Friday, September 25, 2015

Week 4 Preview: Notre Dame vs. Massachusetts

The 6th ranked Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (3-0) will welcome the Massachusetts Minutemen (0-2) to South Bend tomorrow afternoon. After last week's impressive performance, the Irish are four touchdown favorites over UMass. Here's what to look for Saturday.

1. Finish drives. With all due respect to Massachusetts, Notre Dame should have their way with the Minutemen defense. The Irish are simply too big and too athletic, so scoring points shouldn't be a problem. However, the main focus on offense should be finishing drives and getting in the end zone. The Irish have left some points off the board the last two weeks with stalled drives, and it should be a realistic goal to finish every scoring drive with a touchdown tomorrow against a lesser opponent.

2. Build a big early lead. The last thing any team wants to do is give a huge road undrdog any confidence. To prevent this, the Irish should look to score early and often. With a crucial match-up looming at Clemson, and a difficult schedule ahead, it would be nice to be able to put this one on cruise control in the second half.

3. Get the freshmen some experience. If everything goes as planned, the Irish should be up by a substantial margin in the second half. If that proves to be the case, then the Irish will have a prime opportunity to give some freshman and inexperienced players some playing time. Considering all the injuries that Notre Dame has had thus far, it is important to get the underclassmen ready for game action. I'm hoping that quarterback Brandon Wimbush, running backs Josh Adams and Dexter Williams, tight end Alize Jones, and others receive a bulk of the snaps in the second half.

Prediction: The Irish won't get caught looking ahead to Clemson, and they take care of business rather handily. Notre Dame 45, Massachusetts 10.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Friday, September 18, 2015

Week 3 Preview: Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech

Notre Dame (2-0, 8th ranked) will look to build off of last week's thrilling victory when the 14th ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2-0) come to South Bend tomorrow afternoon.

How can the Fighting Irish prevail without starting quarterback Malik Zaire?

1. Win on First and Second Down. Notre Dame's defense will have their hands full trying to stop Georgia Tech's triple option attack, but forcing the Yellow Jackets into 3rd and long would make things easier. Getting as many stops (2 yards or fewer) as possible will allow the Irish to force the Yellow Jackets into obvious passing situations. If Georgia Tech keeps seeing 2nd or 3rd and short, then Notre Dame's secondary could be susceptible to deep passes via the play fake.

2. Sustain Long Drives. When you face a triple option team, your defense will be gassed. Because of that, the Irish offense needs to control the line of scrimmage and withstand longer scoring drives in order to give the defense a breather.

3. Step Up in Competition. Georgia Tech has played Alcorn State and Tulane, while the Irish have faced tougher opponents in Texas and Virginia. Because of this, I'm not sure Georgia Tech will be ready for the speed, athleticism, and talent that the Irish have on both sides of the ball.

I'm confident in Notre Dame's ability to score points even without Zaire under center. The offensive line and skill players that surround DeShone Kizer will be enough for the Irish to reach the 30s. On defense, Notre Dame's front seven is a strength and I believe Jaylon Smith will have a monster day. If the secondary stays disciplined enough to stay on their men, then the Irish defense should play well enough to win. Barely.

Prediction: Notre Dame 34, Georgia Tech 31

-Eric Tichelbaut

Friday, September 11, 2015

Week 2 Preview: Notre Dame at Virginia

Notre Dame's season continues tomorrow afternoon when the 9th ranked Fighting Irish (1-0) travel to Charlottesville to take on the Virginia Cavaliers (0-1). The Irish are coming off of a dominant victory over Texas, while the Cavaliers return home following a tough loss to a very good UCLA program. What will transpire this Saturday?

1. Start off fast. The Irish did this last week by jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, and they would like to do that again. Virginia probably doesn't have the talent to hang with the Irish for four quarters, but a sluggish start could get the crowd going and fuel some momentum for the home team.

2. More work for the freshman. With starting running back Tarean Folston lost for the season, the Irish will need other players to step up and fill the void. Last week, C.J. Prosise showed that he is capable of being the lead back, but he can't be asked to do it all throughout the season. True freshmen Josh Adams and Dexter Williams showed great upside in their debuts, but their workloads need to increase starting tomorrow.

