Following a second consecutive 8-5 season, the Fighting Irish have turned their sights to the 2012 season.
There are a number of kinks to be smoothed out before kickoff of the season opener against Navy in Dublin, Ireland on Sept. 1, and the keys to those issues will be discussed in this slideshow.
And away we go!
Maintain a Stalwart Offensive Line
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Perhaps the most underrated unit for Brian Kelly's squad in 2011 was his offensive line.
Kelly has made it clear that controlling the line of scrimmage is crucial to winning football games, and the Irish offensive line did just that this season.
Luckily for the offense, the line will be returning three of five starters next season, with Trevor Robinson and Taylor Dever having exhausted their respective years of eligibility.
However, Braxston Cave, Chris Watt and Zack Martin will be back to man the trenches once again in 2012.
Those three, along with the two new starters will be making the effort to replicate the performance of last season's group, which did an excellent job of protecting the quarterback. The line also paved the way for a rushing attack that nearly produced two 1,000-yard rushers.
The only question mark surrounding the offensive line heading into 2012 is whether or not the defection of Ed Warriner to Ohio State will have any negative effects.
Harry Hiestand, who is expected to be named offensive line coach, brings with him over 20 years of experience coaching on the college level. How he fits in will be an interesting plot during spring ball and through fall camp.
Continue to Develop Consistency
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Consistency is something that the 2011 Notre Dame football team simply couldn't grasp. The team finished the season ranked 118th nationally in turnover margin, at -1.15.
Each of the Irish's five losses can be directly attributed to the gross amount of turnovers.
In order to avoid another turnover-plagued season, Brian Kelly and his staff must preach consistency on a daily basis.
The idea of consistency on a football team doesn't just apply to turnovers, though. It applies to the way a team practices, the attitude with which it has on gameday and much more.
Once Kelly's squad exhibits signs of being truly consistent, a higher level of success is likely to follow.
Effectively Replace Michael Floyd and Jonas Gray
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It's no secret that Notre Dame is going to miss the playmaking abilities of both wide receiver Michael Floyd and running back Jonas Gray.
During Floyd's four seasons in South Bend, the 6'3", 224-pound receiver gave Notre Dame an extremely reliable vertical threat who had the ability to be a game-changer.
Without Floyd, the Irish offense will need to find a way to replace him while not having a significant drop-off in production.
The solution? Names that come to mind are incoming freshmen Deontay Greenberry, Justin Ferguson and Chris Brown, as well as DaVaris Daniels, John Goodman and Daniel Smith.
A combination of any of those players certainly has a chance to match Floyd's individual numbers.
As for Gray, his presence as a bruising, downhill back will be nearly impossible to replicate. As it stands, there aren't any backs on the depth chart with Gray's rare mix of size and speed. The most likely candidate to fill his shoes is Cam Roberson, who missed the 2011 season with a knee injury.
Have a More Aggressive Defense
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In two seasons as defensive coordinator, Bob Diaco has employed a conservative 3-4 defense.
However, with the return of Manti Te'o, it's time for Diaco to become more aggressive in his scheme. The type of defense that Irish fans envision is one which takes more chances and puts more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
The young, yet sturdy defensive line, led by ends Aaron Lynch and Stephon Tuitt already command loads of attention, which makes taking calculated risks well worth it.
And with a young secondary in place for the 2012 season, the defense will be relying on an aggressive, pressuring defense.
Solve the Quarterback Controversy
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It's common knowledge that Notre Dame has had a quarterback controversy on its hands for more than a year's time.
Dayne Crist is no longer at Notre Dame, and Brian Kelly has three quarterbacks to choose from to be his starter.
As I've said before, the starting quarterback should be Everett Golson. The red-shirt freshman is the only quarterback on the roster who was recruited by Brian Kelly, and he possesses all of the necessary tools to run the no-huddle spread attack.
Yes, he is going to be raw coming in, but it's vital that Brian Kelly give "his" players a chance to come in and show the results he expects.
Just take a look at the nation's best teams from the past season, and you'll see that each had a clear cut starting quarterback.
Oklahoma State had Brandon Weeden, Stanford had Andrew Luck, Alabama had A.J. McCarron and the list goes on.
Notre Dame can learn from those examples.
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