IBG: the Aftermath of DRob

Almost the entire emotional narrative that was the Michigan game can be retold through the quarterback position. There was the authoritative first drive by Crist before his bizarre injury. There was the flea-flicker by Reese followed by an obviously inexperienced Nate Montanta. The second coming! More points by Crist! But in the end, the talented Denard Robinson dismantled the Irish entirely by himself.

So where does that leave us heading into the weekend? Was it a game of flukes with a strange injury and freakish opponent? Or are the echoes being woken similar to those of recent rather than historic coaching regimes? We Never Graduate helps tackle the Michigan State week of the Irish Blogger Gathering.

1)Status check: How deflating was the loss to Michigan? I could argue that Crist's injury makes this loss both easier to swallow and even more maddening for Irish fans.

In two words, I’d say that loss was ‘soooooo deflating.’ Every offseason stirs up a lot of hype and high expectations, and last Saturday unveiled some ugly aspects of this year’s squad that might be hard for some to swallow:

•We have NO depth at quarterback. Many people said this during the offseason, but the point was proven last weekend.
•Theo Riddick has not come as advertised. A phenomenal player, Riddick has not shown promise in the slot yet, and he or someone else needs to step up to take pressure off the other receivers.
•We can’t run the football effectively. Well, at least not when the defense doesn’t respect our passing game.
•Notre Dame still lacks crazy speed. True, Robinson is special, but the inability to slow Robinson down offered more evidence that the Irish lack elite speed on defense.
•Worst of all, Brian Kelly isn’t perfect. Not kicking field goals and failing to adjust defensive schemes at key points in the game are mistakes that led to the downfall of the last regime.

2) How critical is this Saturday's game? Walk away 2-1 and the Irish can feel good about taking on a very able Stanford squad at home next weekend. Walk out of East Lansing with a loss..?

Sorry for all the negativity, because with all that being said, MSU offers the Irish a great chance for a bounce back win. Like I said earlier, Robinson is a special player, and MSU doesn’t have a quarterback capable of taking over the game with his arm and legs. Our defensive line and inside linebackers have shown enough skill to give me confidence that they can stop a pro-style offense similar to what MSU will be running Saturday, and if Crist can stay healthy, we will score enough points to get the W.

3) Why does the rivalry with Michigan State seem to get so little respect?

Firstly, it’s tough to hate everyone. USC has been despicably shady for the past decade, and Pete Carroll is just about as scummy a football coach as Lane Kiffin or Rich Rodriguez. Secondly, while MSU is a tough game every year, the Spartans have averaged exactly 6 wins per season over the last 8 years. Even when they won 8 and 9 games, they beat just 1 ranked opponent, failing to win the crucial games to get to a Big Ten championship. MSU and ND have historically had a great and intense rivalry, but recently these two reasons may explain why the rivalry doesn’t get as much respect as some others.

4) It's hard to draw too many conclusions from victories over Western Michigan and Florida Atlantic, but what do you expect this Saturday night in Spartan Stadium?

Notre Dame always plays Michigan State at a difficult time in the schedule. While the Irish have usually played two quality opponents and are coming off the emotional Michigan weekend, Sparty typically is building momentum after rolling a few cupcakes. As such, I am expecting MSU to come into this weekend with a lot of confidence and play Notre Dame tough and down to the wire like they do every year.

5) Best case, worst case, most likely: The Irish's record after the first six games.

Best case: 5-1. Why not?
Worst case: 1-5. You saw our offense without Crist…
Most likely: 4-2. Like I said in the season’s first IBG post, this is a reasonable record after the first six games. It would be tough to pick who the Irish might lose to, but with a six game slate as tough as ours to open up the season, it would have been remarkable to make it through without some bumps and bruises. If Notre Dame makes it out with 1 or 2 losses, the back end of the schedule is set up to allow them a fairly good chance of a BCS birth.

6) Let's leave Michael Floyd out of this for a second. What Irish player needs to step up and play better football?

I’m going to go with Theo Riddick. The kid is too great of an athlete to be as unproductive as he has in the first two games. As a slot receiver in Kelly’s offense (and with guys like Floyd and Rudolph to distract the defense) the guy should be able to make some plays. If Crist stays healthy, the development of a third wideout is perhaps the position where improvement can most correlate to success in the win loss column.

Hopefully the Blue and Gold pull out a much needed win this week... Go Irish!

IBG: Season Preview Edition

At first glance, the future looks nothing but Kelly Green. There’s a proven winner blowing the whistle, All-American talent at several offensive playmaking positions, and competition and experience on the two-deep for the first time in awhile. Even off the field, talk of training tables and intense workouts on Longo Beach have fans excited to see an extra burst late in the season where the team has recently struggled.

…But Notre Dame just lost a near-Heisman candidate quarterback, a Biletnikoff winning wide receiver, two NFL caliber linemen, and their leading defensive tackler. It’s possible that the losses in the offseason aren’t too far from the talent drop-off that led Notre Dame to their worst season in school history. 2007 saw a new quarterback with a O-line experiencing turnover growing pains, and a defense that looked slow and even soft as opponents routinely pummeled the Irish.

So as Notre Dame leaves behind a forgettable decade of football, do fans have reason for optimism in 2010, or must we suffer through another 7-5 season of gridiron purgatory? UHND kicks off the 2010 season’s first week of the Irish Blogger Gathering to help us find out.

1. Name one offensive players and one defensive player you are most excited to see in the new systems and why.

With the majority of media coverage calling him the lynchpin of our season, Dayne Crist has to be the player to watch on offense. Thousands of fans are waiting to see how well the highly touted recruit was developed under Charlie Weis and how many points this gun slinger can put on the board with Kelly’s spread. On the other side of the ball, while our success may not depend solely on Manti Te’o’s performance, many fans are equally excited to see this doombringer wreak havoc on opposing offenses at an elite level… as only a sophomore next season.
2. What’s one reason you think Brian Kelly is the right coach this time. What’s one reason you think he might not be?

Fans have to like the plethora of experience that Kelly is bringing to Notre Dame as a head football coach. Achieving his level of success across three programs as diverse as Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, and Cincinnati is no easy feat. On the other hand, winning national championships in D2 is impressive, but Notre Dame isn’t a D2 school. Similarly, resurrecting two programs in CMU and Cinci to win conference championships is impressive, but Notre Dame isn’t interested in winning conference championships. Kelly is still missing the BCS win that Irish fans will be expecting… let’s hope he can get it.

3. A lot of people are labeling Purdue, Boston College, and Michigan State as toss up games. Considering Notre Dame beat all three of these teams during the disappointing 2009 season, do you consider these games toss-ups or games you expect Notre Dame to win?

