Beat SC

Three weeks ago, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish lost to Oklahoma and suddenly had a season record of 3-2. The defense was playing way below the level set by last year’s team. The offense showed flashes of brilliance but often sputtered into three-and-outs. If the Irish had any hopes of a BCS Bowl then they had to defeat Arizona State in the 2013 Shamrock Series game in Dallas. From the get go, the Irish proved that they were not going to go down easily. The Arizona State Sundevils have one of the best offenses in the country and the Irish held them to only 13 points in the first three quarters. The Irish dominated most of the game but had to recover an onside kick to seal the game and earn a 38-34 victory.

The Irish had a bye last weekend and got a chance to watch this week’s opponent and their new coach get a win over Arizona. That opponent is the University of Southern California. The USC Trojans are 4-2, same as the Irish. There are no doubts, by either side, on how huge of a rivalry this is. Notre Dame vs. USC is the most prominent intersectional rivalry in all of college football. On a personal level, I hate USC. I have everything about them. I hate the fight song. I hate the players. I hate their fans. This is the game I look forward to the most every season.

It seems like the Irish are finally coming together and playing at a high level. The defensive line is getting pressure on the quarterback and making stops on running plays. The cornerbacks and linebackers still have room for improvement but they are getting there, slowly but surely. On offense, it comes down to Rees. His passing game has to be considered a legitimate threat to open up the rushing attack.

Keys to the game

Accuracy by Rees- USC’s weakness on defense is their secondary. Plus, they are going to do what every Irish opponent has done this season: force Tommy Rees to pass. So far, this technique has worked. If the Irish cannot have success on the ground then Rees has to his targets. Way too often Rees overthrows his receivers downfield. He has to get the timing down and get the ball into the receivers’ hands.

Energy- Last week was the first time it looked like the Irish were having a fun time on the field. This game is going to be played under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium. It may be nerve-wracking at first but the players have to turn the energy and electricity into something positive. They need to feed off the crowd. Plus, USC has not played in an environment like they will tonight. The Irish need to use the crowd to rattle the Trojans.

Turnover Battle- Notre Dame forced three turnovers while only giving up one against Arizona State. That trend has to continue if the Irish want to win.

My prediction: Notre Dame- 27. USC- 18

Predictions

I did not post my picks here last week but I did post them on Twitter. I went 7-3 last week and now stand at 46-24 on the season.

Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan State Spartans

#15 Georgia Bulldogs at Vanderbilt Commodores

#11 South Carolina Gamecocks at Tennessee Volunteers

#22 Florida Gators at #14 Missouri Tigers

Ball State Cardinals at Western Michigan Broncos

#24 Auburn Tigers at #7 Texas A&M

Indiana Hoosiers at Michigan Wolverines

#8 UCLA Bruins at #13 Stanford Cardinal

USC Trojans at Notre Dame Fighting Irish

#5 Florida State Seminoles at #3 Clemson Tigers

-probably first time I picked all home teams

Shamrock Series

Oklahoma Review

The unranked Fighting Irish were defeated at home for the first time since 2011 after the Oklahoma Sooners won 35-21 last week. The Sooners capitalized on four Irish turnovers and never trailed in the game. I cannot remember the exact game but a few weeks ago I noted on Twitter that the Irish started a game brutally. Well, the beginning to game last week was even more horrible. On the first drive of the game, Tommy Rees threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. That is a huge momentum killer. The game just started. The players, fans and band are hyped up. Then a play like that occurs and it takes the gusto out of everybody. On the very next Irish possession, Rees throws another interception. Oklahoma pounced on their great field position and scored a touchdown. Just like that it’s 14-0 before anybody could even get settled in.

The Irish were able to close the gap two times and had the ability to tie the game. The first occurrence was in the second half right before halftime. The score was 14-7 and the Irish were in the red zone. A tie game right before halftime would even a game out that was completely mismatched at the beginning. Alas, that was too optimistic. Rees threw his third interception of the game and the Sooners were able to score a touchdown for themselves before halftime. In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame was within a touchdown again, trailing 27-21.  Momentum was building but the defense needed a stop. Well, that’s not going to happen with this team. Oklahoma scored a touchdown on a 54-yard pass. Game over. It also didn’t happen matters the LAST THREE Irish offensive possessions in the game were three-and-outs.

