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Notre Dame Football: 3 guaranteed wins on Irish’s 2017 schedule

By Andrew Miller

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 01: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and his team wait to head on to the field for the start of the game against the Syracuse Orange at MetLife Stadium on October 1, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 01: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and his team wait to head on to the field for the start of the game against the Syracuse Orange at MetLife Stadium on October 1, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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With Notre Dame football needing all the wins it can get, what are the three games that fans can count on the Fighting Irish winning in 2017?

Brian Kelly needs a better season. Notre Dame had a horrible 2016 season. Another 4-8 record is not acceptable. They have pieces in place to make it work. Quarterback Brandon Wimbush is the real deal and he can be as good as DeShone Kizer.

Notre Dame’s schedule is not very difficult. USC, Stanford, Miami and Georgia, are tough. Boston College, Wake Forest, Temple and Miami (OH), are not. For such a big program, they can win some games against lesser competition.

The fan base could get impatient soon. Kelly’s seat is hot. A winning record, at least, is needed. Last year took a tumble fast. The opening game loss to Texas hurt. Things did not recover. Notre Dame played in close games. They did not win many of those close games.

Malik Zaire and Kizer’s time is done. Florida picked up Zaire. Kizer won the starting job in Cleveland. A solid effort from Kizer did not help. Notre Dame needed clutch play. The loss to Texas was not the worst. Michigan State, Duke, NC State and Navy narrowly defeated Notre Dame.

It’s not ordinary to see ND unranked. The Irish received a few votes in both polls. Disrespect could be exactly what the Irish need. Sometimes negative press motivates a team. Kelly looks motivated to right the ship.

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Notre Dame relies more on the running game now. Running back Josh Adams is a stud — he had his breakout campaign last year. Dexter Williams is a good compliment. Adams and Williams power the Notre Dame offense.

Now, let’s take a look at three games the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are guaranteed to win in 2017.

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