The defense returns 9 starters and should improve upon their 26 points per game allowed in 2009
. The big factor that favors Notre Dame besides a roster that is near universally acclaimed as highly talented is the schedule. There is not a game on the schedule that the Irish cannot win when it comes to college football predictions. They open at home against Purdue and Michigan and then travel to Michigan State. Notre Dame football host Stanford, go to Boston College, host Pitt and Western Michigan, play Navy at Giants Stadium, host Tulsa, host Utah, play Army at Yankee Stadium and finish at USC. It's a schedule that could make for a 30-1 winning ticket for the BCS title if Kelly develops the team quickly.