What is so agonizingly painful about this team is they have the talent to beat anybody but they lack in execution and fundamentals, especially the defense. I see it every game! The opposing offense makes a big play and our defensive backs put their hands up and look around trying to figure out what happened. Five games into the season, how can you not know your assignment? This is an experienced defensive backfield that supposedly did its growing up last season. That is not the case. However, the coaches need to shoulder the blame too. I saw at least five wide receiver screens run by Oklahoma’s offense. Why did we consistently play our cornerbacks so far off their receivers?

This is my final point before moving on. 22 teams in the AP Top 25 have had at least one bye week so far this season. The other three (Ohio State, Texas A&M, LSU) have played a FCS team. Notre Dame has not had a bye week or played a FCS team. What the Irish desperately need is a bye week. They need to refocus on the goals and take a week to regain composure. Brian Kelly and athletic director, Jack Swarbick, cannot let another season like this occur. Six tough games to start the season without a break is not acceptable when you expect to play for a national championship.

Keys to beating Arizona State

Run the ball- All I hear is how the Irish struggle to run the ball. I don’t agree for two reasons. First off, opposing defenses know Tommy Rees suck so they bring six, seven, and eight games in the box to stop the run. They want the Irish to pass. Second, the Irish don’t run the ball enough. I see it way too often. 2^nd & short and the Irish line up with five receivers and no running back. That is so asinine. Run the damn ball and get the first down.

More Andrew Hendrix- Hendrix made his 2013 debut last week as a “change of pace” quarterback. It’s time for him to get way more playing time. Everybody knows how to stop Rees. Everybody. Even the blind can stop Rees. The offense has become stagnant and predictable. Something has to change and that something can be the amount of playing time Hendrix gets.

Defense- This is a blanket statement. Everybody in every facet of the game needs to improve. The defensive line gets a partial pass but that’s it. Arizona State is the best offense Notre Dame has faced so far. The only way the Irish win this game is if they force punts and TURNOVERS. For the love of God, please get a turnover!

Predicted score: Arizona State- 34. Notre Dame-24.

Predictions

Last week I went 5-5 which brings my season record to 34-16. I underestimated the underrated Northern Illinois Huskies as well as their MAC brethren, the Ball State Cardinals.  The LSU Tigers fell to the Georgia Bulldogs in another SEC thriller. This week the schedule is just as juicy as last week.

#25 Maryland Terrapins at #8 Florida State Seminoles

Michigan State Spartans at Iowa Hawkeyes

Penn State Nittany Lions at Indiana Hoosiers

Ball State Cardinals at Virginia Cavaliers

Illinois Fighting Illini at Nebraska Cornhuskers

#24 Ole Miss Rebels at Auburn Tigers

#22 Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Arkansas Razorbacks at #18 Florida Gators

#4 Ohio State Buckeyes at #16 Northwestern Wildcats

#15 Washington Huskies at #5 Stanford

Notre Dame-Oklahoma

Michigan State Recap

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-1) certainly are not playing for style points so far this season. The Irish earned a hard-fought win over the Michigan State Spartans last Saturday in South Bend with a score of 17-13. Even though it was a close game throughout I thought this was a much improved performance by Notre Dame from the beginning of the season. The defense allowed only 254 yards and intercepted a pass (although Michigan State’s offense is very mediocre but 13 points is their lowest total this season).

The offense was very inconsistent. There were drives spectacular and then others that fizzled out and resulted in long punts. The Irish had 12 offensive possessions in the game and only three of those resulted in points being scored. Six of the possessions ended in punts and four of those were three-and-outs. I am not blaming all of this on the players because everybody is performing well. The one player I do put some blame on is quarterback Tommy Rees. There were at least five (I’m being very conservative with the estimate) instances when he threw a pass 20+ yards downfield to a receiver but he overthrew it. This is occurred on second-and-short and third-and-short.