After the first six games, the 2010 season should almost entirely be in the books. There are few schools in the country that open with a schedule of Purdue, Michigan, MSU, Stanford, BC, and 15th ranked Pitt like the Irish will this fall. Even though there aren’t any blow-me-away tough opponents, the fact that all teams are formidable enough to take down a top 25 makes it a grueling slate. Out of the three games listed, it’s likely Notre Dame will drop 1. But Notre Dame faces only Navy, Utah, and USC in the second half of the season (each with a cupcake the week prior to rest and prepare), so taking 2 losses in the first six games would not be a bad scenario.

4. What’s one reason you think Notre Dame could shock the world and pull of another 1964-type season? What’s one reason you’re concerned we might see more of a 1997-type season?

As stated in the answer to the previous question, Notre Dame does not face a blow-me-away tough opponent until facing what should be a beaten, battered, and bruised USC squad at the end of the season. Yes, there are undoubtedly tough games in the beginning of the year (I’m cringing thinking about what Pitts run game can do to us if we don’t get fast and mean on defense real quick), but if the Irish can get through the first six games unbeaten, there is no limit to how they can close out the season. But like I said, that opening schedule is gonna be a grind…

5. Which freshmen do you see contributing the most on the field this year (outside of TJ Jones – that’s too easy)?

Look for Prince Shembo to get some quality reps in at linebacker while athlete Danny Spond may take a Zeke Matta role on special teams this year.

6. Other than Dayne Crist (too easy again) who is the one player Notre Dame can least afford to lose to injury for any significant period of time?

Hopefully the UHND crew doesn’t jinx our season with this question, but I am going to go with Ethan Johnson. The depth at D-Line is a weak point on this team, and the other #9 is a force to be reckoned with. Let’s hope all of our players stay healthy.

7. 2010 Season Predictions
Notre Dame record: 9-3
Bowl game for Notre Dame with opponent: Just outside BCS games
Final ranking: 15
Opponent with the highest final ranking: Pitt
Notre Dame’s offensive & defensive MVP: Offense Michael Floyd, Defense Manti Te’o
Best opponent offensive & defensive player:
Offense: Dion Lewis (Pitt) Defense: Greg Romeus (Pitt)
Best opposing coach: Jim Harbaugh (Stanford)
Game you are most excited to watch: USC 11/27/2010
Game you wouldn't mind watching on DVR: F*** it, we’ll do em all live!
National Champion: Alabama
Heisman Winner: Terrell Pryor
Purdue game prediction: W 30-20

IBG: New Staff New... Spring?

Welcome back to the least appropriately named Notre Dame blog on the net. Things have been slow at this site since signing day, but there's no better way for me to get motivated enough to write a post than to get a message from the Irish Blogger Gathering crew in my inbox. Subway Domer, who is quietly assembling quite the army of ND bloggers, is getting us ready for spring ball with another round of questions.

1. Notre Dame is looking at vast changes on both sides of the ball. Kelly will implement his version of the "Spread," which is run at an excruciating pace, and the Irish defense will, once again, make the transition from the 4-3 to the 3-4. Asking to pick one side of the ball that intrigues you the most would be a disservice to us all. Instead, list your biggest hope and your biggest fear for both the offense and the defense.

Offense: While Weis-era teams were seldom criticized for their inability to score points, my biggest hope about Kelly’s spread is that it actually transforms Notre Dame into the mythical video-game offense, where an eight year old should be able to pick up a controller and hack through the defense, rendering the punter as a forgotten position. Like many traditional fans, however, I am concerned that the spread may take away from the ability to control the ball. I know Kelly’s offenses have been able to run the ball well, but there were too many examples of our “explosive” offense blowing leads at the end of the game because we couldn’t convert on the 3rd and shorts. Feel free to run a high octane offense, BK, but make sure we can still grind it out during the close games in November.

Defense: My biggest hope is that the switch to the 3-4 will give our defense an identity. With the hiring of Tenuta, fans were convinced our linebackers were going to become, to borrow a phrase from my high school days, “hole fillers and runningback killers.” Unfortunately, questionable technique and assignment confusion combined to produce a relatively ineffective defense. More speed on the edge should limit our opponent’s ability to stretch the field, and an increased emphasis on technique will hopefully allow us to give up fewer big gains. The key to this transition will be the adjustment by the defensive linemen, and I fear that the Irish may lack the quality big-body depth needed for the ideal 3-4 personnel.2. The mainstream media, and ESPN in particular, have been riding Brian Kelly's jock for about a year now, and were collectively praying for Notre Dame to fire Weis and hire Kelly. Do you agree, or disagree with this statement? What changes in media coverage do you think we will see in 2010 and beyond?

I don’t think there could have been a better media scenario then Notre Dame hiring Urban, undergo three more intensely emotional 7-6 seasons finally culminating with a stress induced death of our coach. Besides illustrating that this is the most stressful job in the country, it would have fueled the “Notre Dame can’t compete” argument like never before, much to the chagrin of the media.

As for changes in media coverage, expect respectable journalists to increasingly cite Twitter accounts and facebook statuses as primary sources. GPS tracking imbedded in coaching staff gear will allow ESPN to report where head coaches are traveling at all times, and at least one Tiger-Woods-like scandal will surface as a result of this.

3. With new regime changes, players that were once lost in the muck sometimes find themselves in a situation to become key members of the team- or even starters. Identify one of those players that will be that "sleeper." Explain, in brief detail, why your guy will rise above and become the proverbial; CREAM. Oh yeah... it must be a junior or older to qualify.

Robert Blanton will likely start this fall, but I’m going to use him for this pick to because I think the changes in the defensive staff will allow key members of our secondary to make big improvements in 2010. From when he saw time as a true freshman in 2007, Blanton has shown that he has the ability to be an effective defensive back. Expect the junior to benefit from the new scheme, additional coaching, and another year of experience.

4. If you could change the Blue-Gold Game experience in any way- what would it be? Some years, the game can be quite boring and offer no real insight for the upcoming season. Are we all doomed to be underwhelmed every year, or can you make the change that makes spring ball slick like Rick on a pogo stick?

Start roasting three pigs.

5. EVERY coach talks about the importance of special teams, and says that they are a major priority for the team. Is there anything that Coach Kelly has done to back him up on his own statements? What phase of special teams would you like to see more improvement from?