3. Get the tight ends involved. Durham Smythe hauled in the unit's lone catch for six yards last week, but the potential is there for much more. True freshman Alize Jones dropped his first target early on, and that was about it for the Irish tight ends. As deep and talented as the receivers are, Notre Dame needs to establish a passing game to the tight ends as the season progresses. This Saturday should present another opportunity for them to get involved as Brian Kelly might dial up some shorter, underneath routes for quarterback Malik Zaire's first road start.

The Irish appear to match up well with the Cavaliers, and they should control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

Prediction: Notre Dame 34, Virginia 13

-Eric Tichelbaut
@etichel07

Friday, September 4, 2015

Week 1 Preview: Notre Dame vs. Texas

The 2015 season begins tomorrow night when the 11th ranked Fighting Irish of Notre Dame host the Texas Longhorns. The Irish are coming off of an 8-5 season, while the Longhorns are looking to rebound after a 6-7 campaign.

For those that have read my previews and recaps the past two years, I'm going to be doing things differently moving forward. I'm looking to shorten the time I spend on doing these and will now provide three keys to the game in the preview and three takeaways in the recaps. Also, there may be times where I just tweet my thoughts instead of making a post. So, be sure to check my Twitter page before, during, and after the games. If I feel the need to elaborate my thoughts for a big game or story line, I'll do that as well.

With that being said, here's my keys to victory.

1. Pound the Rock - Brian Kelly knows he has a big, talented offensive line and I expect him to lean heavily on them starting tomorrow night. This should allow the Irish to control the tempo of the game, and ease Malik Zaire into action.

2. Don't get Beat Deep - Texas doesn't appear to have the talent offensively to withstand long drives and hang with Notre Dame. As long as the Irish safeties don't allow the Longhorn receivers to get behind them, the defense should play well enough to win.

3. Breakout Performances - This is more a prediction rather than a key, but I expect several players to have bigger impacts this season, and that begins tomorrow night. Offensively, look for more production from running back/receiver C.J. Prosise, receiver Torii Hunter Jr, and tight ends Durham Smythe and Alize Jones. On the other side of the ball, defensive end Isaac Rochell, defensive tackle and true freshman Jerry Tillery, and safety Max Redfield will be key contributors in 2015.

My expectations are high for the 2015 season, and the push towards the playoffs begins with a strong performance tomorrow night. 

Prediction: Notre Dame 27, Texas 13

-Eric Tichelbaut
@etichel07

No More Excuses for Kelly and Irish

The 2015 season of Notre Dame football gets underway tomorrow night when the Texas Longhorns come to South Bend to take on the Fighting Irish under the lights. The Irish open the year ranked 11th in the country, which is admittedly a bit high after coming off of an 8-5 campaign. That underwhelming performance was preceded by a disappointing 9-4 record in 2013 after appearing in the National Championship the year before. In all, Notre Dame is 45-20 under head coach Brian Kelly, but just 33-19 if you take out the 12-1 showing in 2012. Simply put, eight wins a year is not what Kelly or Notre Dame had in mind when he was hired prior to the 2010 season.

To say the Brian Kelly era has been a disappointment would be unfair. Kelly took over a severely damaged program and has returned the Irish to relevance and respectability. But, Notre Dame fans expect championship level teams, and Kelly hasn't delivered that the past two years.

Coming off an historic 12-0 regular season, Notre Dame fans expected more success in 2013 and 2014 even after Alabama dismantled the Irish on the biggest stage. Prior to the 2013 season, the Irish received devastating news when quarterback Everett Golson was suspended for the season due to academic violations. As a result, expectations were not as high as they would have been and an "excuse" was in-place to explain their struggles. Golson returned last season and the Irish coasted to a 6-0 start, only to lose to the defending champion Florida State Seminoles in the final seconds. After that, injuries and turnovers plagued the 2014 season and the Irish limped to a 7-5 record. The biggest loss was linebacker Joe Schmidt, the unquestioned leader of the defense. Schmidt's value to the team was evident by the way the defense played in the final five games, and quotes from players and coaches further lamented the negative impact without having Schmidt on the field. Yet again, another built-in "excuse".

As the 2015 season is set to begin, it is time for the "excuses" to end and for the all the so-called talent, depth, and athleticism to be proven on the field. I'm optimistic as anyone heading into the season for several reasons.

