Ranking Notre Dame’s 2017 Opponents

With most conferences’ Media Days now over and a lot of fall camps soon to be open, the time for talking is almost over, and the time for playing is near. Just a few weeks out from the 2017 College Football season, which starts with a “Week Zero” on August 26, the Notre Dame schedule opens one week later with a home date against Temple.
Quarterback Brandon Wimbush will be leading the team going into 2017, his first full season as a starter and will feature his first real game action since 2015 due to red-shirting last year. As usual, the Fighting Irish play one of the toughest schedules in the country, including five teams that have a legitimate shot to open the season in the AP Top 25.
Every game is important, since the ultimate goal is the 4 team College Football Playoff, especially since Notre Dame doesn’t have a conference championship for which to contend. But which games are going to be the toughest? Let’s take a look:
12. Wake Forest: November 4, Game 9. (Last meeting: ND 27-WF 7, 2015):

Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson is thought by many people to be on the hot seat heading into 2017. Clawson is 13–24 in 3 years in Winston-Salem. The Demon Deacons had a good defense last year, ranking #23 in scoring defense, but the defensive coordinator of that team, Mike Elko, will be roaming the sidelines for Notre Dame under the same role. Wake returns 5 defensive starters, the biggest being defensive end Duke Ejiofor and his 10.5 sacks. The offense wasn’t very good, averaging just 20.4 PPG. All of the top receivers return for either Kendall Hinton or John Wolford to target. Wake Forest should have more than enough time to develop new starters, but Novembers haven’t been kind to the Deacons: they’re just 6–24 in that month over the last 8 seasons.
11. Temple: September 2, Game 1. (Last meeting: ND 24-Temple 20, 2015):

Temple has been a very good program over the last two years, going 20–8 over that span, but the Owls lose quite a bit in the personnel department. Former head coach Matt Rhule is off to Baylor, and Geoff Collins steps in to replace Rhule with no FBS head coaching experience. He was previously the DC at FIU, Mississippi State and Florida. On the player side, only 10 starters return, and the amount of talent lost is impressive. Record setting QB Phillip Walker, who threw for 3,295 yards and 22 touchdowns, along with 1,000 yard rusher Jahad Thomas will be sorely missed. Not only was Thomas a thousand-yard rusher, bu he also accounted for 418 yards and 6 receiving touchdowns also. Ryquell Armstead should be a good replacement, as he rushed for 951 yards and 14 touchdowns. On the defensive side, only four starters from the 3rd- ranked total defense return. On that side of the ball, 7 of the top 10 tacklers are gone, including 25 sacks accounted for no longer playing for the Owls. Temple will more than likely end up a good team later in the season, but during week one, all of the losses on the field likely point to a week one loss on the schedule.
10. At Boston College: September 16, Game 3. (Last meeting: ND 19-BC 16, 2015):

Notre Dame is lucky to only play 5 true road games this season. A date at Chestnut Hill against Boston College and the number 9 total defense in 2016 will provide its own challenges. The Eagles return 7 starters from last year’s defense, including All-American candidate defensive end Harold Landry. Landry’s dominate play included 16.5 sacks, which by himself is more than 14 other teams had. Boston College’s defense should still be stout, but the offense is a place of worry. BC was 127th in total offense and 118th in scoring offense, and will be breaking in a new quarterback in Darius Wade after the graduation of Patrick Towles. The running game was the strength of the team, and the top two rushers, Jon Hilliman and Davon Jones, return. Boston College usually always plays Notre Dame tough. The offense might not pose a huge threat, but the defense alone is enough to cause headaches on the Notre Dame sideline.
9. Miami (Ohio): September 30, Game 5. (Last meeting: ND 46-Miami 0, 1909):

The Redhawks join the list of recent Mid-American Conference teams to travel to South Bend, joining Western Michigan in 2010 and UMass in 2015, although UMass is no longer in the MAC. Miami of Ohio is a good MAC team, that is more often that not the pick to win the MAC East in 2017. Head coach Chuck Martin is very familiar with South Bend, as he spent 4 years as both a position coach as well as offensive coordinator under Brian Kelly from 2010–2013. Miami finished the season red hot, becoming the first team to ever start the regular season 0–6 and then finish the season with 6 straight wins. They eventually lost the St. Petersburg Bowl to Mississippi State. In all, 17 total starters return from that team, which didn’t suffer very many major losses other than JT Jones and his 6.5 sacks. The defense was the strength of the team, finishing 25th in total yards, and returns almost the entire secondary that finished 40th in passing yards against. The offense could use some improvement, but under the offensive mind of Martin, should improve with 9 starters returning.
8. At North Carolina: October 7, Game 6. (Last meeting: ND 50-UNC 43, 2014):

