We are approximately 58 days from the college football season kicking off and I’m pumped. Once the Irish get back in action, my Saturdays (when I’m not playing) will revolve around Notre Dame football. The Irish have a difficult schedule ahead of them, but I’m optimistic like every other season. Here is my breakdown of how I think Notre Dame will fare in 2022.

9/3 at Ohio State

This is the big one. This is the game that’ll set the tone for the 2022 season. Unfortunately, I don’t see Notre Dame winning this game. While I don’t see it being a ten plus point blowout, I don’t think the Irish will win. CJ Stroud has a monstrous arm and was in my opinion, the best quarterback in all of college this last season. He also has Jaxon Smith-Njigba coming back who caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and 9 touchdowns. The combination of a returning QB with an elite receiver on their home field is a bad mix for Notre Dame. (0-1).

9/10 vs Marshall

Usually these tune up games happen week one, but having it after a loss to Ohio State will be big. Getting to beat up on an FCS program won’t be wildly entertaining, but will be good for the Irish psyche. Big win at home in their second game. (1-1).

9/17 vs California

The last time Cal was relevant was when they had Jared Goff running their offense. Ever since then, they’ve been absolute rubbish. They went 5-7 last year and I don’t see much improvement coming their way. This game isn’t as much about the Irish dominating them as it is more about Cal being a poor football team. I could see Notre Dame oddly struggling in this game because it happens once or twice a year for them in games they should be winning, but I don’t think I’ll ever doubt them winning. (2-1).

9/24 at North Carolina

Once again, we’re hearing about how good UNC could be this year; and once again, I’m predicting they will underachieve and the Irish will lump them up. I have a very good feeling that this will be a real statement game for Notre Dame and the one that puts the college football world on notice. The defense will play out of their mind and stifle Drake Maye. Brandon Joseph and Isaiah Foskey will have All American type games and the offense will do their thing. (3-1).

10/8 at BYU

Tough game here. Very tough game. BYU is a very gutsy squad and having to go to Provo will not be an easy task. The Cougars have a solid secondary, so this could be the emergence of Chris Tyree and the offensive line as a whole. If Jarrett Patterson and Josh Lugg can move bodies, then they should be able to gash BYUs defense. It’ll be a nail biter, but the Irish will escape the land of the Mormons with a victory. (4-1).

10/15 vs Stanford

After escaping Provo with a close win, the Irish get Stanford at home. Stanford hasn’t had a winning season since 2018; and with the run game clicking and Tyler Buchner coming into form, Stanford’s dismal defense won’t stand a chance against Notre Dame. Tanner McKee is a talented QB, but will be smothered by the Notre Dame front seven led by Bo Bauer and Rylie Mills. (5-1).

10/22 vs UNLV

Another tune up game here coming down the stretch into a tough slate of games against Clemson, Navy, and Boston College. I think at this point, Tyler Buchner and Michael Mayer will be in a groove and it’ll make it very hard for UNLV’s weak defense to stop them. (6-1).

10/29 at Syracuse

While Syracuse may be a Power 5 team, this will feel like back-to-back cake walks. Syracuse isn’t very good and Notre Dame is getting hot at the right time. With everyone on the same page, I think we see a shutout by the defense and thirty plus points by the offense. Davis Avery and Lorenzo Styles will be primed for big games and Michael Mayer will do his thing as the top target for Tyler Buchner. (7-1).

11/5 vs Clemson

This will be a war. Some may even bill it as a blood bath. I do love Notre Dames chances though. The last time they saw DJ Uiagalelei in South Bend, the Irish were victorious. The past two seasons, Uiagalelei has regressed and the Clemson roster isn’t nearly as strong as years prior. With this being said, we aren’t sure quite sure if DJ will still have the starting Job at Clemson come week 8. This here could be Mayer’s true breakout game against a very good team and could propel him to the Mackey Award. Brandon Joseph and Isaiah Foskey will once again step up as leaders on the team and ensure that DJ doesn’t have an easy time scoring. This will be an exciting game that comes down to the wire and will tilt in the direction of Notre Dame. (8-1).

11/12 at Navy

Playing the Naval Academy is never easy. Having to go to Annapolis is even tougher. This will be another game where the Irish will struggle and could even see themselves knotted going into the fourth quarter. We’ll need to see how gutsy and gritty Tyler Buchner really is against a very disciplined Midshipmen squad. The Irish will pull this one out, but it won’t be without any fireworks. (9-1).

11/19 vs Boston College

This right here folks is what we call a trap game. It’s also the Phil Jurkovec revenge game against his old team. I can’t lie, this game scares me the most of any game on the schedule. Boston College is a very well rounded team that will be locked and loaded heading into South Bend. Jurkovec is a projected first round QB in 2023 and the Irish will have to rely on their defense. Pass rush will be huge; Foskey, Mills, and Howard Cross III will need to get after Jurkovec and should have some success as BC lost Alec Lindstrom, Zion Johnson, and Tyler Vrabel. A gutsy win by the Irish here. (10-1).

11/26 at USC

While USC hasn’t been good in past years, the addition of Lincoln Riley and a cavalcade of transfers headlined by Caleb Williams and Travis Dye will be tough to stop. Having to go out to the west coast is another obstacle in the way. I do think that Notre Dame will be clicking and that USC will be down and out after dropping games earlier in the season to Washington State, Utah, and UCLA. Could be an entertaining game, but Notre Dame will win by more than a touchdown. (11-1).

Overview Of The 2022 Season

After dropping the first game of the season to Ohio State, the Irish rattle off eleven straight wins with scares coming against Boston College, Clemson, and BYU. Because Notre Dame won’t have a conference championship to show for, they will be excluded from the playoff and make an NY6 Bowl. Could see a matchup with maybe Iowa State, Oregon, Utah, or Wake Forest. All in all, a successful first season for Marcus Freeman at the helm. One that I’d be happy about as a fan.