1. Quarterback Malik Zaire will bring more stability and efficiency to the offense. Zaire won't turn the football over nearly as much as Golson did, and he'll add more to the read-option attack.

2. I expect Brian Kelly to lean heavily on his experienced and talent offensive line. With an inexperienced quarterback and talented runners in Tarean Folston and C.J. Prosise, the Irish should be able to run the ball on all their opponents. Look for game plans similar to the one we saw in the Music City Bowl versus LSU.

3. When the Irish throw the ball, Zaire has a slew of weapons to choose from. Will Fuller, Corey Robinson, Chris Brown, Torii Hunter Jr., Amir Carlisle, and others give the Irish one of the deepest receiving corps in the country.

4. The defense should improve simply by being healthy and with another year under defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. One positive from all the injuries was that plenty of younger players gained experience last season. The biggest reason I believe this defense will be much better is the return of Schmidt, and cornerback KeiVarae Russell.

Schmidt rejoins a linebacking crew that is highlighted by Jaylon Smith, giving the Irish a formidable trio. I also expect Smith to utilized a bit differently this season, with VanGorder looking for ways to utilize his athleticism. Russell is widely considered one of the nation's top cover corners, and he should help solidify the secondary. The safety positions are probably the weakness of this team, but I'm hoping that another year of experience should help improve the performances of Max Redfield and Elijah Shumate. Redfield was pretty impressive in the bowl game versus LSU, so hopefully that will carry into this season. If the safeties can hold their own, this defense can be very good.

With all of that being said, I believe the Irish can win 10-plus games. Actually, I have Notre Dame going 11-1 with a loss to either Georgia Tech, Clemson, USC, or Stanford. If for whatever reason the Irish stumble and win 7 or 8 games once again, I believe that it would be time to consider a coaching change.

-Eric Tichelbaut
@etichel07

Thursday, September 3, 2015

2015 College Football Playoff Prediction

The 2015 College Football season begins this weekend, starting with several games this evening. This season figures to be much more wide open than last year, so it will be interesting to see which of the top teams fail to meet expectations and what sleeper teams emerge as the season progresses. Ohio State opens the year as the clear favorite to make the playoffs again, but who will join them?

My Final Four - Ohio State, Baylor, Auburn, and Notre Dame. Auburn over Ohio State in the finals.

Ohio State - No matter who is at quarterback, the Buckeyes are too talented and too deep not to make the playoffs. Running back Ezekiel Elliot is my pick to win the Heisman Trophy and defensive end Joey Bosa might be the top defensive player in the country. I think they survive the season undefeated, with close calls versus Virginia Tech and Michigan State.

Baylor - I believe one playoff spot will come down to Baylor and TCU, and I'm picking the Bears because they are the more complete team. Bryce Petty is gone, but Art Briles has developed a system where quarterback Seth Russell should be able to step in without much of a drop in production. Furthermore, Baylor's defense should be tougher than TCU's due to being more experienced, and that will prove to be the difference on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Auburn - There doesn't seem to be a dominant team in the SEC, but I believe Auburn has the best chance at reaching that level. Quarterback Jeremy Johnson should add a vertical passing game to an already potent offense, while defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will improve the defense enough for Auburn to come out of the SEC with only one loss.

Notre Dame - Quarterback Malik Zaire should provide more stability and he has one of the nation's best offensive lines and deepest receiving corps in the country to help him out. Defensively, the Irish should improve with the return of linebacker Joe Schmidt and cornerback KeiVarae Russell to go along with linebacker Jaylon Smith. Being an Independent could hurt Notre Dame, but the Irish have four tough games against Georgia Tech, Clemson, USC, and Stanford to convince the committee.

Why Notre Dame over a PAC 12 or ACC team? - If Notre Dame goes 12-0, they will undoubtedly make the playoffs. But, with two top ACC and PAC 12 opponents, it is possible that Notre Dame could go 11-1 while defeating two conference champions. If that were the case, and the only blemish was a close loss to a tough opponent, the Irish will remain an attractive option to the committee. Also, due to the depth of the PAC 12 and the parity in the ACC, I believe both conference champions will have two loses on their resume.

-Eric Tichelbaut
@etichel07