There’s little doubt that Notre Dame will take a step back in 2021. The only question is how much of a step back the Irish take this season. The Fighting Irish have won at least 10 games in each of the last four years, but they will have to replace a lot of their offense including star quarterback Ian Book. That led to them dipping into the transfer portal several times this offseason, and it’s hard to know just how well they will adapt to Brian Kelly’s system.
Notre Dame’s struggles with elite teams have been well-documented, but there isn’t an extremely tough opponent on the docket in 2021. However, there are only a handful of pushovers.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Season Win Total
Over 8.5 -146
Under 8.5 +119
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview
Former Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan came to South Bend as a transfer this offseason. Coan was solid for the Badgers in 2019, completing 69.6% of his passes for 2,727 yards (8.0 YPA) with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. He was beaten out by freshman Graham Mertz and left Wisconsin as a result, but he is the only quarterback on the roster with any real experience.
The Irish are likely going to lean heavily on the ground game in 2021 as a result. Kyren Williams was superb last year, running for 1,125 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 5.3 YPC. Williams was an excellent pass catcher out of the backfield too with 35 receptions for 313 yards and a touchdown. Chris Tyree and C’Bo Flemister are back for another season as well, and they will keep the chains moving when Williams needs a breather.
Notre Dame’s top two wide receivers from last year are no longer on the team, but tight end Michael Mayer had a fabulous freshman campaign. Mayer caught 42 passes for 450 yards and two touchdowns in 2020, and he will likely be Coan’s top target this season. Avery Davis is the only wide receiver that caught at least 10 passes last season, so other options will need to emerge for this team.
This offensive line is going to be a major issue for Notre Dame. Jarrett Patterson is the only returning starter up front, and he will be kicked from center to left tackle to anchor the blind side. Marshall transfer Cain Madden is expected to play a huge role, but there are a lot of questions surrounding this unit.
Unknowns abound on the defense too after defensive coordinator Clark Lea left to become the head coach at Vanderbilt. Former Cincinnati defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman comes highly recommended after making the Bearcats into a great unit, but Notre Dame has had trouble with new defensive coordinators under Kelly.
Drew White is the leader on this side of the ball. White has seen a ton of action over the years, and he doesn’t make mistakes when it comes to his assignments. He is flanked by experienced players in Shayne Simon, Marist Liufau, and Bo Bauer too.
The defensive line is a concern with last year’s starting ends gone, but there is some experience behind them. They will be asked to play new roles in the 3-3-5 scheme that Freeman prefers.
These cornerbacks could be an issue too. Notre Dame doesn’t have a lot of experience on the boundary, but Kyle Hamilton is a star at safety.
2021 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule
September 5 @ Florida State
September 11 vs. Toledo
September 18 vs. Purdue
September 25 vs. Wisconsin*
October 2 vs. Cincinnati
October 9 @ Virginia Tech
October 23 vs. USC
October 30 vs. North Carolina
November 6 vs. Navy
November 13 @ Virginia
November 20 vs. Georgia Tech
November 27 @ Stanford
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Win Total Prediction
This is a challenging schedule with only a couple easy victories Notre Dame can count on in 2021. A road trip to Florida State on Labor Day Weekend could be difficult, and Wisconsin won’t be easy to beat at Soldier Field. Notre Dame’s game against Cincinnati is sandwiched in between the neutral site game with the Badgers and a road trip to Virginia Tech, so things could run off the rails quickly.
The second half of the schedule isn’t much easier. USC and North Carolina are both tough foes, and the pivot from UNC to Navy in consecutive weeks is rather daunting. There’s a decent chance Notre Dame finishes .500 or worse given this slate.
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