Realistic expectations for Irish people in 2023

If you expected Notre Dame football to become irrelevant after Brian Kelly transferred to LSU in 2022, you were sadly mistaken.

Although the Irish started the year painfully with two really bad losses, including one at home to Marshall, they finished strong, winning nine games and finishing 18th in the Top 25.

Marcus Freeman did a solid coaching job after a rough start, and now the Fighting Irish should be one of the top teams in the country in 2023, led by transfer quarterback Sam Hartman, who comes from Wake Forest and was one of the most prolific passers. nation in recent years.

Notre Dame also brings in its 11th recruiting class and has a few more immediate transfers heading to South Bend this offseason.

So what are the realistic expectations for the Irish from an improved roster?

Realistic 2023 Expectations for Notre Dame Football

No offense to Drew Pyne, but Hartman’s upgrade at quarterback is huge. He could legitimately pass for nearly 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in his first year with the Irish — he’s that good. This alone should be a couple more wins in 2023.

However, the schedule is tight.

I think the defense will be better and the offense can be one of the best in the country thanks to a talented but still unproven receiving corps and possibly an elite backfield. So it’s fair to expect 10 plus wins, right?

Looking at the schedule, I think Notre Dame will start the year 4-0 before facing Ohio State in South Bend. Let’s say it’s a loss, they’ll pick up road wins against an improved Duke team and Louisville under Jeff Brohm. Then they get a crack at USC at home on October 14th.

Notre Dame should beat Pitt, but a win at Clemson the following week is unlikely. They finish the season with two straight wins against Wake Forest and Stanford.

Realistically, this team can go 9-3 or 10-2 in the regular season. They get two of their three toughest games at home against USC and Ohio State, so it’s a split that would lead to a 10-2 season.

Worst case scenario, Notre Dame wins 8-4. At best I see 10-2. Another New Year’s sixth bowl isn’t too shabby.