I was pretty pleased with the kicking game last year, especially considering that the Irish were fielding freshman at both the snapping and kicking positions. The punt coverage team, who only allowed 8 of 45 punts to be returned, should be used to Kelly-level discipline already. The challenge for BK and Co. will be replacing Tate at the punt return position and figuring out the most effective combination of Goodman / Riddick / ? to put the Irish in position to score points on returns this season.

6. Last topics are a bit, off topic... A)With the arrival of Spring Football, comes a lot of "color" discussion. "The Shirt," is always a favorite subject of debate for Irish fans. What is your opinion of "The Shirt," and if you were in charge of it all- what would it look like? B) There is a lot of talk about the Notre Dame uniforms possibly being altered. What would you like to see, even if they aren't changed?

As far as the color, I’ve always been partial to green because most pale irish kids don’t look good in anything yellow or “gold,” and I feel like a green student section has a little more character than a generic navy. All that being said, I thought a student’s suggestion last season to buck the shirt trend and get the student body to dress in three different segments (green, white, orange) to form an irish flag would have looked real nice on the tele. As for my prediction for the color this year, I bet students will complain about it and then wear it.

I’m not too picky on the uniforms just because I can’t see them being altered to the point where they aren’t more or less the same as they are now. A few pin stripes here, a few block letters there, as long as its still blue and gold I’ll cheer for it.

IGB: Goin back back to Cali Cali

Just when the Domer Law Blog thought to have claimed the latest entry for this week's IBG, The Nasties crew published Sarah's questions from Bad Trade 15 minutes to kickoff. Here we go:

1. Take a second and go look back at your post from the first game, with all of its promise and optimism (or not). What is the single biggest difference between the team you thought we had at the beginning of the season, and the team that we've seen on the field that now sits at 6-5?

One of the questions in the first week of this season's IBG asked us to find an image to describe the season, and in hindsight, I still think my pic was appropriate, albeit maybe for the wrong reasons:

The picture inadvertently previewed the edge-of-your seat action that was this season. A bounce of the ball here, a better play in the redzone there, and Notre Dame could very well be undefeated (or perhaps just as easily be 2-9).

To answer the question though, the single biggest difference has to be the secondary. I understand that it is tough to cover receivers when the quarterback has all day to throw, but I did not foresee the tackling issues that our veteran secondary would have.

2. Clearly, even from Coach Weis' own comments, it appears that the conversation has shifted from "Will Coach Weis be fired?" to "Who will be his replacement?" With that in mind, I'd like you to answer the following three questions:
a. If we lived in a perfect world, and could lure any coach to Notre Dame, who would be your choice? (Please limit yourself to coaches actually alive and able to coach right now - yes, we'd all love to have Knute Rockne back on the sidelines.)

In my mind, there isn't one clear favorite, and I think that there are 2-3 coaching hires that could improve this football team. If I'm forced to pick, though, I'll land on Brian Kelly. I'm impressed with his ability to turn around programs like Central Michigan and Cincinnati (and I particularly like his ability to take the Bearcats to the BCS), but I'm actually most impressed with Kelly's ability to coach Grand Valley State to a 118-35-2 record during his 13 years as head coach. Especially with how the success of programs tends to ebb and flow (even for the powerhouses - remember USC in the 90s?), this consistent trend of domination is very appealing.

b. If you were the AD for the University, who do you think is the best hire you could actually pull off, and how would you do it?

I suppose the most prestigious get would be Urban, and I think their are two points to sell it. Firstly, lets congratulate how Urban has been able to turn around program after program and win multiple titles with the Gators. So early in his career, Meyer seems to have already accomplished everything a coach dreams for. There is another unmet challenge in South Bend. Coach Meyer, take on the challenge of resurrecting a once national powerhouse, that the entire nation now thinks has a competitive disadvantage, and returning them to glory. The second point would probably be about moving Meyer's family to the Bend as a way to stay close to them.

c. Prediction time - taking everything you know about the program, the AD, and the current coaching situations around the country - who will be the head coach for the University of Notre Dame next year?

Every day actually leads me closer to thinking that Weis may actually return. ND won't be able to get there hands on a Kelly, Johnson, or Meyer until after they coach their current teams through the BCS, and like Brady Quinn said, there are a lot of factors that contribute to having a bad season, and not all of them fall on the coach. I feel like if Jenkins and Swarbrick don't find someone they really like, then I think that they might not pull the trigger. I'm still going to throw my hat in the ring for Kelly, but if Weis ends up back at Notre Dame for one more chance, I won't be as surprised as most.

3. As the title of this IBG post says, there is still one more game to be played. And, in fact, it's a red-hot Stanford team that scores points in bunches and beat SC in the Coliseum 55-21. To say that our program is in turmoil at this point would be a drastic understatement. So, what do you think is going to happen this weekend? Do the players rally and play up to potential for their embattled coach, or come out and go through the motions trying to get this season behind them?

I will say that at +10, Notre Dame is a pretty good Vegas bet. Unless we're playing teams with a vast disparity in talent (one of whom #6 ranked Boise State took down 44-33 last night), the Irish like to keep things close. Look for our offense to spurt out some impressive drives among some head scratching stalls while our defense makes some big stops and gives up some big gains. In the end, though, I am unfortunately expecting Stanford to win.

4. Finally, with all of the disappointment and frustration and a lame duck coach, what are your plans this weekend for the game?

Plain and simple. Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame.

IBG: Lots of Gold Helmets Edition

I'm finally done with my overloaded first half of the semester, I've had a chance to travel the great state of Ohio over fall break, and after a fantastic Halloween last weekend, I have finally run out of scheduling excuses and must finally host an installment of the Irish Blogger Gathering. In addition to finally having some free time, posting for the Navy week seemed to make sense over here because our very own JY has two younger sisters attending the Naval Academy this year. So with that intro, let's jump into the questions.

I'll be linking other member's responses as they come in, so keep checking back to satisfy your mid-week Notre Dame fix.1. With all of the recent injuries, what scenario would you rather have? Option A: Dayne Crist out for the season, Trevor Robinson out indefinitely with an ankle sprain and Jimmy Clausen suffering week to week with turf toe OR Option B: All of the above players are 100% and Floyd is out for the year?

I'll be interested to hear everyone else's take on this, but I'm going with option A for two reasons. Notre Dame has not performed well in the red zone in Floyd's absence; Air Mike is able to use his 6'3" frame and superb hands better than anyone when he has little space to work with. While not having Crist available if Clausen goes down is a scary prospect, the second reason I'm picking option A is our depth at quarterback. Sharpley isn't going to win the Heisman, but he has gotten some quality playing time over the past few seasons, and if he had threats like Tate and Floyd to through to, I'm sure he would do alright.2. After experiencing our first neutral site game at San Antonio this week, it got me thinking about our upcoming off site game against Navy. What are your thoughts on playing Navy in Ireland in 2012? Should the 7-4-1 model take us abroad?

