Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Predictions and Preview: 2015-16 NCAA College Football Season

After going a disappointing 8-5 in the 2014 campaign, Notre Dame will be looking to rebound this year. Head Coach Brian Kelly is entering his sixth season with the team and will have to make some adjustments with only four starters returning on offense. It’ll be interesting how the team will make do with their assets and how promising sophomore Malik Zaire will fare as the full-time starting quarterback.

Will Notre Dame finish stronger this year? Read on further for a detailed preview of Notre Dame’s keys to victory, their best and worst case scenarios and their complete 2015-16 schedule.

For more about college football, check out our verdicts for the Winners and Losers of the college football offseason, as well as the early Heisman Trophy candidates.
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2015-2016 Notre Dame College Football Preview

Overview

[sc:NCAA240banner ]It was pretty clear that the lack of experience and some key injuries were too much for Notre Dame to overcome last year. The Irish had an impressive 7-1 start that they failed to sustain by losing four of their last five games to end their season. Only four starters for last season are set to return though. Malik Zaire is expected to take sole possession of the starting quarterback spot with the departure of Everett Goldson.

Zaire will lead an improving offense that averaged 27.2 ppg in 2013 and 32.8 ppg last year. The foundation of their offensive strategy will now be heavily reliant on not just Zaire but a bunch of veterans in the offensive line – Ronnie Stanley (left tackle), Nick Martin (center) and Steve Elmer (right guard).

On defense, Notre Dame will have plenty to work with since most of the unit will be back. The main focus for them is to become more consistent compared to last year, where they held their first five opponents to a total of 60 points and then allowed an unacceptable 319 points in their last eight. It’ll be up to the trio of defensive tackle Sheldon Day, linebacker Jaylon Smith and Joe Schmidt to find the solution to this inefficiency.

Key Player – Malik Zaire

Notre Dame’s 2014 campaign didn’t go according to plan, but one silver lining to hold on to was the continuing improvement of Malik Zaire.

Zaire enters this year as the starting quarterback with a lot of expectations—and pressure—to take the team to a possible College Football Playoff berth. As a backup, the sophomore completed 60.0 percent of his passes and threw 266 yards last season.

It’s true he still quite raw, as his decision-making, passing skills and his overall understanding of their offensive system needs big improvements for the Irish to have a successful campaign. But Zaire’s passion for the game could definitely speed up the process and further hone his talent to becoming a possible Heisman Trophy candidate.

His weaknesses aside, Zaire’s promising potential was on full display when led Notre Dame to a 31-28 victory in last year’s Music City Super Bowl. He completed 12 of 15 passes for 96 yards with a touchdown and ran 22 times for 96 yards with two scores. More importantly, he did not have a single turnover in the game. The Irish should expect more of the same from Zaire this season.

Key Game – vs. USC (Oct. 17)

USC was the pretty obvious choice. The Irish and the Trojans have one of the best rivalries in college football that dates way back to the mid-1940s and has been held annually since then.

Furthermore, this matchup could prove to be the best measure for head coach Brian Kelly and company to find out if they’ve truly learned from last season’s setbacks, and if they can go out and win games against CFP-caliber competition.

Best/Worst Case Scenario for the Season

Best Case Scenario

Zaire lives up to his potential, as do most of the young but talented weapons in the Irish offense. Meanwhile, the defense improves from last year’s disappointing end to the season. With all the pieces coming together, the Irish earn one of the coveted four places in the CFP.

Worst Case Scenario

Zaire crumbles under the pressure as he struggles to lead the offense. The defense’s performances resemble more of the ones at the back end of last season, as they fail to contain opposing offenses. The Irish crash and burn to another disappointing five-loss season.

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Complete Schedule

DATE | OPPONENT | TIME
Saturday, Sept 5 | vs Texas | 7:30 PM ET
Saturday, Sept 12 | @UVA | 3:30 PM ET
Saturday, Sept 19 | vs Georgia Tech | 3:30 PM ET
Saturday, Sept 26 | vs UMass | 3:30 PM ET
Saturday, Oct 3 | @Clemson | TBD
Saturday, Oct 10 | vs Navy | 3:30 PM ET
Saturday, Oct 17 | vs USC | 7:30 PM ET
Saturday, Oct 31 | @Temple | TBD
Saturday, Nov 7 | @ Pitt | TBD
Saturday, Nov 14 | vs Wake Forest | 3:30 PM ET
Saturday, Nov 21 | vs Boston College | 7:30 PM ET
Saturday, Nov 28 | @ Stanford | TBD

Writer’s Prediction

The Irish earn a spot at the CFP.
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