Predicting Notre Dame's record for 2023 season

Notre Dame could be set up for a big year in 2023. Many are looking for the Fighting Irish to take the next step up in Marcus Freeman’s second season, especially considering some of their additions over the offseason. So, with all that in mind, what kind of finish does On3’s JD PicKell expect for the good people in South Bend?

In a recent edition of ‘The Hard Count’, PicKell predicted that Notre Dame would be finishing anywhere from eight to 11 wins. In order to get on the high end of that, though, he picked out three crucial matchups and a pair of other sneaky contests that will be pivotal depending on whether the Irish capitalize or not.

“There’s three games here that I have circled. That’s Ohio State, who you get at home. You play USC. And you play Clemson later in the year,” said PicKell. “These three games, I think, will be the toughest tests across the board for Notre Dame.”

“All three of those teams I just mentioned are playoff contenders. And, by the way, you play at a good Louisville team, who’s gonna be sneaky, I think, this year,” continued PicKell. “You go and play Navy the first game of the year in Ireland. I’m not saying Navy’s gonna beat them. I’m just saying it’s tough to open up against the triple option. That’s not fun. Also, you’re taking a long flight. It’s not just an easy, walk in the park here for Notre Dame.”

In Freeman’s first season, Notre Dame went 9-4. On the negative side, the campaign snapped a five-year streak of double digit victories. It also featured bad losses to Marshall and Stanford. However, on the positive side, they finished 9-2 after losing their first two contests, including six wins in their last seven games, and closed with a victory in the Gator Bowl over South Carolina.

In the end, PicKell foresees a similar overall season for Notre Dame in ’23. Considering the matchups on the docket for them this fall, he went with a prediction of nine more wins for Freeman and the Irish during the second go around for him as head coach.

“I think the floor for Notre Dame, if everything goes to the dogs, is eight wins. 8-4? Worst case scenario for Notre Dame,” PicKell said. “I think the ceiling is somewhere around 11-1. I’m gonna go ahead and pick Notre Dame to go 9-3 in 2023. That’s my prediction, that’s what I feel comfortable with. I think that’s probably the most safe pick