I was more focused on trading baseball cards and pursuing my inevitable career as a comic book artist in 1996 when Autry Denson led the way to a 54-27 victory in Dublin, but I can still say that the upcoming Dublin game is (gasp) a good thing. Firstly, this matchup speaks to the incredible versatility that Notre Dame has in scheduling; how many other Universities can offer recruits the chance to play ball in front of thousands of crazy football (the other kind) fans? Second, unlike in the NFL, college teams, and especially Independents, are afforded the opportunity of scheduling around big games. For the 2012 matchup, it looks like Notre Dame will open the season against Navy and then return home for a bye week before facing Pitt, likely avoiding the chance to have a 'let down' or 'looking ahead' or a 'we got screwed up by the time change' game. As for regularly going abroad, I feel like once a decade is plenty enough; these types of games should be special.

3. Navy's unique offense and personnel always seem to test the Irish in some ways that other opponents don't. What position matchup are you most looking forward to this weekend?

ND Offensive Line vs. Navy Defensive Line. The last two seasons, ND averaged 4.5 and 3.7 yards per rush, and this year I want to see us reassert some dominance in the trenches. Expect a healthy dose of Allen and Hughes while the offensive line flexes some muscle.

4. The Navy football stereotype is generally that the players are undersized and have less star power, but by emphasizing the fundamentals, minimizing mental errors, and playing as a team, they are always able to put up a fight. What position or player on Notre Dame's roster do you think could benefit from approaching games with this attitude?

We have been starting to see more of it lately, but I would like our defensive front seven, especially the linebackers, to play a little more like Navy. Against the run from a pure statistical standpoint, things have been bad, but they could be worse. With Tenuta's blitzes, though, it becomes even more important for the first defender to make a sound tackle because there might not be much help if he misses. Let's start bringing our feet, wrapping up, and driving through the ball! Te'o will lead the charge for improvement over the final stretch.If we can get these many bodies in the backfield every play, we should be fine
5. Everyone in the country saw that Navy took #6 Ohio State down to the wire in the opening week; how will the Midshipmen fare against the Irish? Predictions please.

Before losing to Temple last week, Navy looked like a very respectable 6-2 team, with their two losses coming on the road at Ohio State and at Pittsburgh, and they even put up 63 points against Rice. However, Notre Dame's fire power should be too much to match. My stat of the game is that Navy has not given up more than 35 points this season; look for the Irish to top that mark and beat Navy 38 - 13.

IBG Responses:

Domer Law Blog is excited for Dublin
One Foot Down is looking forward to some option football
Brawling Hibernian picks Option C

IBG: How can I enjoy the game when all my exes live in Texas?

Whiskey at One Foot Down had the questions this week. Enjoy, and Go Irish!

1. The 7-4-1 scheduling model has been the subject of much heated debate amongst Irish fans since it was first announced back in 2006. This week the Fighting Irish will play the first neutral site “barnstorming game” in said model so now is as good of a time as any to weigh in on the controversial subject. What do you think about a) 7-4-1 as a whole, b) the neutral site/ barnstorming game in general and c) specifically playing Washington State in San Antonio.

a) Don't like it. In theory, especially as a student that doesn't have to deal with a ticket lottery, the more home games, the better. However, the schedule greatly inhibits ND's ability to schedule meaningful non conference games (see Western Michigan). Seeing Utah should be alright, but even the Utes won't agree to multiple trips to South Bend for nothing in return, and with BCS conference schools hesitant to give up their TV contract money to NBC, the quality of opponents will only get worse.

b) Not a bad idea. Especially for alumni in Texas, for example, that cannot normally attend an ND without a great deal of travel. If its a good venue and a good team, it can be a great tool to keep ND prominent on the college football map. That being said, I would much rather prefer to reinforce our prominence by winning games instead of putting on side show tricks, which brings me to...

c) Bat S*** Crazy. Scheduling a terrible football team whose fan's don't travel to games in Washington does not make any sense. This game does not build tradition. This is the least attractive opponent to bring recruits to (at least Nevada was the opener). If we were able to play A&M or Texas Tech in the Alamo Dome, it would have been awesome, but it suffices to say that this matchup falls short of what the barnstorming concept encourages.2. I have personally had this game circled on the schedule for quite some time as the one “sure thing.” After the last few games I have really been looking forward to a drama free victory. As luck would have it I started looking at the Cougars more closely this morning and it appears that freshman quarterback Jeff Tuel went 28 of 42 for 354 yards and 2 TD’s in a losing effort against Cal over the weekend. With the Irish secondary still struggling to get it together what are the chances that yet another freshman signal caller makes this one way more interesting than it should be on Saturday night in San Antonio?

I'll go easy on the secondary here. Weis has a tendency in his game plans to find what a team does best and take that away from them. Against BC, the focus was on defending the run, and we shut them down pretty well. In fact, a majority of our opponents have had strong ground attacks relative to their passing games. With only 3 TDs coming from runningbacks this year, WSU will probably try to throw the ball, and expecting this, I think Charlie/Tenuta/Corwin will put the secondary in a better position.

3. Assuming that the Fighting Irish are able to take care of business and put this one away early what non-starters would you most like to see get some reps this week? Why?

Jonas Gray and Theo Riddick. Lets keep Armando healthy, and give these guys a chance to show off their legs. I would especially like Jonas to get some carries to work on his ball handling because this guy has the chance to be pretty good in a year or two if he can make the next step.
4. With the game being played on Halloween Night chances are that if you are not traveling to San Antonio you most likely have a scheduling conflict. Whether you are supposed to be at a party dressed as Fat Elvis, taking your kids trick-or-treating or just dealing with your doorbell ringing nonstop how do you plan to watch the game? If you are going what are you most looking forward to?

Fortunately as students living in South Bend, the focus will definitely be on football, and with the TV close to the door (if you are planning on robbing my house please ignore that last comment), it will be easy to dish out candy to anyone that stops by (which will probably be no one). Afterwards its time for the always fun costume parties, which I hate to say is what I'm most looking forward to. For everyone that couldn't make it to the game though, here's a picture of the band compliments of my dad who found a way to sneak to San Antonio.
5. Trick or Treat? Predictions please.

Like Whiskey mentioned, Washington State was perhaps the most guaranteed victory coming into the season, and Weis has two options: run up the score and impress some recruits, or take another game down to the wire, starting the search for the next head coach. I highly doubt that this game will be close though. Notre Dame wins 41-17.