Head coach, Brian Kelly, said the Spartans were bringing extra players close to the line of scrimmage to stop the run so the only option is to pass. Wrong. Run it! Or at least try. It is so aggravating to see our offense face a third-and-short situation and Rees launches a deep ball. While I’m calling out the coaches, I am also sick of seeing the Irish offense in formations with no running backs. The coaches want to see Tommy Rees have a chance to find an open receiver yet they don’t attempt to force the defense to think about stopping the run.

Oklahoma Preview

This has been circled on many calendars since the beginning of the season. This is when we find out what the Irish are made of. Is this Irish team capable of making a BCS Bowl or will they flutter to a 7-9 win season? Oklahoma is the most complete team Notre Dame has faced this year as they boast an offense and defense that rank in the top 25. The problem I have with Oklahoma is the same I had with Michigan State. They racked up their stats against very weak competition. The Sooners’ three opponents have a combined record of 5-7 and have one win against a BCS “power” conference. The three games were also home games for Oklahoma.

Keys to the game

Stop Blake Bell: I have to admit, I have not watched a single Oklahoma game since they took on the Irish last year. In that game I was not impressed by quarterback Blake Bell at all. He didn’t seem that fast and he didn’t have that great of an arm. Watch out though! The hype train is this guy is roaring across America. I want to see the Fighting Irish stop that train in South Bend. The defensive line needs to contain Bell like they did with Michigan State’s quarterback. Force Bell to find the open receiver and make a quality throw.

No 3-and-outs: These are killing the Irish. It stops all momentum and doesn’t give the defense any time to recover. Rees and the offense have to improve on moving the chains. The playcalling by offensive coordinator Chuck Martin can also improve. Run the damn ball. Line up every big man on the team and pound it for a first down.

Get in Their Heads: As I just mentioned this is the Sooners’ first road game of the season. The Fighting Irish football team and student body is calling for a green out and is giving away 40,000 pom-poms. This is when Notre Dame Stadium needs to get rowdy and loud. Make it hard for Oklahoma’s offense to communicate. Rally the Irish offense and make the Sooners’ defense intimidated.

Predicted score: Notre Dame-21. Oklahoma- 20.

My Predictions

This is the best week of college football so far. If you have family in town then pretend you’re sick. If you’re already sick then count your blessings. There are four matchups of Top 25 teams and one of those involves two Top 10 teams. I picked 8 of the 10 games correctly last week by the way!

#12 South Carolina Gamecocks at UCF Knights

Northern Illinois Huskies at Purdue Boilermakers

Toledo Rockets at Ball State Cardinals

#14 Oklahoma Sooners at #22 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

#6 LSU Tigers at #9 Georgia Bulldogs

Iowa Hawkeyes at Minnesota Golden Gophers

#21 Ole Miss Rebels at #1 Alabama

#10 Texas A&M at Arkansas Razorbacks

#23 Wisconsin Badgers at #4 Ohio State Buckeyes

USC Trojans at Arizona State Sundevils

Beat Sparty

Purdue Recap

It took 11 quarters for #22 Notre Dame (2-1) to finally impressive and they picked a great time to do it. The Irish took on Purdue (2-1) last week in West Lafayette. Everybody expected the Irish to waltz into Ross-Ade and get an easy victory. That could not be further from what actually happened. The Boilermakers looked like a Top 25 team on Saturday night. Purdue led 10-3 at halftime but it felt like a much larger lead. Purdue had a 17-10 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. This is when the nervousness and reality of the situation set in. The Irish were looking dead on at a 1-2 start before a very tough stretch of games.

            Suddenly though, the Irish came alive. Tommy Rees started hitting his targets and the running game improved. The Irish scored a touchdown to tie it at 17. The Irish defense held Purdue to a first down then a punt. This is when the game turned. Rees threw a sideline pass to Davaris Daniels who broke a tackle and danced down the sideline for a 82-yard touchdown. On the ensuing Purdue possession, cornerback Bennett Jackson intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown. In six plays, the Irish scored 14 points.

            The Boilermakers kept it interesting. They didn’t back down from the sudden deficit. Purdue marched down the field in three minutes and scored a touchdown to narrow the lead to 31-24. With eight minutes left in the game, the Irish needed to melt as much time as possible. Seems easy enough. On the first play of the drive Amir Carlisle fumbled the ball and Purdue got possession. This is when Irish hearts everywhere sank. Notre Dame’s defense hasn’t been able to stop anybody and now the game was on the line. To my surprise, they answered the challenge. The Irish forced a three-and-out and a punt. The Irish offense took possession and powered their way down the field and ran the game clock to 00:00.

