Notre Dame football 2019 season preview: Best and worst-case scenario

After making the College Football Playoff last year, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have big hopes once again but will they live up to them in 2019?

Despite the fact that many college football fans decried it, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish rode an undefeated regular season in 2018 into the College Football Playoff. Of course, those detractors were seemingly proven right as Brian Kelly’s team was run off the field against Clemson in the CFP semifinal. Now they enter the 2019 campaign with the unwieldy task of trying to better an unbeaten regular season and chance at a National Championship.

On one hand, Notre Dame is in a good spot due to stability at quarterback, thanks to Ian Book. After taking the reins from Brandon Wimbush — who’s since transferred to UCF — Book never looked back and took the offense to new heights. Moreover, Tommy Kraemer and the offensive line are elite, while wide receiver Chase Claypool and running back Jafar Armstrong are strong weapons.

At the same time, the Irish suffered some big losses. Dexter Williams and Miles Boykin are gone from the offense while Jerry Tillery, Julian Love, Drue Tranquill and Tevon Coney are gone from the defense. Yes, there are high-end players like Julian Okwara ready to lead the defense but there is some turnover to contend with.

Given the blend of talent and turnover, how Notre Dame fares in 2019 could swing a few ways. So then, what are the best and worst-case scenarios for the Irish this season? Why not take a look.

Notre Dame football best-case scenario

• Sept. 2 – at Louisville – W
• Sept. 14 – vs. New Mexico – W
• Sept. 21 – at Georgia – W
• Sept. 28 – vs. Virginia – W
• Oct. 5 – vs. Bowling Green – W
• Oct. 12 – vs. USC – W
• Oct. 26 – at Michigan – W
• Nov. 2 – vs. Virginia Tech – W
• Nov. 9 – at Duke – W
• Nov. 16 – vs. Navy – W
• Nov. 23 – vs. Boston College – W
• Nov. 30 – at Stanford – W

Record: 12-0

Yes, the Fighting Irish have the chance to go undefeated in the regular season for the second-straight year. That all starts with the fact that their schedule as an independent isn’t littered with a murderer’s row of opponents for much of the year.

Getting to play mid-tier SEC teams and then having two Pac-12 matchups against USC and Stanford, two teams that are wild variables coming into the 2019 season, is an overwhelmingly positive thing for Notre Dame’s chances this season. Put simply, they shouldn’t have much trouble through that stretch.

The two games that stand out, of course, are road trips to play both Georgia and Michigan. While these two teams may be as good or better than Kelly’s squad on paper, they are also teams that have been prone to letdowns in big games over the past few seasons. If Notre Dame plays at their best, they have the ability to get past those two teams. The result of that should be an undefeated campaign and another berth in the College Football Playoff.

Notre Dame football worst-case scenario

• Sept. 2 – at Louisville – W
• Sept. 14 – vs. New Mexico – W
• Sept. 21 – at Georgia – L
• Sept. 28 – vs. Virginia – W
• Oct. 5 – vs. Bowling Green – W
• Oct. 12 – vs. USC – W
• Oct. 26 – at Michigan – L
• Nov. 2 – vs. Virginia Tech – W
• Nov. 9 – at Duke – W
• Nov. 16 – vs. Navy – W
• Nov. 23 – vs. Boston College – W
• Nov. 30 – at Stanford – W

Record: 10-2

As mentioned, Notre Dame should not have a great deal of trouble with their matchups against the ACC and Pac-12, in addition to the other games on the schedule. Yes, tilts against Virginia, USC and Stanford won’t be walk-overs but the Irish have the firepower to still win those games even if they aren’t at their best.

Subsequently, the turning point for this season in South Bend is those two away matchups against Georgia and Michigan. Those are the two games that Kelly and his team no doubt have circled on the schedule and for good reason. If this Fighting Irish team is going to lose this season, it’s more than likely going to come in one of those two games or, in a worst-case scenario, in both.

Hopes should undoubtedly be high for Notre Dame in the 2019 season as they have the horses to race with the elite in college football. But how they perform in their two biggest matchups of the season will determine whether they’re a contender once again or not.