IBG: Screamin Eagles

Welcome to another installment of the Irish Blogger Gathering. The Brawling Hibernian hosts the questions this week. Enjoy.

1. Coming off a very difficult loss to a rival that has now beaten them eight straight times, Notre Dame faces another that's beaten them six straight. Can Notre Dame end the losing streak against BC or will the combined weight of the USC loss and recent history against the Eagles be too much to overcome? Explain.

Boston College will play Notre Dame close like they do every year, but Vegas is slotting the Irish as an 8 point favorite for a reason.BC is 0-2 on the road this year, and in their two conference wins (Wake Forest and FSU), the Eagles nearly blew the game by letting the opponent rally in the second half. However, this game is really more about Notre Dame than Boston College. After playing USC down to the last second (BC was blown out 48-14 by then #5 Va Tech), the Irish find themselves in a cliché “gut check” scenario. Will the players rally behind their coach and play like they did last Saturday? If so, the Blue and Gold should come away with a 2 touchdown win.

2. Not unlike Notre Dame's defense, BC's offense has been pretty erratic this season. While in their most recent win, they rolled up 480 total yards and scored 52 points; in their two losses, they've averaged 109 yards and 11 points. Which BC offense and which ND defense show up on Saturday? Why?

BGS ranked BC’s offensive line second behind USC’s, and that doesn’t bode well for Notre Dame’s defense. BC’s 1.5 sacks allowed per game (much better than ND’s 2.3) leads me to believe that ND’s weak pass rush will be unable to pressure the quarterback, and with BC’s trio of quarterbacks demonstrating the ability to protect the ball, an Eagle air attack could spell trouble for the Irish. Once again, though, it is worth noting that BC’s two abysmal performances have come on the road, so a big crowd in South Bend could throw them off of their game on Saturday.

3. Does anyone seem primed to have a Robby Parris-like breakout moment against the Eagles? If so, who is it and why?

I would like to see Armando Allen return to his pre-Purdue form. After sitting out the game against the Boilermakers with an injury, Allen has only accumulated 90 yards on 24 carries in the last two games. The lack of a ground game amidst our offensive passing inconsistency caused a 4-1 squad to limp to a 6-6 record last season, so as we begin the road to January, regaining a player like Allen will help us survive some of the unexpectedly tough games that will inevitably come up.

4. It's been an and up-and-down year for Boston sports. After a strong start, the Red Sox folded in the second half of the year. The Patriots, meanwhile, seem to be on the upswing after a 59-0 dismantling of Tennessee. For their part, Boston College has seemed as though their season could go either way. Ultimately, will the Eagles be the Sox or the Pats?

Currently sitting on top of the weak ACC Atlantic division, the Eagles will be in position to play for the ACC crown and a BCS berth. The remaining schedule include a tough MAC opponent in Central Michigan, and winnable games @ 3-3 Virginia, 4-2 UNC, and @ 2-5 Maryland. However, even if BC makes it to the ACC Championship game, they will likely be bested by a superior Coastal team like Ga Tech, Miami, or the same Va Tech team that spanked them 48-14 earlier in the season, so my vote is for Red Sox.

5. While most Irish fans refer to BC as "Fredo", tell me to which other cinematic character you would compare the Eagles.

Since 2004, Boston College has won 4 bowl games, had at least 9 wins every year, and hasn’t lost to Notre Dame. While they have failed to win the ACC during any of these years, I don’t think it is that much of a stretch to say that they have actually out performed Notre Dame, especially when factoring in their current 6 win streak over the Irish. So, while some ND fans view BC as an incompetent little child, I will give the Eagles some credit by comparing them with Tommy Boy. Viewed by many to be incapable, Tommy was able to overcome the odds and succeed despite his shortcomings. Hopefully this weekend will see BC demoted back to its current nickname of Fredo, but for now, lets think of them more like a fat guy in a little coat.

IBG: So You're Saying There's a Chance?

Greetings all. Fall Break is right around the corner, and ND community has had a week to emotionally prepare for the game that will decide our season. A few (students? faculty? employees?) have been decorating the campus with images of encouragement heading into Saturday's showdown. Every public computer in the labs is sporting a new background sponsored by ND Gameday reading "Go Irish Beat Trojans," chalk on the sidewalks has been present until the recent wet weather, and on the way into the dining hall today, I walked over about 50 sheets of paper taped in front of the doors reading "Stomp USC." There is definitely a buzz around campus, but yet not one of the Observer news reporters picked an Irish win. So which one is it? Time for another round of the Irish Blogger Gathering to find out. Thanks to the OC Domer for hosting this week.1. The weather forecast for Saturday's game (as of this writing) has the high temperature in the mid 40's with some chance of rain (or snow?). What weather would give Notre Dame the best chance to beat USC? Why?

Over the past few USC games, the traditional answer would probably be a cats-and-dogs downpour mixed with sleet and flurries. However, I feel that our passing game is better than USC's passing game, and that our running game is not as good. That being said, I'm probably just rooting for the ground to be cold and slopping to slow down Joe McKnight, and the air will stay clear so we won't lose much on our passing attack.

2. Irresistable Force or Immovable Object? Notre Dame's offense is ranked #10 in yards (470 per game) and #27 in points (32.6 per game). USC's defense is ranked #6 in yards allowed (238.6 per game) and #4 in scoring allowed (just 8.6 points per game). In 2008 Notre Dame had just 91 total yards against USC. Will the Notre Dame offense be able to move the ball on Saturday? If so, how?

At this point in the season, the team stats are usually pretty skewed, for example, ND and USC both had stunning performances against Nevada and San Jose State, respectively, but they are perhaps weighted a little more heavily than they should be. That being said, the best defense ND has faced all year has been Michigan State, who is nowhere near the caliber of USC, and the sobering fact that 70% of our current roster has never scored a touchdown against the Trojans unfortunately points me towards the immovable object.

3. USC's offense is #22 in yards (430.6 per game) and #53 in scoring (28.8 points per game). Notre Dame's defense is #100 in total defense (403.2 yards per game) and #59 in scoring defense (allowing 23.8 points per game). Will the Notre Dame defense be able to slow down the USC offense? If so, how?

Short of a few incredible goal line stands, the defense has not shown much to make me think we will be able to slow the Trojan ground game. However, I would be content with letting USC pick up 4 yards and a pile of dust because if we prevent a big play, that will keep us in the game and give the offense a chance. The problem is in the passing game. Barkley is a true freshman and should make some mistakes if we are able to apply pressure, but our pass rush has been non existent, leading me to believe that USC will be able to attack by land and air.