            Even though this game should not have been this close it gave me hope that this team could be turning a corner. A win on the road is always difficult and this was one in the stadium of one of your biggest rivals. Add that to the fact that the Irish really had to fight to win and this was a tremendous victory. The road does not get any easier for Notre Dame but at least they will be back at home. This week they host the Michigan State Spartans (3-0). The Spartans have the #1 defense in the nation statistically. They are a talented unit but it should pointed out (or maybe shouted) that Michigan State’s first three games were at home and against terrible teams. Their game against the Irish is their first real test of the season.

Keys to the Game

Stuff the Run- Michigan State recently solved their quarterback controversy and named sophomore, Conner Cook, the starter. Even though he won the starting spot he is still not that great of a passer. The Irish need to stop the Spartans from running the ball and force Cook to pass. Make the untested QB beat you with his arm because he won’t.

Pressure the QB- This goes with the last key. The Irish need to get Michigan State’s offense into 2^nd and 3^rd downs with 7+ yards to go. These are obvious passing downs and instances when the Irish can blitz multiple defenders.

Rushing Attack- Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune had a great stat that I cannot remember. Basically, whichever team has the most rushing yards tends to win the ball game. Notre Dame has five talented running backs so hopefully at least one can break through with some big runs.

-While I’m talking about running backs, it is time for Brian Kelly to drop George Atkinson on the depth chart. Amir Carlisle looks great and Cam McDaniel earned some serious playing time last week.

My prediction: Notre Dame- 17. Michigan State-9.

Predictions

After three weeks I have a picking record of 21-9. I wrote last week that Alabama would crush Texas A&M. Alabama won but it definitely wasn’t a crushing victory. This week there is just one matchup of Top 25 teams. That’s #Stanford versus #23 Arizona State. This is game that Irish coaching staff will definitely be watching because they will have to game plan for both teams this season.

North Carolina Tarheels at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Ball State Cardinals at Eastern Michigan Eagles

Michigan State Spartans at #22 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Tennessee Volunteers at #19 Florida Gators

Arkansas Razorbacks at Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Purdue Boilermakers at #24 Wisconsin Badgers

#23 Arizona State Sun Devils at #5 Stanford Cardinal

Missouri Tigers at Indiana Hoosiers

Kansas State Wildcats at Texas Longhorns

Utah Utes at BYU Cougars

Looking Ahead After Tough Loss

Michigan Recap

There cannot be an Irish fan on the face of the Earth that is not tired of seeing a Michigan quarterback thrashing our defense with his legs and arm. Three years ago Tate Forcier did it. Two years ago, Denard Robinson did it. This year, it was Devin Gardner. Gardner led his Michigan Wolverines to a 41-30 victory over the Fighting Irish. He threw for 294 yards and 4 touchdowns and ran for 82 yards and 1 touchdown. The defensive focus was to stuff the run and force Gardner to throw; however there was little Notre Dame did that inhibited Gardner from doing whatever he wanted. The defensive line was able to get pressure on him but the secondary left receivers open downfield (It should be noted that it is extremely difficult to be a defensive back against a scrambling QB).  The Irish partially succeeded in their game plan because they restricted Michigan running backs to fewer than 100 yards and no touchdowns.

What about Notre Dame quarterback, Tommy Rees, and his offense? Well, it’s a two-part answer. The common idea is he did horrible and the game proves that he cannot compete on an elite level. Then, there is the less popular train of thought that he played the best game he could while his defense let him down. Rees completed 29/51 passes for 314 yards. He threw two touchdowns but also threw two interceptions. I thought Rees played moderately well. He did have two interceptions and nearly a third that came by bad decisions he made. What impressed me was he kept his composure in an incredibly hostile environment. He also completed more than 50% of his passes and there were at least four passes that went through the receivers hands. Under his command, the Irish scored two touchdowns and three field goals. That’s 23 points and that would have been enough to win 10 games last year.

