Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2020 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1264448
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 135 ally in scoring defense," the magazine stated. "Despite losing six starters to the NFL, includ- ing pass rushers Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem and cornerback Troy Pride Jr., Lea's group should again be a team pillar." Fifth-year defensive end Daelin Hayes was tabbed a second-team preseason All-Ameri- can. However, the team's best NFL prospect is considered to be rover Jeremiah Owusu-Kora- moah, who led the team lead in total tackles (tied with 80), tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (tied with 5.5) in 2019. Street & Smith's also states that USC's Clay Helton, whom the Irish face Nov. 28, is the head coach with the most pressure to succeed in 2020. LINDY'S SPORTS Lindy's Sports ranks Notre Dame as the nation's No. 10 team heading into 2020, pro- jecting the Fighting Irish to finish with an 11-2 record (which includes a postseason appear- ance) for the second season in a row. Once again, Clemson is listed as Notre Dame's most formidable 2020 opponent, but Lindy's is the only preseason publication to rank a team other than the Tigers No. 1 in the nation. Instead, Ohio State is their No. 1 squad and Clemson is No. 2. Two other 2020 opponents are ranked in the top 25: No. 11 Wisconsin and No. 15 USC. The publication ranked the other teams on Notre Dame's schedule as follows: No. 30 Louisville, No. 44 Pittsburgh, No. 46 Stanford, No. 60 Wake Forest, No. 69 Duke, No. 79 Georgia Tech, No. 80 Navy, No. 90 Western Michigan and No. 91 Arkansas. Notre Dame likely could be ranked even higher, but the publication has some ques- tions regarding first-year offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, including if he can fill the shoes of the man he replaced: Chip Long. "The move is risky considering Rees' inex- perience. He called plays in one game—the Camping World Bowl — which resulted in a 33-9 victory over Iowa State," the publication noted. "Long led the Irish to two of the three best offensive outputs during Kelly's first 10 seasons at the helm." Some of these concerns are mitigated by Rees having a fifth-year senior quarterback to work with in Ian Book, plus an offensive line consisting of six players who have started a combined 114 times. Lindy's ranks Notre Dame as its top offensive line in 2020. No other unit made the publication's break down of the top 10 for each position group. Much of the offensive line's success will fall on left tackle Liam Eichenberg, a second-team All-American and the ninth-best senior NFL prospect according to Lindy's. Lindy's is also bullish on rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, tabbing him as its pick for team MVP. The Irish should also get some help from North Carolina State graduate transfer cornerback Nick McCloud, listed by Lindy's as the team's top newcomer. Lindy's also included a list of top 10 assis- tant coaches who other programs should hire as their next head coach. Defensive coordinator Clark Lea made an appearance at No. 4, just ahead of the man he replaced at Notre Dame in Texas A&M's Mike Elko. "[Lea] has won over ND fans with his work the past two seasons," the magazine noted, "and he finished second for the Boston College head coaching gig this offseason." Three opposing coordinators also made the list. Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Ven- ables is No. 1, USC offensive coordinator Gra- ham Harrell is No. 2 and Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard is No. 9. ✦ Blue & Gold Illustrated Staff Predictions Lou Somogyi Steve Downey Regular-Season Record 10-2 10-2 Bowl Game Cotton Bowl Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Team MVP Ian Book Ian Book Breakthrough Player Kevin Austin Kyle Hamilton Most Anticipated Game Clemson Clemson Upset Alert Pitt Pitt Opponent on the Rise Louisville Louisville Opponent on the Decline Stanford Wake Forest Coach of the Year Tom Herman, Texas Ryan Day, Ohio State CFP Championship Game Clemson vs. Ohio State Ohio State vs. Alabama Todd Burlage Mike Singer Regular Season Record 11-1 10-2 Bowl Game Orange Bowl Orange Bowl Team MVP Ian Book Ian Book Breakthrough Player Jafar Armstrong Kevin Austin Most Anticipated Game Clemson Clemson Upset Alert Pitt Pitt Opponent On The Rise USC USC Opponent on the Decline Stanford Wisconsin Coach of the Year Brian Kelly, Notre Dame Ryan Day, Ohio State CFP Championship Game Clemson vs. Ohio State Clemson vs. Ohio State Andrew Mentock Patrick Engel Regular Season Record 10-2 10-2 Bowl Game Cotton Bowl Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl Team MVP Ian Book Ian Book Breakthrough Player Chris Tyree Ade Ogundeji Most Anticipated Game Clemson Clemson Upset Alert Stanford Pitt Opponent on the Rise Duke Louisville Opponent on the Decline Navy Wake Forest Coach of the Year Mario Cristobal, Oregon Ryan Day, Ohio State CFP Championship Game Ohio State vs. Georgia Ohio State vs. Clemson Crystal Ball: Notre Dame Predictions Publication Preseason Rank Projected Bowl Athlon Sports No. 9 Cotton Bowl vs. LSU Lindy's Sports No. 10 — Street & Smith's No. 11 Orange Bowl vs. Oregon What They're Saying About The Irish Athlon Sports: "These are the best of times at Notre Dame in nearly three decades, while also increasingly restless times due to the raised expectations." Street & Smith's: "Not since the glory days of the early 1990s under Lou Holtz had the Fighting Irish strung together three straight seasons of double-digit wins." Lindy's Sports: "Are double-digit winning seasons the new norm? At least for another year — before the Irish have to replace a three-year starter at quarterback, most of the offensive line and [most of the] starting defensive line in 2021. There are enough pitfalls in the schedule to prevent a second playoff appearance in three years, although the Irish might just be a play or two away."