4. In 2008, with Michael Floyd unable to play due to injury, Golden Tate had 2 catches against USC for a team-high 15 receiving yards. How do you expect Golden Tate to play against USC this year?

Tate is better, Jimmy is better, and (most importantly) the O-Line is better than last year. Combined with the emergence of Kyle Rudolph and Weis' creative ways of moving Tate around (he lined up as a fullback once last game), Golden should have the opportunity to make more plays than he did last year.

5. Jimmy Clausen has started to get some Heisman buzz. In your opinion, which Notre Dame player is the most deserving of Heisman attention, Jimmy or Golden Tate? Why?When Larry Fitzgerald was denied the Heisman a few years ago, I came to terms with the fact that the award no longer goes to the best college football player, but to the best QB or RB (who usually plays for the best team). I still think other position players can win, but it would take an abnormaly spectacular season for another position to win. So for now, JC should be getting more talk.

6. Overrated or Underrated. Notre Dame cracked into the AP Poll at #25 this week. Are they overrated or underrated at #25? Where would you put them in your poll?

Watching Boise State play last night causes me to scream underrated. I'm not saying that ND would beat the Broncos, but when a top 5 team goes on the road and barley beats an unranked team from Conference USA, it makes me cringe. So much of the AP vote is linked to media bias (such as preseason rankings, which are pretty much BS) and the strength of out of conference scheduling is not factored enough into the equation. Take Utah for example, who shocked everyone by beating Alabama at the end of last season. The AP placed the Utes one slot ahead of ND for beating Utah State, San Jose State, Louisville, and Colorado State - all by less than 2 possessions. I think it is much easier to play 10 easy games a year and get all the players hyped up for one or two really big games than to consistently face legitimate opponents week in and week out like the Irish do. If these flaws in the current system were better accounted for, I think ND would only be 1-2 slots higher, but the top 25 as a whole would look a lot different (sorry for rant).

7. USC Song Girls: Ambassadors of Collegiate Goodwill or Anachronism from a bygone era of oppressive sexist stereotypes?
8. Green Jerseys? There's a lot of "green" talk coming from campus this week, and it raises the question of whether the team will be wearing green on Saturday. Do you want to see the green jerseys or not? Why?

Personally, I feel like the program hasn't earned the jerseys since the 2005 USC game. If they wear them Saturday and we win, the jeresey-wearing will be (duh) justified, but ever since I've been at school, the green adidas moneymakers have somehow worked their way into games where we get blown out or play a clearly inferior opponent. I want the team to just go out and play hard for four quarters. Don't tell me how the team is really sure they are going to win, and don't give me the green jeresy bs. Just go out there and play like you mean it.
9. Name the next number in this sequence: -3, -20, -38, -35, _______. Explain.

-7. Unfortunately, the holes in our defense cannot allow me to pick an Irish win. If Barkley can't be forced into making 2-3 game changing freshman mistakes, or if our defense can't find away to play with the resilliancy of a goal line stand for the entire game, I think that the Trojans will extend their winning streak to a depressing 8 games over the Irish.

IBG: Wash on, Wash off

Hey all. Subway Domer came up with some good impromtu questions this week, but before we get into another Irish Blogger Gathering, I'd like to throw some shameless props to this blog as Charlie's Nasties has reached 200 posts.

Sorry for that... now into the IBG:

1. Describe your worst nightmare coming true on Saturday. Can that nightmare become a reality?

Losing to Washington would be bad for a couple of reasons. First, it would obviously drop us to 3-2 on the season, but more importantly, it would be another example of Notre Dame struggling against (or losing to) a team that they should (on paper) beat by at least two touchdowns. Michigan State lost to Central Michigan, and Purdue lost to Northern Illinois, but for some reason, they took our team right down to the wire. Losing to a Huskie squad that lost at Stanford last week would not be a good thing.
While getting a win is always the most important objective, coming out of this weekend injury free would be huge. Clausen has already said that he won't be 100% until after the season, and without Armando Allen, our run game lacks big play potential.
So can it become a reality? Of course: Clausen and Allen are already banged up, and Washington beat friggin' USC! Let's just hope the Irish come out ready to dominate and can shut the Huskies down early.2. Can we all agree that Jake Locker will be the best quarterback that we have/will face all season?

A few IBG's ago, I picked Locker as the number one quarterback we will face, and I'm going to stick with that statement. BGS ranked Locker and Kaepernick as the top 2 QBs followed by USC's QB rotation. After watching two Nevada games this year (@ Missouri in some crazy Thursday night football a week ago), I would bump Kaepernick down a few spots (he has more interceptions, 4, than TDs, 2). Also, Michigan was ranked 11th out of twelve opponents in terms of quarterback strength, but after Forcier has led UM to a 4-0 start, I have to put him into at least the top 5. However, Locker's athleticism, arm strength, and (Tebow-esqu?) leadership skills cement him as the #1 in my book.

3. Replace two starters on both sides of the football for the Washington game. Who are they, who are they replacing, and why?

Offense: Trevor Robinson replaces 4 year starter Sam Young. #74 has been a staple of the ND line since 2006, but he has been a little disappointing as a senior with too many personal fouls and false starts for someone who is supposed to be a leader on the line. A game sitting out might help him get his head on straight (and I think T-Rob would do fine in the replacement role).
Defense: I would expect the IBG answers to be fairly unanimous in lobbying to move Brian Smith to the middle and start Te'o at the Will. Toryan Smith is on the short end of the stick here, but he is slow against the pass and is not seen in the pass rush. Smith's tackling against the run still worries me, but Te'o is one of the best tacklers on our defense (wait a sec, you're supposed to keep your feet under you when you tackle someone?), so the trade off there shouldn't be too bad.

4. Ty Willingham enters the stadium in the second quarter. What happens?

In the many interviews Swarbrick has had to face regarding Weis' job security, he continually references an evaluation process he conducts at the end of the season. Coaches are judged on wins (duh), but also a series of other criteria such as academic performance, trend of the program, and recruiting. Journalists are quick to point out the win loss similarities between Willingham and Weis, but I don't think it would be much of a stretch to claim that Willingham probably didn't do that great on portions of the review that Weis excelled in.
After watching Ty drive Washinton to a 0 win season, I think the nation has finally acknowledged that perhaps Notre Dame made the right move with letting him go, and if he shows up at the second quarter, I don't think much would happen outside of some obligatory face time on NBC.