In my opinion, the Irish put up a valiant effort against a very talented team in a place that few teams could win at. There have been only two night games at Michigan Stadium and the Wolverines have won both. Until a team goes into Ann Arbor on a Saturday night and pulls out a victory it should be considered impossible for a visiting team to win. The Irish struggled on both sides of the ball but it is important for fans to remain optimistic. A BCS Bowl is still a realistic goal. A 10-win season is still possible. The journey to accomplish those goals starts and ends with the defense. Somebody has to step up and become the leader like Manti Te’o was last season.  

In my preview I listed three “Keys to the Game”. Here they are again and how they played out.

Improved Front Seven- I was impressed with how the defensive line and line backers played against Michigan. There was plenty of times when they crashed the line of scrimmage and kept Michigan’s running backs to gaining one or two yards. They also did a good of pressuring Devin Gardner. The problem was they were not able to contain Gardner and that allowed him to escape out of the pocket and run for 5 and 10 yard gains. But, it was an improvement from the Temple game.

Balance on Offense- This turned out to be huge. There was no balance at all. The Irish called 53 pass plays and 18 run plays. Head coach, Brian Kelly, said after the game Rees audibled for passing plays because Michigan “loaded the box” a.k.a. used extra defenders to stop the run. Basically Michigan forced Rees to beat them with his arm and for the most part it worked.

Special Teams- There was huge improvement in this area. Kyle Brindza was 3/3 on field goal attempts and 2/2 on P.A.T.’s. T.J. Jones ripped off a 18-yard punt return which was the longest I have seen in a long time.

Purdue Preview

The Boilermakers are the perfect remedy after the tough loss. Michigan’s dual-threat quarterback torched the Irish defense. I’m not sure Purdue’s quarterback, Rob Henry, can even outrun Charlie Weis. The Boilermakers have scored 27 points in 2013 and 7 of those came from a kick-off return. Purdue ranks near the bottom in nearly every offensive statistic. If there is a team that Notre Dame can dominate from the opening kickoff it is Purdue.

Keys to the Game

• Blitz Rob Henry- Purdue’s senior quarterback is similar to Irish quarterback, Tommy Rees, in the since that his arm is more of a threat than his legs. It is imperative for the Irish defense to get pressure on Henry and force him to throw or scramble. Henry has thrown zero touchdowns and two interceptions in two games this season.
• Strike Early- This is a given. When you are on the road against a lesser opponent you really do not want to give them any hope that they can win. The Irish need to jump on Purdue early and build a huge lead. The Boilermakers’ student body has been known to make a lot of noise. The Irish need to keep them quiet all night.
• Dominate- This game is a must win for Notre Dame. Purdue is horrible. HORRIBLE. They barely beat Indiana State who was playing without their best player. The Irish get to play Purdue on ABC primetime so the whole country will be watching.  There is no better stage for the Irish to show they are much than what the score in Ann Arbor exhibited.

Predicted outcome: Notre Dame-38. Purdue-6.

Predictions

Last week I finished a horrible 5-5. The one game that I nailed was BYU’s upset over Texas. This week I’ll try to do better. The most hyped game of the season takes place in Texas. Johnny Manziel and A&M host the defending national champions, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Some in the media are calling this the “Game of the Century” even though there is one of these every year. I expect the Tide to dominate this game from the get go. Nick Saban is not going to lose to Manziel two consecutive times. Also keep an eye on the Big 10/Pac 12 games (UCLA/Nebraska and Wisconsin/ASU). The teams involved have not faced any real competition and this will be a great way to measure how talented each is. 

Bowling Green Eagles at Indiana Hoosiers

#16 UCLA Bruins at #23 Nebraska Cornhuskers

#1 Alabama Crimson Tide at #6 Texas A&M Aggies

Ball State Cardinals at North Texas Mean Green

#19 Washington Huskies at Illinois Fighting Illini

#4 Ohio State Buckeyes at California Golden Bears

Vanderbilt Commodores at #13 South Carolina Gamecocks

#25 Ole Miss Rebels at Texas Longhorns

#21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Purdue Boilermakers

#20 Wisconson Badgers at Arizona State Sun Devils

Beat Michigan

Temple Recap

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish handled the Temple Owls in their season opening game and won 28-6. Many of the Tommy Rees doubters were left with some optimism after he had the best game of his career. Rees threw for 346 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. That was exactly the type of performance he, his teammates, his coaches and Irish fans needed to see to build confidence. The Irish scored touchdowns on their first two drives; both of which were results of Rees throwing passes into the endzone. This performance proved that Rees can step into a game and have no fear or anxiety about himself or his teammates. He also showed that he can throw it accurately more than 30 yards downfield. Irish running back Amir Carlisle looked very impressive. On the first play of the game, Carlisle took a handoff from Rees and stormed down the field for a 45 yard gain.  

