It is going to take a lot for Notre Dame football to succeed in 2019. What specifically will it take for the Fighting Irish?
Last season was very successful for Notre Dame football. With an easier schedule, they managed to go 12-0 and lost to Clemson in the College Football Playoff. Many were surprised by the success from Notre Dame, but they were able to turn a lot of heads on offense when they replaced Brandon Wimbush with Ian Book at quarterback. Book was flawed, but he was the quarterback the Irish needed.
They also were able to succeed thanks to Miles Boykin and Dexter Williams on offense. The balance between passing and running helped against tough defenses, and their defense kept the offense from having to score at a high rate.
The key on defense was Jerry Tillery. As a defensive end, Tillery made lives hard for opposing quarterbacks. He was able to take the pressure off of the secondary, and he will be missed as he is now playing in the NFL.
Without Boykin, Williams, and Tillery, the path to the playoff will be much tougher for the Fighting Irish. Not only will they be unproven at many key positions, but their schedule will be much tougher. They will have to play teams like Michigan and Georgia, and those are far from easy games.
Making it back to the CFP should not be the only definition for success for this team. As long as they grow, get better at key positions, and win most of their games, they will have a good year. However, there aren’t a ton of guaranteed wins, and question marks remain at many key positions. The only stable will be quarterback, and even Ian Book will have to grow for the offense to work.
With all these questions going into this year, what does Notre Dame have to do for a successful 2019 season? Here are my five keys to success for the Fighting Irish.