For the first time in 14 seasons, Notre Dame will have a new football coach leading its program at the start of a season. Former Fighting Irish defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman took over the head job when Brian Kelly announced he was leaving for LSU late last year. Freeman coached Notre Dame in last year’s Fiesta Bowl; a game the Irish lost 37-35 to Oklahoma State. The Fighting Irish have had five consecutive seasons of double-digit victories. Can they do it again in 2022? OVER 8.5 (-130) UNDER 8.5 (+100) The Irish lost a midseason game to Cincinnati 24-13 at home. That loss left Notre Dame out of the running for a College Football Playoff spot. The Irish finished the regular season ranked No. 5 in the CFP poll. Notre Dame won its final seven games of the regular season before losing to Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl. The Irish finished the season ranked No. 8 in the final AP poll. Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees will work with his third new quarterback in three years with the departure of grad transfer Jack Coan. The Irish offense also loses RB Kyren Williams, a fifth- round draft pick of the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. Williams had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. The biggest loss for Notre Dame comes on defense where All-American free safety Kyle Hamilton has moved onto the NFL. At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Hamilton patrolled the field with speed and physicality. That’s why Baltimore made him the 14th pick overall in the 2022 NFL draft. The strength of the 2022 Notre Dame offense will be the offensive line. Jarrett Patterson is one of the best centers in the country. Offensive tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fisher are future NFL draft picks. The offense will have a new quarterback in either Tyler Buchner or Drew Pyne. There is also the possibility that both see ample playing time. Chris Tyree and Logan Diggs will take over for Williams at running back. The Irish once again have an NFL-ready tight end. Michael Mayer started as a freshman in 2020 and will likely be the first tight end taken in next year’s draft. There is a possibility that Mayer’s teammate, DE Isaiah Foskey, is the first edge rusher taken too. Foskey had 11 sacks last year. He and DT Jayson Ademilola will continue Notre Dame’s powerful pass rush. The Irish open the 2022 season at Ohio State, one of the favorites to win this year’s CFP national championship. There are a few lightweights – UNLV, Cal, Syracuse, to name a few – on the schedule too. Notre Dame will continue to play five teams from the ACC and they will get Clemson at home in early November. The season ends against USC and its new head coach Lincoln Riley. Notre Dame gets Marshall and Cal at home early before a date at North Carolina. The Tar Heels will be rebuilding their offense and they are always rebuilding one of the worst defenses in the country. Stanford, UNLV, and Syracuse look like midseason victories with Navy and Boston College among the late-season triumphs. That’s eight wins right there. The Irish need a win over BYU, Clemson, or USC to put them over their regular season win total. They won’t beat Ohio State, but they can win one of the other three even with a new quarterback. PICK: NOTRE DAME OVER 8.5 WINS (-130) Check out our 2022 Alabama Crimson Tide win total predictions next.Notre Dame Regular Season Win Total Betting Lines
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Fighting Irish Key Losses Heading Into 2022
2022 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Team Preview
2022 Notre Dame Football Schedule
2022 Fighting Irish Regular Season Win Total Prediction
2022 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Win Total Odds and Picks