The following week, Notre Dame goes on the road to face a tough North Carolina team. North Carolina returns just 5 starters on offense, but the majority of their production is gone. QB Mitch Trubisky, the number 2 pick in the NFL Draft to the Chicago Bears is currently in an NFL camp, and also gone are UNC’s top 4 rushers, and 4 of the top 5 receivers. That adds up to a total of 99% of rushing yards, 98.3% of passing yards, 70.5% of receiving yards and 85.7% of scoring from 2016. Coming in to take the reigns at QB is LSU transfer Brandon Harris, who showed some potential during his LSU tenure but was ultimately hurt by LSU’s run-first mentality. Three 100-tackle players return to anchor a defense that was great against the pass (12th) but not great against the rush (109th). This definitely looks like it could be Josh Adams’ national breakout game.
7. At Michigan State: September 23, Game 4. (Last meeting: MSU 36-ND 28, 2016):

(Sept. 23, 2016 — Source: Bobby Ellis/Getty Images North America)
Michigan State really fell off the wagon last year, going from the highest of highs (CFB Playoff appearance in 2015) to the lowest of lows (3–9 last season.) There’s really no evidence of a major bounce back to the levels of 2015 this season, but another 3 win season does seem unlikely. Off the field issues have plagued the Spartans, costing them even more personnel losses than they should have had. Just 8 starters return, four from each side, but the strength of a Mark Dantonio team is usually its defense, and that should be the case again. The defense is young, possibly six sophomore starters, but should be able to develop nicely with two games against MAC teams and a bye week before the Fighting Irish visit. Running back LJ Scott is the star of the offense, rushing for 1,035 yards and six touchdowns. Scott should only get better as time goes on this season, as he’ll be asked to carry a heavy load on offense as QB Brian Lewerke continues to adapt in his first season as starter.
6. Navy: November 18, Game 11. (Last meeting: Navy 28-ND 27, 2016):

Another team that has given Notre Dame fits in recent years is Navy, whose triple option offense is always difficult to prepare for. The leader of the 2016 attack, QB Will Worth, is now graduated, but passes the reigns to Zach Abey, who has seen his share of playing time. Last season, Abey ran for 417 yards and 6 touchdowns. Senior Fullback Chris High will also be called on quite a bit, as his experience in the system is crucial to making sure the Midshipmen’s plan of attack is successful. Navy scored 66 points on East Carolina and 75 on SMU in back to back weeks last season, so if Notre Dame doesn’t prepare adequately, they could find themselves in a lot of trouble. Navy’s defense needs improvement (it was 84th in the nation last year), but did face quite a few high powered offenses in the AAC last year between USF, Tulsa, Memphis and Houston. Coach Ken Niumatalolo always has his team ready for big games, especially against Notre Dame, and coming off a season where they lost the Commander in Chief trophy for only the fourth time in the last 14 years, along with a loss to Army for the first time since 2001, you can bet Navy will be ready all season long.
5. At Miami: November 11, Game 10. (Last meeting: ND 30-Miami 27, 2016):

A renewal of one of the greatest college football rivalries of all time, this game will be played in Coral Gables during a time that should see Miami in the thick of the ACC Coastal Division race. This game would likely be higher on the list if QB Brad Kaaya had returned, but he decided to take his talents to the NFL a year early. In steps Malik Rosier, a very highly touted, yet unproven duel threat quarterback who is being tested by another quarterback, Evan Shirreffs. Head coach Mark Richt said the two are “more ready to play than the other guys.” Whichever ends up being the full-time starter, more than likely Rosier, will have some good weapons, with Ahmmon Richards at receiver and 1000-yard rusher Mark Walton at running back. Most of the offensive line also returns. On the other side of the ball, 8 starters are back from the 20th-ranked total defense, with all defensive line and linebacker starters returning. The secondary, which ranked 47th, loses Jamal Carter, Rayshawn Jenkins and Corn Elder, who combined for 237 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 22 pass breakups and 3 interceptions. Miami has a lot of time to install new capable starters there, but the defense could be prime picking for Brandon Wimbush.
4. North Carolina State: October 28, Game 8. (Last meeting: NCST 10-ND 3, 2016):

