Sports Illustrated: Notre Dame Will "Disappoint" In 2021
You can add Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Pat Forde to the long list of national analysts and writers that are expecting a drop off from Notre Dame in 2021.
Forde went further than most, however, picking Notre Dame as college football's "biggest disappointment" for the 2021 season.
Here is what he wrote:
"Notre Dame has a deceptively difficult schedule, playing five games against teams that have an open-date advantage on the Fighting Irish. Brian Kelly is counting on Wisconsin transfer quarterback Jack Coan, who was pretty good but not spectacular with the Badgers. There are holes to fill at receiver, offensive line and a few spots on defense. A four-year streak of double-digit victories could be in jeopardy." - Forde
It would seem that Forde expects Notre Dame's personnel losses from last season to sting a bit more than they will for other top programs.
It would also seem that Forde expects Notre Dame to either suffer multiple road upsets to currently unranked opponents, or that the Irish will drop a couple of home games this season. Of Notre Dame's four ranked opponents, three are at home.
Of course, Notre Dame hasn't lost to an unranked opponent since 2016 and the Irish haven't dropped a home game since losing 20-19 to Georgia way back in week two of the 2017 college football season.
The long-time sports writer sees Notre Dame as coming back down to earth a bit this season, and he's not alone. ESPN Bill Connelly's SP+ has Notre Dame going 7-5 this season, and Sports Illustrated, Lindy's Sports, Pro Football Focus and Athlon sports all ranked Notre Dame outside of the Top 10 in their preseason rankings.
Irish Breakdown has Notre Dame returning to the College Football Playoff this season. On Sunday night Notre Dame will take its first swing at either proving us correct and the doubters wrong, or giving ammunition to those who don't see the program as capable of reloading like say, Georgia, a team that returns just as many starters as Notre Dame. Georgia, by the way, hasn't been to the CFP since 2017.
Part of the fun of covering college football is making predictions, comparing them to others and then over the course of the season seeing who was right, and who was wrong.
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