2013 Notre Dame Football Predictions: Fighting Irish BCS Odds and Season Preview

2013 Notre Dame Football Predictions: Fighting Irish BCS Odds and Season Preview: Expectations are always high at Notre Dame, but even the most ardent of Fighting Irish supporters had to be a little surprised by the team’s surprising run the BCS title game last year. Despite an offense that was so inept at times that coach Brian Kelly opted to use multiple quarterbacks, the Fighting Irish survived countless close calls, including a controversial overtime win against Stanford and an equally controversial triple-overtime win against Pittsburgh. Along the way, linebacker Manti Te’o turned himself into a Heisman Trophy contender, and Notre Dame’s defense established itself as one of the best in the country. When all was said and done, the magical year ended with an ugly 41-14 defeat at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide in the BCS title game. Still, the undefeated regular season was a huge step in the right direction for a Notre Dame program that had been living on reputation rather than on-field accomplishments for quite a while. Heading into the 2013 college football season, the Fighting Irish now face a new challenge as Kelly and company have to prove last year’s success wasn’t a one-time thing.

The Good News:

The Fighting Irish had the stingiest defense in the country last year, and several big contributors are back from a unit that allowed just 10.3 points per game. Nose tackle Louis Nix III and defensive end Stephon Tuitt are two of the best in the country at their positions, and five starters are back for a front seven that was basically impenetrable until the BCS title game. Three additional starters are back in the secondary, including both starting corners. On the offensive side of the ball, the Fighting Irish should again be tough in the trenches. Three starters are back on the offensive line, including stud left tackle Zack Martin.

The Bad News:

Notre Dame dismissed starting quarterback Everett Golson for academic reasons during the offseason, leaving the Fighting Irish without their top individual offensive playmaker from a year ago. Not to mention the fact that the loss could take a mental toll on the team because it was unexpected. The offense also losses running back Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood, along with star tight end Tyler Eifert. In short, Notre Dame doesn’t really have any proven playmakers on the offensive side of the ball and has no real experience at the skill positions. There is also the matter of replacing linebacker Manti Te’o, who was a playmaker, leader and the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.

Outlook:

The Fighting Irish deserve plenty of credit for reaching the BCS title game last year, but there is no doubt that they caught a lot of lucky breaks along the way. It’s hard to imagine that all the bounces will go Notre Dame’s way two years in a row, especially with all the losses on the offensive side of the ball. The schedule doesn’t do the Fighting Irish any favors either. Road games against Michigan and Stanford will be tough, and visits from Oklahoma and USC won’t be walks in the park either. Yes, the defense should remain stout even without Te’o, but the Fighting Irish are going to have a tough time manufacturing enough points to run the table against such a loaded schedule. Brian Kelly won’t let the program fall off the map, but there will be a couple of bumps in the road this season.

Prediction: 9-3

Preseason Vegas Odds for Notre Dame’s 2013 College Football Team:
Notre Dame’s 2013 Odds to Win BCS Championship: +5500

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