5. Are you impressed with the improvement in the run game in 2009, or is it a figment of our imagination?

I'm impressed... as long as the run game is featuring Armando Allen. With over 100 yards per game, Allen is actually making me believe that we can ram the ball down (some) team's throats this year. While Hughes and Co. put together a good effort against Purdue, I still think that Purdue's because the Boilermaker's defense is so suspect that you have to file the performance under a similar bucket as Stanford and Duke in 2007 rather than a prequel to the highly anticipated (insert "lighting & thunder" cliche) tandem with Allen.

6. Who's hotter, Wendi Nix or Erin Andrews? Why. It your hottie a defensive or offensive player?

Gotta go with EA here. Maybe its just from the new NCAA game (the "...with Erin Andrews! Yes, Erin Andrews!" tagline is definitely creepy). I'm also not sure what to make of the offensive / defensive portion of the question, so I'll just have to go with special teams.

7. Predictions please...

Vegas has ND as 13 point favorites this game. The question is, do the Irish continue to play cardiac style, or does the team assert itself and let the fans have a good time while they coast onward to victory? In the words of Lee Corso (not to endorse anything he says or does...) "Not so fast! Notre Dame pulls out the win, but CLOSER than the experts think!"
Notre Dame: 31 Washington: 21

IBG: Better Late Than Never

I usually try to get my Irish Blogger Gathering posts up by Thursday, but a few things came up (one of which may or may not have been an impromptu screening of Hellboy II) so I missed my deadline. However, a night game at Purdue gave me the extra time I needed to answer Frank's questions from UHND. Here you go:

1. The obvious question for the week, how does Notre Dame deal with the loss of Michael Floyd? What wide receiver steps up? How, if at all, does the offense change?

When Floyd went down, every Irish fan started having nightmares of last year when a respectable Irish offense went comatose without their young star wideout. Putting my emotions (mostly stemming from the loss to Syracuse) aside and looking at some numbers however, ND’s offensive efficiency (measured in a percentage of yards gained) dropped from 71.5% to 53% after Floyd left the game. Considering that 60% seems to be the benchmark for a good offense, and adding that Clausen and Armando were banged up, it looks like Notre Dame’s dip in offensive production will fortunately not be as severe as last season. Look for the veteran combo of Kamara and Parris to team up with Rudolph in replacing some of the production.

2. After seeing three games from Notre Dame in 2009 have your expectations increased, decreased, or remained the same?

Unfortunately, MSU put up a 60% offensive efficiency against ND, which is the highest opponent total in the last two years. Our inability to put pressure on the quarterback has decreased my expectations somewhat, and I think that my 10-2 regular season prediction will dip to at least 9-3 as a result.

3. The last two years against Purdue, a Notre Dame player has had their breakout game. In 2007 it was Golden Tate and in 2008 it was Armando Allen. Who do you think could have their breakout game against the Boilermakers this year?

Going on the road and potentially facing some bad weather, I think Notre Dame will still score points through the air, but I want to see the coaching staff mix in a little more ball control offense. With Armando coming off of a minor ankle injury, I think one of the backup runningbacks could take advantage of some extra carries. My breakout player is Theo Riddick.

4. How would you grade the three new coaches on this year’s staff based on the first three games?

As I mentioned in this week’s Duds and Studs post, I am pretty pleased with Alford and Verducci. The offensive line may have returned four of last year’s starters, but there has been a lot of position switching, and Verducci’s ability to manage this position flux while greatly improving the run and pass blocking gets him an A. Allen is running better than ever and protecting the ball, but Jonas Gray still has some work to do before I would feel comfortable putting him on the field, so Alford gets an A-. Hart is tricky because we haven’t been putting up great defensive numbers, but he doesn’t have the best talent pool to work with (lets be honest, John Ryan and Mo Richardson are no Pat Kuntz and Trevor Laws). All that being said though, I think our D Line does display better tackling fundamentals than our linebackers (which is scary), and I think the enthusiasm Hart brings to the table will lead to more improvement in the near future. He gets a B.

5. Your thoughts on Golden Tate’s stage dive into the Michigan State band? Was he trying to avoid running into the band? Was the whole thing intentional? Little of column A, little of column B?

From the experiences I’ve had with Golden, I’d have to go with 95% column B. And it was awesome.

6. How has your opinion of the Notre Dame schedule changed from how you felt about it in the pre-season?

I’ve spent this week ranting with my roommates about how the rankings system in college football is pretty flawed. Every year, perennial teams returning big names get over ranked. Think of Georgia last year sitting at preseason #1 because they were returning Stafford and Moreno, but even Georgia fans recognized that their returning talent on the offensive line would give them issues as the season progressed. I’m saying this because for all of the talk about Notre Dame having such as easy schedule, the Irish now have 3 ranked opponents on the schedule, and teams like Pitt are looking to crack the top 25 sooner rather than later. Especially with Washington pulling off a win over USC, I think you have to recognize that the schedule is a little tougher.

7. Should Jimmy Clausen be getting more hype for the Heisman?

JC has been playing great, but he needs to keep up his stratospheric numbers for the next few weeks. If Clausen comes out of USC averaging 3 TDs a game and maintaining his passer rating, the hype will definitely start coming.

I'm taking Notre Dame -7 @ Purdue tonight. Go Irish!

IBG: They were who we thought they were

Sarah over at Bad Trade had the questions this week:

1. Still trying to get the taste of last weekend's game out of my mouth, so let's start with something fun. With Sparty on its way into South Bend, give me your favorite memory of the ND-MSU series. I don't care what it is: John L. Smith losing it, the image of MSU guarding against nothing, an actual game memory, whatever.

This was probably going to be the first year that I didn’t link to this wonderful Michigan State postgame show, but with a question like this, I can’t help myself. Here you go.
2. Since 1997, Michigan State has won 9 of 12 games against the Irish. I view this as a classic case of Sparty having ND's number. What worries you most about Michigan State this weekend?

MSU’s O-Line returns three quality starters on the left side of the line including Freshman All-American guard Joel Foreman, and while the Spartans must replace their best linemen from a year ago, RG Jared McGaha (RS Sophomore) and RT J’Michael Deane (RS Junior) are the same age or even older than our young defensive front. Freshman runningback Caulton Ray is no Jevon Ringer (as evidenced by putting up only 122 yds and 1 TD against Montana State and Central Michigan), but Spartans have a way of stepping it up against the Irish, and our run defense will be a point of concern until proven otherwise.

3. Between my lingering bad feelings from last weekend and the history of this series in the last decade plus, give me a good reason or two or three to feel optimistic about a change in fortune for the Irish, because right now, I could use some optimism.

