The hype for the 2015 Notre Dame Fighting Irish has officially begun to build. Sports Illustrated released its season preview on Wednesday and ranked the Irish as the #4 team in the country predicting they would reach the College Football Playoffs. In the process, SI placed Notre Dame on the cover of one of its four regional issues that hit newsstands today.
Notre Dame was ranked #11 in the Amway Coaches Poll released last week and has generally been seen as a fringe top 10 team on the heels of last year’s 8-5 campaign. Sports Illustrated, however, has apparently gone all in with the Irish with their prediction of a playoff run for Notre Dame in 2015.
Given all of the talent returning to Notre Dame, a playoff run prediction shouldn’t be all that surprising. Considering Notre Dame will be ushering in a new starting quarterback, however, the lofty ranking is sure to raise some eyebrows. Recent history, however, suggests that experience under/behind center isn’t required to win a championship.
Just last year Ohio State won a national championship after playing most of the season with their backup quarterback and then playing the Big 10 Championship and the Playoffs with a player who started the season 3rd on the depth chart.
Two years ago the Florida State Seminoles were led to a championship by redshirt freshman Jameis Winston. Four years ago AJ McCarron started the 2011 season with just 48 pass attempts. And five years ago Cam Newton carried Auburn to a title after previously attempting a mere 12 pass attempts over two seasons with Florida. In short, experience at the quarterback position is necessarily required to win a title in this day and age of college football.
Still, Notre Dame’s 4th place ranking is the highest of any publication thus far and will no doubt build some hype for the Irish as they get set to kick off fall camp later this week.
Notre Dame last appeared on the a Sports Illustrated pre-season cover nine years ago when Brady Quinn, Tommy Zbikowski, and Travis Thomas graced the SI pre-season cover for the 2nd ranked Irish in Charlie Weis’s second season at the helm of the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame went on to finish the season 10-3 but suffered a rather forgettable loss at the hands of LSU to end the season in the Sugar Bowl.
Almost a decade later the Irish, fresh off a bowl victory over those same Tigers, charge into the 2015 season healthier and deeper than they’ve ever been during the Brian Kelly Era at Notre Dame. Could these Irish be the first Notre Dame team to truly live up to the hype in years? Only time will tell.
For now, with 30 days to go until the season officially kicks off against Texas, it’s fun to ponder a playoff run after suffering through back to back five loss campaigns.
Should have a good chance of going to good bowl game with alot of returners.add the return of last years suspended players.irish could be in final four if can get by usc, a gt team who beat down a georgia team in bowl last year &travel to Clemson .but we have to watch out for those trip up games nd is prone to . Go irish
Whether or not the Irish live up to expectations depends upon how they practice and how they are coached. The talent is there.
Gotta love the guts of SI on this one. They see the tremendous talent, both playing and coaching, and reached an uncharacteristically (for media) reasonable conclusion.
I’ve said it a few times before…but, again, if the Irish plunder Georgia Tech: this season will be the beginning of many great ones.