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