           

Now the attention turns to the Michigan Wolverines. The boys from Ann Arbor demolished Central Michigan on Saturday afternoon and look in prime condition to take on the Irish. This is the final scheduled matchup between the two teams to be played at Michigan Stadium. This is a game that players and fans look forward to each season. The hatred for the opposing schools boils over on social media and on the field. The fact that this is the last time for the Wolverines to get a win in their stadium against the Irish is only going to motivate them.

However, Michigan head coach gave the Irish plenty of motivation to win from comments he made before the season. Hoke said Notre Dame was “chickening out” by ending the contract. Since then everybody has persecuted Notre Dame because they are dropping Michigan to make room on their schedule for ACC teams. What everybody fails to realize is that Michigan REFUSED to play Notre Dame or even be in the same conference in the early 20^th century. They did this out of hatred for Catholics and Irish immigrants. While Notre Dame is ending the rivalry for “business” reasons at least it’s not because of racism.

Keys to the Game

Improved Front Seven- Temple’s freshman quarterback ran for 65 yards and threw for over 200. Michigan’s Devin Gardner is much more talented and can do even more damage running and passing. It is imperative that the Irish defensive linemen and linebackers get pressure on Gardner and force him to make quick throws and possible bad passes that can be intercepted. Gardner threw two interceptions against Central Michigan so the Irish defensive backs will need to bring their soft hands. They will also need to limit Michigan’s running game as much as possible. It should be noted that the Irish ran a very basic or “vanilla” game plan against Temple so expect much more exotic looks on Saturday night.

Balance on Offense- Through three quarters, the Irish called 21 pass plays and 21 rush plays. That is balance. There are so many talented players at all the skill positions so it should not be difficult to keep evenness in the play calling. Underrated receivers T.J. Jones and Davaris Daniels catch just about any pass thrown in their vicinity. The corps of running backs allows many options depending on the situation. Amir Carlisle is an all-purpose back and George Atkinson is very quick. Don’t forget about Cam McDaniel and the two freshman, Greg Bryant and Tarean Foster. The ability for the Irish to rely on the passing game and the running game is imperative to winning every game.

Special Teams- This has been a topic of discussion since last season. In 2012 the Irish were one of the worst punt return teams in the nation. Brian Kelly said improvements would be made in that area as well as all of the special teams. Against Temple, kicker and punter Kyle Brindza struggled mightily. He missed one field goal (which Kelly said was due to the placeholder) and overpowered two punts from midfield. Nick Tausch also missed a field goal. The last three games against the Wolverines have been decided by a touchdown or less. Every point matters. That means the field goal kicking has to improve. The punting will have to improve too because you cannot afford to give Michigan quality field position.

Predicted outcome: Notre Dame-27. Michigan-14. This is going to be a knockout, drag-down fight between two of the most successful teams in college football history. Even though the teams are located just a couple hours apart this is a game that people all across America tune into watch. This is a game that showcases everything that is great about college football. Enjoy it football fans.

Predictions

Last week I picked 9 out of the 10 games correctly. I predicted Clemson would win over Georgia and they did just that. They also jumped to the early lead of best looking team so far. #1 Alabama defeated Virginia Tech but their offense, especially their line, struggled at times. This week the slate of games is atrocious. I mean it’s horrible. If you have chores to do then do them because you will not miss anything.

