Notre Dame Football: 5 Bold Predictions for Dayne Crist and the Irish

Brian Kelly has officially named Dayne Crist as his starting quarterback for the 2011 season.

Crist was in a competition with sophomore Tommy Rees, who started and won the final four games of the season last year, including wins at USC and in the Sun Bowl over Miami.

Crist suffered an injury-plagued 2010, first going down against Michigan, then rupturing a patellar tendon in his left knee.  He finished the season with so-so statistics, posting 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

The Irish coaching staff chose Crist because of his mental toughness and drive to come back from his injuries.

Notre Dame is poised for a big year in 2011.  Here are five bold predictions about the outcome of their season.

Dayne Crist Will Throw for More Than 20 Touchdowns

Dayne Crist was beginning to come along in Brian Kelly's spread offense before the Tulsa game in which he was injured.  He was starting to recognize where balls needed to be thrown, and more importantly, how to avoid throwing balls to the other team.

Michael Floyd's status was uncertain entering the 2011 season, but coach Kelly has stated that he will play this year, giving the Irish another big offensive weapon.

With another year learning the offense, and Crist having weapons like Floyd at his disposal, the new starting quarterback will throw for at more than 20 touchdowns in 2011.

Dayne Crist Will Throw for Less Than 10 Interceptions

This prediction goes hand in hand with the first one.  Crist will no doubt increase his number of touchdown passes, but will also improve on how many interceptions he throws.

Once again, learning the offense is a huge part of being successful in Brian Kelly's scheme.  Crist showed that he was really beginning to get a grip on it last year before he was injured.

With a better understanding of the scheme, Crist will stay in the single digits in the interception column this year.

Notre Dame Will Win 10 Games

Notre Dame plays a very difficult schedule in 2011, but the talent level on the roster should allow them to match up with any team they face.

Playing at Michigan and Stanford are tall orders, but they do get Michigan State and USC at home, which will help.

Brian Kelly teams tend to take a huge leap forward in the second year of his tenure, and I see that being the case for the Irish this year.  Expect them to play good football and hit the double-digit win mark by the end of the year.

Notre Dame Will Play in a BCS Bowl

Notre Dame has not earned a bid to a BCS Bowl since 2006, when they were blown out in the Sugar Bowl by LSU.

The year before that they suffered a similar fate at the hands of Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Irish have not fared well in BCS games, losing all three of their previous efforts by a combined score of 116-43.

They should have their fourth crack at a BCS win this year after hitting double-digit victories for the first time since 2006.

Notre Dame Will Be Ranked in the Preseason Top 10 Next Year

After a successful 2011 campaign, the Irish will earn themselves a top-10 spot in the preseason rankings for next year.  A combination of impressive play and a good recruiting class will lead the experts to predict big things for Notre Dame in 2012.

The general perception of Notre Dame is that they are always overrated in the polls, and they may be with what people say about them next year leading up to the season.

Starting near the top of the rankings always leaves a little bit of room for error throughout the season, and this could help Notre Dame find a spot in the BCS Championship game.