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