Official pre camp predictions.
What is your official pre camp season record prediction? Our predictions could change based on what happens in camp, but with camp starting in less than 3 days, I thought it would be fun to take a prediction now. I say 13-2. We lose in National Championship game and we lose to Wisconsin. I know this is bold, but I don’t think ND or Msu will beat us and I think we get it done against Osu someway somehow.
Its going to finally click this year. Maybe we drop a game, but we are playoff bound. A vastly improved O-Line and balanced offense will lead to Higdon running wild. By mid-season, I think the national media is going to realize how many weapons we have not just on D, but on offense as well. Besides the improvements needed on the O-Line and at QB, the special teams need to step it up this year. (Last year was not great). There will be close games at some point and special teams can be the difference between winning and losing them.
PSU: Will have an up and down year due to new O-Coordinator and need to find a new identity w/out Barkley.
MSU/Wisc: Wont be easy games, but we have more talent.
ND: We will punch them in the jaw. I don't think this game is close.
OSU: Its just time.
ND 20 UM 17 L
UM 38 WM 7 W
UM 41 SMU 17 W
UM 31 Neb 21 W
NW 24 UM 27 W
UM 35 MD 24 W
UM 23 Wisc 28 L
UM 20 MSU 31 L
UM 27 PSU 24 W
UM 41 Rut 17 W
UM 28 Ind 23 W
UM 14 OSU 24 L (we don't beat OSU again in my lifetime)
Final record: 8-4
I know this is a pessimistic set of predictions, so I'll add some context. Given how atrocious our O-line was last year coupled with the loss of 2 starters (1 to the NFL) I expect the O-line to be bad again this year. Yeah, the chatter is all about Warriner doing a bang-up job and that they will be improved (hard to be any worse), but improved with '17 as a starting point still points to probably being bad at that position group. I saw an alarming lack of player development (even regression in some cases) on that side of the ball last year. I saw some general incompetence in scheme and play-calling on offense as well. I think Patterson is over-rated and while I thought Peters looked OK in the Wisconsin game I was baffled by how bad he was in the Bowl game with 4 weeks of starter-reps in practice. Basically, I am skeptical of our offensive coaches' ability to develop players and run a scheme that fits its strengths and minimizes its weaknesses. If the O-line is even mediocre and Patterson takes care of the football and has a Rudock-like season I can see this team winning 10, maybe even 11 games given how loaded we are on D (safeties are the only question mark).
I'm not drinking the Kool Aid until I see it on the field.