This will be a rematch of the hurricane game from last year, in which for some reason, Notre Dame chose to throw the ball 26 times in the midst of Hurricane Matthew. It was an incredible sight, but not one Notre Dame fan would like to see any time soon. NC State is a popular sleeper pick in the ACC, and for good reason. Aside from their schedule setting up nicely with both Louisville and Clemson visiting Raleigh, 17 starters return from 7–6 team that lost four games by 7 points or less. North Carolina State will have 22 seniors return to provide leadership. QB Ryan Finley is running the show on offense, which ranked 63rd in total offense and averaged 27 points per game. With 8 starters back on that side, expect that number to go up. The defense returns 8, including the entire defensive line, which helped the Wolfpack finish 8th nationally in rushing defense and 24th in total defense. With great teams like Clemson and Florda State in their way in their own division, NC State may not win the conference championship, but will be among the more dangerous teams in all of college football.
3. At Stanford: November 25, Game 12. (Last Meeting: Stan 17- ND 10, 2016):

The traditional season closer in California happens in the North this year. This game has a lot of scary aspects, but possibly none worse than a minor scheduling detail that usually turns out to be major. The Navy Effect will be going here, as the physical Midshipmen play Notre Dame the week prior. Notre Dame tends to start slow in games after, and against an even more physical Stanford team, this may not bode well for the Fighting Irish. Stanford is once again a popular pick in the Pac-12, and with 16 starters returning on a team that reloads rather than rebuilds, there is no question why. Stanford has won 10 or more games all but one year since 2010, with the only setback being a “down” 8–5 year in 2014. The loss of do-it-all running back Christian McCaffrey will no doubt sting, but Bryce Love can no doubt pick up where McCaffrey left off running the ball. Keller Chryst starts at QB, and has turned into an excellent game manager in that position. He doesn't turn the ball over much, and while he’s not the most accurate, with the Stanford way on the ground, passing isn’t usually the first option. The defense should be great as usual, but the loss of Solomon Thomas will need to be addressed immediately to continue the usual dominance on the defensive line.
2. Georgia: September 9, Game 2. (Last meeting: UGA 17- ND 10, 1981):

Georgia is one of the most talented teams in the best conference in college football, so that should speak volume about the quality of this team. QB Jacob Eason is primed for a breakout year, in which could be a darkhorse Heisman season. Expect a big season from WR Terry Godwin, who will likely become the number one receiver with Isaiah McKenzie off to the NFL. The Bulldogs also have a pair of extremely talented running backs in Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, who combined for almost 2000 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Georgia lost three starters on the offensive line, but if they can repair the line and Eason breaks through as expected, Georgia could skyrocket in the offensive ranks. The 16th ranked total defense returns 10 starters, including 14 of the top 15 leading tacklers, so more of the same should be expected from DC Mel Tucker’s defense. Defensive minded head coach Kirby Smart will welcome the test of an early season road challenge. Georgia opens with Appalachian State on September 2nd, and while App State is no walk in the park, they’re also far less talented than the Bulldogs. This should give Georgia a chance to work out any kinks before they travel to South Bend for the first time ever.
1. USC: October 21, Game 7. (Last meeting: USC 45-ND 27, 2016):

(Nov. 18, 2016 — Source: Harry How/Getty Images North America)
Was there any doubt? While USC has a history of falling on their face when expectations are sky high since 2009, a site Notre Dame fans love, this may be the most dangerous team of the group. A consensus top 5 preseason pick, poplar playoff pick, and favorite in the Pac 12, USC has an incredible amount of talent. QB Sam Darnold is one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football, and won his last 9 starts after losing his debut in a close loss to Utah. Darnold has quickly overtaken Josh Rosen as the best QB in Los Angeles, and has flown up the pre season Heisman polls. Perhaps the greatest moment of Darnold’s young career came in the Rose Bowl, overcoming a 35–49 deficit late in the 3rd quarter to stun Penn State. Ronald Jones rushed for over 1000 yards last season to go along with 12 touchdowns. The loss of WR JuJu Smith-Schuster leaves a big gap, but Deontay Burnett has showed the potential to be a great replacement. Although the offense only returns 5 starters, the recruiting has been excellent and finding talented replacements shouldn't be a problem. The defense returns 7 starters from a good but not great unit. Adoree’ Jackson will be missed not only on defense, but his contributions in the return game along with his occasional offensive presence. Cameron Smith, Porter Gustin and Rasheem Green are three of the premier defensive stars in the country, and Iman Marshall is developing into an elite cornerback. It’s no doubt this is the game of the year for Notre Dame.