1. I'm throwing out the history for this question because this Irish squad has a knack for record breaking (bowl streak, most points scored @ Mich, etc) - the home team will finally win.
2. Our offense is sick nasty - the defense is still suspect, but we will put up 30+ week in and week out.
3. MSU's QBs shouldn't give us the problems that UM's did last week. Both put up good numbers over the past two games (7TDs no INTs), but they lack the footspeed to break big plays against our defense, who should be reinvigorated playing at home.

4. As it is my week, I get to address my current ND obsession. Have the last two games changed your opinion/reinforced your opinion re: Charlie in the box versus Charlie on the field?
Weis is an offensive coach, and from what I've seen this year, there isn't much to complain about on offense, so I think the climb in production is correlated more with the maturity of his players, not from where he calls the plays. Similarly, the lack of production on the defensive side seems to be a reflection of the youth and lack of talent, not schemes. Weis can call plays wherever he wants in my opinion.

5. If nothing else, I can count on one thing to look forward to on Saturday - tailgating. Anyone have a good recipe for me to try? I make no limitations on what it can be - a drink recipe, dessert, appetizer. So long as it can be made on a grill, camp stove, or ahead of time, I am happy to listen. The better the suggestion, the more likely you are to get invited to my own tailgate.

Walking Tacos: Pour chili into a bag of Fritos. Add sour cream and cheddar cheese as needed. Eat with spoon – a Dayton tailgate staple, this will give you that taco taste without the mess.

And if that is a little too tame for your tailgate try some:

Grimace: UV Grape Vodka and Mountain Dew – they call it a grimace cause that’s what it’ll make you do. Be careful though, you don’t want to end up like this guy I saw at the Nevada game.6. Finally, any predictions for the game? I encourage your predictions to involve something other than a final score, but otherwise, I make no suggestions.

The offense is going to keep doing what its doing. Tate is due for a big game, and Shaq will start seeing some more quality PT as Floyd is afforded the opportunity to take a few less snaps. Our defense will feed off of the home crowd and make a few big stops to quiet the MSU offense. Notre Dame takes this one 35-17.

IBG: giver er, then you git UM

Her Loyal Sons (who are definitely loyal in their hatred of Michigan) had the IBG questions for this week - thanks, domer.mq!
1) Being that you're a ND blogger, and thus follow a Catholic university's football team religiously and/or are Catholic yourself, you're probably very familiar with the notion that bad things happen to good people. For a concrete example of that, look to every Irish player, coach, and fan who had to suffer through the last 2 seasons. But never forget that bad things can happen to really rotten people too. For a really fun example of that, look to Rich Rod going 3-9 in his big debut season in Ann Arbor. Now let's mess with your heads a bit: Give me one very good reason why great things might happen to very bad people by explaining to me A) How and why Michigan (sucks!) might beat ND this weekend and B) How Michigan (sucks!) will compete for a BCS berth in 2009.

Although Notre Dame shut out Nevada, the Irish allowed 6.3 YPC to the feature back, and while considered a team strength heading into the season, the secondary did not play up to expectations against the Wolfpack receivers. Add into the mix that our tackling was inconsistent at best to fundamentally bad at worst, and it is easy to develop a scenario where a grind it out / dink and dunk UM offense could spring a big play or two and upset the 18^th ranked Irish on Saturday.

Outside of the matchup against ND, Michigan returns its three leaders on defense in rush end Brandon Graham (UM defensive MVP in 2008), Obi Ezeh at LB, and Donovan Warren at CB. Leadership in these three positions can maximize production out of newcomers. Michigan’s O-Line went through trial by fire in 2008, and now four starters return, and the youngest player on the line is a RS Sophomore. The freshman quarterback combination of Forcier and Robinson can both run (3.3 ypc not including Robinson's 60 yard outlier), and perhaps DickRod can figure out how to use the two together a la Tebow and Leak in 2006/2007. Lastly, all UM needs to do to reach the BCS is win the Big Ten, and with OSU struggling against Navy, perhaps this is their year.

2) After week 1, just as in 2008, the leading tacklers for the Notre Dame fighting Irish are both safeties: Kyle McCarthy with 7 and Harrison Smith with 5. DE Kerry Neal isn't even on the stat sheet, Brian Smith, while making 2 very big plays, didn't make a single other tackle, and Ethan Johnson had 1 tackle all game. Convince me that Michigan (sucks!) wont just run a "9 yards and a cloud of dust" offense against ND all freaking game.

UM’s O-Line in 2008 was similar to ND’s line in 2007, so theoretically, we could expect out of Michigan this year what our line produced last year. Also consider that their running quarterbacks each only averaged 3.3 YPC against Western Michigan’s vaunted defense and that Brandon Minor is banged up, and suddenly the scary spread offense doesn’t seem that bad. This game will come down to ND’s defense containing Michigan’s offense; without the benefit of the big play, I feel that we will keep the skunkbears from scoring more than we will.

ND must contain Robinson on Saturday
3) We've now got the concrete data of 1 game to bat around. Aside from any answers involving T'eo, tell me what position changes/depth chart engineering you hope to see the staff at least tinker with during the Michigan (sucks!) game.

I was curious about BGS’s tracking of the offensive line rotation and the use of our tight ends not named Kyle Rudolph. Rotating three linemen into the game should keep legs fresh and injuries to a minimum while using multiple TE sets will allow Weis to get back to his favorite formations from 2005/2006, granting ND full access to the sweet spots of the playbook. More than anything, I hope the coaching staff keeps this up.

How could I not include this picture?

4) The state of Michigan has decided that they've ripped off the Rudy soundtrack long enough and need a new advertising scheme to attract people to their state and support tourism. "Pure Michigan (sucks!)" is so two-thousand-and-late. Give me the new hotness. Give me your best new tourism slogans for Michigan (sucks!).

Michigan… Better than Detroit

5) Navy took tOSU down to the wire, Washington actually looked like a team that's coached to play football games, WSU put up some fight. After Week 1, do you now feel like the Irish '09 schedule is tougher or easier than you felt heading into last week? Why?

I really feel that the schedule is about the same. The majority of our opponents beat up on 1-AA patsy teams just like every other season, and teams like LSU and OSU, who are used to beating up on 1-AA teams to open the season, showed signs of struggle against more formidable opponents. I told my OSU friends all summer that they would understand that playing the Academies every year is harder than everyone thinks; Navy’s discipline (except for one unfortunate 2 point conversion) and hard work gave the Buckeyes more than they expected, and as a result, OSU was playing on its heels. The benefit that the Irish get when facing all three of these opponents is that Navy, Wash, and WSU do not have the entire offseason to prepare for Notre Dame, and as long as the Irish don’t get caught looking ahead, we should be able to pull Ws in all three games.