Cincinnati Bearcats at Illinois Fighting Illini

Indiana State Sycamores at Purdue Boilermakers

#12 Florida Gators at Miami Hurricanes

Army Black Knights at Ball State Cardinals

#2 Oregon Ducks at Virginia Cavaliers

#6 South Carolina Gamecocks at #11 Georgia Bulldogs

Navy Midshipmen at Indiana Hoosiers

#15 Texas Longhorns at BYU Cougars

West Virginia Mountaineers at #16 Oklahoma Sooners

#14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at #17 Michigan Wolverines

Kickoff for Notre Dame is Here

            After the tumultuous offseason that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish went through there cannot be a team any more ready to start the 2013 season than them. Coming off a 12-0 season that many believed occurred because of “lucky breaks”, nobody is expecting the Irish to return to a BCS Bowl or reach double digit wins this year. This is in large part due to the absence of quarterback Everett Golson. He is a tremendously talented QB with a rocket arm that also wreaks havoc with his running ability. Unfortunately, Golson was removed from the team and the University for academic reasons. He is expected to return in January but until then the man replacing Golson is Tommy Rees.

            Rees has created a schism in the Irish fanbase with people who love him and people that hate him. The senior has had his problems in the past but he is a solid quarterback and a tremendous leader. Plus, he will have one of the best defenses in the nation to help him out. The Irish were one of the top defenses in the country last year as well but this year they are even better. The secondary is much improved and deeper at every position. The linebacker unit is lacking a leader like Manti Te’o but they are still very talented. The defensive line is the anchor. They are led by nose tackle Louis Nix and defensive end Stephon Tuitt.

            I was asked last year what I thought the Irish would do that season and I believed 8-10 wins was the goal. My prediction for the season was a 9-3 record. I never once thought before that season that we would be playing for the national championship. I always pointed to 2013 as being the year we break through and return to glory. I am still holding to that prophecy as kickoff looms. Everybody says our schedule is daunting but there is only one team right now that is better than us and that is Stanford. Michigan is starting a new quarterback, Michigan State is likely to struggle on offense, Oklahoma has to replace Landry Jones, USC is a mess, and Arizona State is talented but I’m not sold yet. There is no reason we shouldn’t get at least nine wins. I’m predicting 11-1 and a BCS Bowl.

            The #14 Fighting Irish open their season at home against the Temple Owls. Unless Bill Cosby straps on a helmet and shoulder pads the Irish should have no worries about this game. This is merely a tune-up game before the Irish head to Ann Arbor next Saturday night.

Keys to the Game

Tommy Rees- Rees has seen so many ups and downs in his four years at Notre Dame. His freshman season in 2010 he took over for starter Dayne Crist. In 2011 he started out as the backup quarterback again but after Crist became ineffective he took over the starting job. In the offseason Rees was involved in an altercation with the South Bend Police Department. That run in with the law, Rees’s 24 career interceptions, and a lack of running ability is why many Irish fans have no faith in Rees. While that is all troubling, it should be noted that Rees is 14-4 as a starter and he was a huge part of last season’s success. There is no way Notre Dame goes 12-0 without Tommy Rees on the team.

Position Battles- The roster is loaded with veterans and young players that are fighting for playing time. It’s expected the Irish will pile it on Temple early so that will allow the bench players to get quality playing time and show the coaches what they have learned.

No Injuries- This is the most important for the season opener. Even though there is more depth and talent on the team than last year there are still spots where the Irish are not deep enough. For example, offensive and defensive line.

Pick em’

Last season I finished with slightly above .500 with 92-49 record. Just a reminder that I pick all the in-state team games (ND, Purdue, IU, and Ball State) and then a handful of games played on Saturday (possibly one or two Thursday/Friday games) that I consider the most exciting and likely to produce a close game.  I’ll pick enough games to reach ten each week. Finally, I will least each game in the order of their scheduled kick off times. The team I am picking will be in bold. Here we go:

Purdue Boilermakers at Cincinnati Bengals

Temple Owls at #14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Northern Illinois Huskies at Iowa Hawkeyes

Syracuse Orange at Penn State Nittany Lions

Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. #13 Oklahoma State Cowboys

#1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Virginia Tech Hokies

#5 Georgia Bulldogs at #8 Clemson Tigers

#12 LSU Tigers vs. #20 TCU Horned Frogs

#19 Boise State Broncos at Washington Huskies

#22 Northwestern Wildcats at California Golden Bears