted by Sir Denis Eton-Hogg

I guess fat jabba like creatures think alike...

Last season Holtz was saying the same crap, and look where that got them.

[spartan80]

Originally Posted by MSUisbetterthanu

I said that they have too much talent to only get 3 wins again (especially with that schedule).

You just contradicted yourself by basically agreeing with me...by predicting the exact record I predicted.

Do they have that much more talent this year than last? Is there reason to believe that the coaching has gotten better? What about ND indicates to you that they will improve?

[Man_In_Black]

Originally Posted by Pablo Fanque

i think they'll beat washington and pitt

I think so too. ND is the benefactor of a very easy schedule.

UM, MSU, Purdue, and USC are their only really tough games.

[MSUisbetterthanu]

Originally Posted by spartan80

Do they have that much more talent this year than last? Is there reason to believe that the coaching has gotten better? What about ND indicates to you that they will improve?

Look, I'm by no means a Weis apologist, but their team is loaded with talent and they have another loaded class of freshmen. Their huge problem (yes, they had a lot of problems, but the biggest problem) was lack of experience on the offensive line.

As the season went on, the play DID get better on the line and Clausen was finally able to put up some decent numbers.

I'm being realistic...their record WILL improve. I think some of the 9+ win predictions are hilarious, but I see 5 or 6 wins that Jabba should win on that schedule, no matter how bad of a coach he is.

[MSUisbetterthanu]

Btw, even though I think the Irish will take Washington, I would love to see Ty embarrass Fat Charlie.

[Sir Denis Eton-Hogg]

Originally Posted by MSUisbetterthanu

As the season went on, the play DID get better on the line and Clausen was finally able to put up some decent numbers.

I mostly agree but as the season went on, the schedule got easier (save USC).

[MSUisbetterthanu]

Originally Posted by Sir Denis Eton-Hogg

I mostly agree but as the season went on, the schedule got easier (save USC).

Absolutely. I agree. But take away USC, Michigan, MSU, and Purdue, and this schedule is not hard at all.

[Heat Miser]

Don't forget they will have a decided schematic advantage in every game.

[mentalstate]

their play 'improved' because the level of their competition went way, way down.

This team was in the bottom ten of college fb for offense. They featured the worst blocking O-line I have ever seen at a major FB powerhouse.

On top of that, they have lost the two best players- both on D- from that team in Laws and the dirty safety.

And on top of that, if you followed them at all during the spring, Jabba has declared that they will be much, much more physical, and sure enough, they had a brawl, I believe in the spring game. This coming off a season in which they punched and kicked opposing players. Great coaching technique and genius, indeed.

And BC, Pitt and UW should all be favored against them, and do remember last year all the service academies beat them.

[Sir Denis Eton-Hogg]

I just hope Navy goes "Back to Back".

[Pablo Fanque]

Originally Posted by MSUisbetterthanu

Look, I'm by no means a Weis apologist, but their team is loaded with talent and they have another loaded class of freshmen. Their huge problem (yes, they had a lot of problems, but the biggest problem) was lack of experience on the offensive line.

As the season went on, the play DID get better on the line and Clausen was finally able to put up some decent numbers.

I'm being realistic...their record WILL improve. I think some of the 9+ win predictions are hilarious, but I see 5 or 6 wins that Jabba should win on that schedule, no matter how bad of a coach he is.

Yep. Too much talent on that team to suck as badly as last year. Will they win 9 games? Highly doubt that. 8 wouldn't surprise me.

[MikeJohnson]

Here is the way I see it. One thing about ND is that they have one hell of a recruiting class. I see them winning 8 games this year and that would not be too far fetched
1-SDSU W
2-Michigan-L
3-@ Michigan State-L
4- Purdue-W
5-Stanford-W
6- @UNC-W
7 @ Washington-W
8 Pitt-W
9-@ BC-L
10- @ Navy-W
11- Syracuse-W
12-@ USC -L Anyone thinking that ND will win @ USC is an idiot.

There is a good potential that ND can go 8-4 or worst case 7-4. They have some cupcakes on their schedule like SDSU, Stanford, UNC, Navy, and Syracuse. That's five wins right there.

Pittsburgh and @ Washington are going to be swing games for ND, it can go either way for them.

Michigan, @ Michigan State, @BC and @ USC will be the four L's.

It's a bit of a stretch for Jabba to think that ND will win 9 games. I just don't see that happening at all even with their stellar recruiting class. That's why I'm being generous and giving them 8 wins here.

[pulling69]

I LOVE how everyone is picking ND to beat Navy

Navy will have a 2 year win streak over ND after this year

[spartan80]

Originally Posted by MSUisbetterthanu

Look, I'm by no means a Weis apologist, but their team is loaded with talent and they have another loaded class of freshmen. Their huge problem (yes, they had a lot of problems, but the biggest problem) was lack of experience on the offensive line.

As the season went on, the play DID get better on the line and Clausen was finally able to put up some decent numbers.

I'm being realistic...their record WILL improve. I think some of the 9+ win predictions are hilarious, but I see 5 or 6 wins that Jabba should win on that schedule, no matter how bad of a coach he is.

Their record improved because ND's is usually frontloaded, with the service academies later in the year. Last year that didn't mean much, and they lost to Navy for the fist time in 40 or 50 years. Their big wins at the end of the year were vs Duke, who couldn't beat themselves, and Stanford. Can you imagine the titanic effort it would have taken for ND to lose those two games?

All I'm saying is there is NOTHING ND did on the field last year to indicate improvement.

[MikeJohnson]

Originally Posted by pulling69

I LOVE how everyone is picking ND to beat Navy

Navy will have a 2 year win streak over ND after this year

I"ll be pulling for Navy. The only game I dont' mind seeing ND win is Michigan and that is because Michigan is the one school I hate more than ND. ND is still the #2 hated team on my list righ tbehind Michigan.

GO NAVY.

[spartan80]

Originally Posted by pulling69

I LOVE how everyone is picking ND to beat Navy

Navy will have a 2 year win streak over ND after this year

Thing is Navy lost their coach to GT. So unless they got one hell of a coach to replace him they'll probably be down this season. That said I'd love to see them take ND down again.

[mentalstate]

DO remember, once again, that ND lost what was by far their best player in Laws as well as their second-best player...

[spartan80]

Think about this for a second. Navy, with recruiting classes that aren't really recruiting classes at all but more like kids who wanted to be naval or marine officers, who also happened to play football, beat ND! Not saying that they don't have some good players, just that the team is made up almost exclusively of kids who are focused on a career in the military vs ANY HOPE of a football career. This is 180 degrees from nearly every other college team.

Their new coach, Ken Niumatalolo, probably won't be able to duplicate last year's outcome. If he does, it will say more about Cheeseburger Charlie than anything that's happened at ND so far.

[WCS]

Originally Posted by spartan80

Their new coach, Ken Niumatalolo, probably won't be able to duplicate last year's outcome. If he does, it will say more about Cheeseburger Charlie than anything that's happened at ND so far.

Excellent point...this is all about Weis. If Dantonio was coaching the level of talent on ND's roster, his team would be sure fire to win 10+ games and compete for the national title.

[pulling69]

Originally Posted by WCS

Excellent point...this is all about Weis. If Dantonio was coaching the level of talent on ND's roster, his team would be sure fire to win 10+ games and compete for the national title.

Hell, I am starting to think Dick Rod could pull off 10 wins there too

[coach_]

Originally Posted by spartan80