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Notre Dame Football: Ranking 2018 opponents by toughness

By Connor Muldowney

SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 21: Brandon Wimbush #7 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks to pass while under pressure from Uchenna Nwosu #42 of the USC Trojans in the second quarter of a game at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 21: Brandon Wimbush #7 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks to pass while under pressure from Uchenna Nwosu #42 of the USC Trojans in the second quarter of a game at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Notre Dame football opens the season with a tough game against Michigan, and it doesn’t get much easier from that point on.

If you’re Brian Kelly, you have to feel good about the direction Notre Dame is headed after a comeback season in 2017. The Fighting Irish improved by six wins from a disastrous 2016 campaign and his coaching style improve.

Football is South Bend is fun again.

Notre Dame will likely start the 2018 season in the top 15 nationally, but the potential of this team is top-10 worthy. Unfortunately, they will have to fill some big shoes. Departures such as Josh Adams, a few top NFL draft pick offensive linemen and Mike Elko will hurt, but others will step up.

Moreover, the schedule won’t be forgiving. It will actually be one of the toughest schedules in the country.

Notre Dame’s schedule is tough, but how does each opponent stack up?

It’s been a rough number of seasons for Ball State. The Cardinals, under the direction of head coach Mike Neu, are just 6-18 over the past two seasons and are coming off a 2-10 campaign in 2017.

Life won’t be getting much easier for Ball State in 2018. They return eight starters to the No. 111 offense in the country and just five starters to the 88th-best defense. Moreover, the Cardinals averaged just 17 points per game while allowing over 40.

Notre Dame shouldn’t have any problem smacking the Cardinals around. This one could get ugly early on with the lethargic Ball State offense and its turnovers while the Clark Lea-led Notre Dame defense looks like Mike Elko left it.

Offensively, Brandon Wimbush will have a nice start to the year and this game will just pad his stats. Dexter Williams, too, will put up over 100 rushing yards here.

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