10. Notre Dame beats Ohio State by two scores.
This is the best start that I’ve seen Notre Dame have my entire life. They finally have a QB and a coach equal to the swagger of Joe Montana and Lou Holtz. They’ve won big against teams that they should win big against. OSU on the other hand has a new QB and they have been very sluggish to start the season. I also do not believe this buckeye defense is up to its normal standards and they are very beatable this year. I see the Irish winning this game by two scores. And if they do, this will be a team that’ll be hard to beat.
9. Jayden Thomas has over 1,000 yards receiving this season.
In my opinion Jayden Thomas is the best WR on Notre Dame’s roster and I believe as the season progresses he will become Mr. Reliable for Sam Hartman. I also think he has a good shot at breaking Golden Tate’s single season receiving yards record, which currently sits at 1,496 yards that he got back in 2009.
8. True Freshman, Jaden Greathouse, has over 10 receiving TDs this season.
Jaden Greathouse has already become one of Hartman’s favorite red zone targets with 3 TDs on the season. It’s great to see Marcus Freeman recruiting multiple 4 star WRs and already having one of them come in right away to make an immediate impact. My gut instinct also says that Greathouse catches a TD next week vs the Buckeyes.
7. Audric Estime finishes the season top 5 in rushing yards.
The Mini Bus is rolling this year. So far he’s tallied 95 yards vs Navy, 116 yards vs Tennessee State, 134 yards vs NC State, and 176 yards vs Central Michigan. The wheels on the bus go round and round, just give this man the ball and let him do his thing.
6. Benjamin Morrison has another 5 plus interception season and he gets one against Ohio State.
As a true freshman last year Morrison had 6 interceptions and he looks even better in coverage this season, even though he only has one interception so far this season. The kid also plays big in big games. He had two interceptions vs Clemson last season, three against Boston College and one in the bowl game. That’s why I think he picks off the Buckeyes at least once next week.
5. Jack Kiser or Marist Liufau is a finalist for the Butkus Award.
If you’ve watched Notre Dame at all this year, you’d have to be blind to not notice how dominant Mr. Indiana Football 2018 and the Flying Hawaiian have been on defense this year. Yes, I’m talking about Jack Kiser and Marist Liufau. Both of these linebackers set the tone for the Irish defense and I wouldn’t be shocked if both end up in the conversation for the Butkus Award, but I think at least one will.
4. Marcus Freeman wins The Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year Award.
The more and more I think back on Brian Kelly’s tenure with the Irish the more and more I think of him as a Marvin Lewis type coach, a guy that could get you there, but not a guy that can win you it. Freeman on the other hand has already out recruited Kelly in his first year and a half and has that fire in him that Kelly only had his first few seasons. If the Irish have the season I think they are capable of there is no doubt in my mind that Freeman wins the coach of the year award.
3. Notre Dame goes undefeated in regular season.
Yes, that’s right you heard it here first, The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will not only beat OSU, USC, and Clemson they will also cruse past the rest of their schedule and go UNDEFEATED, 12-0 baby! Who needs a conference championship game if you can go 12-0?
2. Sam Hartman throws for over 40 TDs and wins the Heisman Trophy.
In 2021, Sam Hartman threw 39 TDs, in 2022 he threw for 38, in 2023 he will eclipse the 40 TD mark and also throw for over 4,000 yards, because he has the best offensive line and some of the most underrated WRs and TEs in college football. If he doesn’t win the Heismen due to media bias, he will at least be a finalist. Just wait, you’ll see.
1. Notre Dame makes college football playoffs and wins the National Championship!
I mean if I’m going to go as far as saying Notre Dame will beat OSU, USC and Clemson and go undefeated for the year, why stop there? It’s been 35 years since the Irish have won a National Championship, thirty-five years. Georgia went 41 years and have since two-peated. Looking across the college football landscape there is not one dominant team that I see this year, so why not Notre Dame? They finally have a QB, two possible 1st round picks at offensive tackle, the Mini Bus, two potential Butkus Award winners at linebacker, a future 1st round pick at DB, and a coach that can get his players to run through a brick wall for him. So I ask again, why not Notre Dame?
Stogies & Football 