Notre Dame Football: 5 early bold predictions for 2018 season

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3ORLANDO, FL – JANUARY 01: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is lifted up by Hunter Bivin #70 following the Citrus Bowl against the LSU Tigers on January 1, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. Notre Dame won 21-17. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

1. Notre Dame makes New Year’s Six bowl

In Brian Kelly’s eight years as head coach, the Fighting Irish have made the BCS National Championship Game once and a New Year’s Six bowl once. The Irish haven’t exactly been known as a national powerhouse, but the tides seem to be turning, especially after the 2017 season.

Kelly will lead the Irish to their second New Year’s Six appearance in 2018 thanks to a 10-2 season, at worst.

Don’t get me wrong, the Fighting Irish have an incredibly difficult schedule but they will have a better defense, stronger passing game and an equally as impressive run game with a duo of Dexter Williams and Deon McIntosh in the backfield.

Notre Dame will host Michigan to start the season and I see the Irish winning that one based on that home-field advantage and the fact that the Wolverines don’t have a starting quarterback. The next three games against Ball State, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest should be relatively easy wins.

Stanford will come to town in Week 5 and they will be without Bryce Love before the toughest game of the early season at Virginia Tech. If the Irish can beat Stanford at home, which I believe they will, I think they also take care of the Hokies.

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There are two or three games in the final five which I could see the Irish losing. One is at Northwestern, the next is at home against Florida State and then to close the season at USC. I see the Irish losing two games, at most, and making a New Year’s Six bowl.

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