Notre Dame Football: ESPN PC Predicts Irish Fighting Games in 2022

It’s a new day for Notre Dame, who had to promote defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to head coach on the fly after Brian Kelly withdrew from LSU.

But so far, the returns are very good, especially on the recruiting track where Irish fighters routinely rank first or second in the 2023 rankings so far.

What awaits the Irish on the field for the 2022 football season?

The ESPN Football Strength Index prediction machine has calculated the numbers on what to expect in each game of the upcoming Notre Dame season.

Notre Dame could be in the College Football Playoff squad again in 2022

Game 1 in Ohio. About an opening as tough as you can ask for it lined up for the #1 attack in college football, but the Buckeyes might have a few holes to open in high school, where the Irish can make things fun. FPI Winning Chance: 16.5%

Game 2 against Marshall. This was a strong 7-win team a year ago, but it also lost the starting quarterback, after Grant Wells moved to Virginia Tech. An opportunity for the Irish to make a statement in the home editorial. FPI Winning Chance: 90.8%

3 vs Cal game. That defense was pretty solid in the Pac-12 last fall, but it lost a ton of its front seven and has key inputs to choose from in the midfield and wide receiver. An advantage for Notre Dame at home is going to the meatiest part of this schedule. FPI Winning Chance: 94.1%

Game 4 in North Carolina. Four starters in the O line are gone, as is star quarterback Sam Howell, but Tar Heels has one of the best reception rooms in college football and has been well recruited defensively, with Gene Chizik back to coach that unit. FPI Winning Chance: 56.7%

Game 5 vs BYU. A good team with 10 wins last season, the Cougars are back quarterback Jaren Hall, top receivers, most of their offensive line, and nearly all of their defense. But not Tyler Algeier, who was responsible for 43% of BYU’s decline a year ago. FPI Winning Chance: 81.6%

Game 6 against Stanford. Don’t expect much from the Cardinal’s attacking, who scored some of the worst Pac-12 marks a year ago, but brought back 10 starters, including quarterback Tanner McKee, who had some positive moments last season. FPI Winning Chance: 92.8%

Game 7 vs UNLV. The Rebels have only won two games in the past two seasons, and they’re one of the worst FBS shows right now. Perfect for a mid-season break as Notre Dame recovers from a tough first half of the season and prepares for an equally tough second half in November. FPI Winning Chance: 98.3%

Game 8 in Syracuse. It was the ACC’s fourth worst offensive and garnered less than 150 yards per game in the conference, a trend that led to Orange wins in just 15 games in 50 league games under Dino Babers. FPI Winning Chance: 83.4%

Game 9 against Clemson. The last time these teams came together in sight of Touchdown Jesus, the Irish knocked out the No. 1 Tigers. We’ll see if Clemson is back to normal this year after three defeats in 2021 including injuries in defense and a sub-par year from quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. . FPI Winning Chance: 40.0%

Game 10 vs navy. Notre Dame captured nine of the last 10 in this ancient rivalry, but never count the Marines. The three-way option is always difficult to defend, and this game comes from Irish hosting Clemson. This could be a trap if the Domers are not careful. FPI Winning Chance: 95.7%

Game 11 against Boston College. BC had over half a dozen junior players in defense, the unit that ranked fourth in the ACC in 2021, and quarterback Phil Jurkovec made a decisive comeback. Notre Dame had the Holy War quarter-finals and scored at least 40 points in each of the last three. FPI Winning Chance: 91.5%