Kelly taking newtack with Irish
Coach adjusts after 4- 8 season, but Notre Dame turnaround no sure thing
Did you hear the one about Brian Kelly reinventing himself? He does yoga, yells less and has finally handed over the offense to a new coordinator, Chip Long. Things are looking great.
Notre Dame does tend to get the benefit of the doubt. The Brian Kelly reinvention tour is one example of the annual dance we perform with the Fighting Irish, as we extend olive branches of faith and optimism but it almost inevitably ends with excuses and near- misses rather than concrete results.
But maybe … nah. Notre Dame isn’t winning the national title in 2017. I’d be surprised if the Irish were even a factor in the College Football Playoff conversation, outside of the cursory inclusion afforded one of the sport’s premier brands.
But maybe ... OK, let’s try it out. A new quarterback, Brandon Wimbush, gives the Irish consistency under center. His backfield mate, Josh Adams, cracks the 1,400- yard mark as a junior. The talent at receiver rises to the top. The offensive line is vastly improved. A more experienced defensive line rebounds after a horrible 2016 season. The linebackers make explosive plays. The secondary stays healthy. Brian Polian immediately remakes the special teams into a strength rather than a weakness.
Phew. What are the odds? I mean, they’re not non- existent, only hard to imagine. Close your eyes and squint real hard: Notre Dame gets Georgia and Southern California at home, with an extra week to prepare for the Trojans. I could be talked into a 6- 0 start heading into that bye week.
But Michigan State will be better. North Carolina’s offensive style tends to give the Irish fits. Both games come on the road, where this program has been abysmal the last three years. The Irish close at Miami ( Fla.), at home for Navy and at Stanford.
Let’s be realistic. This team was 4- 8 last season. Doubling that total in 2017 would be a nice achievement, in a vacuum. Winning more than eight should solidify Kelly’s job security. But a national title? Playoff berth, even? Seems implausible.
Breaking down the Football Bowl Subdivision independents: Army, Brigham Young University, Massachusetts, Navy and Notre Dame:
BEST UNITS
Quarterback: BYU. Tanner Mangum is going to have an outstanding 2017 season.
Running back: Notre Dame. The Irish shouldn’t be afraid to give Josh Adams more than 15 touches a game. Wide receivers and tight ends: Notre Dame. It’s easy to like any unit headlined by Equanimeous St. Brown, but this group will reach another level should a core of underclassmen develop during fall camp. Offensive line: Notre Dame. The talent is so obvious that it’d be puzzling to see the Irish carry last year’s sour performance into 2017. Defensive line: Notre Dame. Another group that can no longer make excuses after an embarrassing showing a season ago.
Linebacker: BYU. This is possibly one of the top linebacker groups in the country and certainly the best among the four independent programs.
Secondary: BYU. If not as talented as the Notre Dame secondary, the Cougars unit seems better equipped to handle the opponents on their schedule.
Special teams: BYU. I give BYU a slight edge over Notre Dame, though the Irish will definitely improve under Polian’s direction.
RANKING THE STARTING QUARTERBACKS
1. Tanner Mangum, BYU. After spending last year in a reserve role,
Mangum is set to flourish under the direction of offensive coordinator Ty Detmer. 2. Brandon Wimbush, Notre
Dame. The last man standing after DeShone Kizer left for the NFL and Malik Zaire for Florida, Wimbush has the obvious arm strength and running ability to succeed in the starting role. 3. Andrew Ford, Massachusetts. It’s easy to envision the Virginia Tech transfer have a big year in his second season as the starter. 4. Ahmad Bradshaw, Army. Bradshaw’s the unquestioned starter, but look for Todd Monken to use backup Chris Carter in certain packages.
GAMES OF THE YEAR
Georgia at Notre Dame, Sept. 9. The two blue bloods meet for the first time since the 1981 Sugar Bowl and just the second time overall. Utah at BYU, Sept. 9. You might be familiar with this rivalry. Notre Dame at Michigan State, Sept. 23. Amid a fairly smooth first- half slate, this one screams upset alert.
Boise State at BYU, Oct. 6. This game takes on deeper meaning for the Cougars should they collect wins in two of three games against LSU ( Sept. 2), Utah and Wisconsin ( Sept. 16). Southern California at Notre Dame, Oct. 21. If the Irish are indeed 6- 0 at this point— or even 5- 1— this will have all the trappings of a classic game in this longstanding rivalry. Army at Air Force, Nov. 4. Army has dropped an amazing 25 of its last 28 games in the series. Notre Dame at Miami ( Fla.), Nov. 11. The first of three tough games to cap the regular season. Navy at Notre Dame, Nov. 18. The Irish will have one week to get ready — physically as much as mentally— for the Midshipmen’s frustratingly effective running game. Notre Dame at Stanford, Nov. 25. Getting Stanford one week after Navy isn’t a good thing. Army vs. Navy, Dec. 9 ( in Philadelphia). Go Army, beat Navy; or, Go Navy, Beat Army. It depends on your allegiance.