Week 12 Pick: Notre Dame - Army

Dan: Notre Dame

This game comes down to two things to me. Can Tommy Rees continue to mature before our eyes and develop into a legitimate D-1 quarterback? Can the ND defense prevent the absolute debacle of the Naval Academy’s option attack?

I think the answer to the first one is maybe, and the answer to the second is yes. Not a blow-out, but ND wins fairly easily.

Notre Dame 31 Army 17

Jeremy: Notre Dame

So how do the Schizo Irish follow up perhaps the biggest win since 2005?  While there were certainly quite a few things to like about ND’s effort last week, there’s still an enormous amount of work to do to make this a competitive team.  Army might not have the firepower of the Middies, but they can run it and can grind out 1^st downs and long possessions with that triple option.  The Black Knights also don’t turn it over much, so the Irish can’t count on Army to hand them the game on a silver platter as the Utes did last week.

On defense, Diaco and the coaching staff must make the proper adjustments to the option and give Irish fans faith that the Navy performance was an aberration rather than a fundamental misunderstanding of the defensive principles required to defend that attack.  Not having Ian Williams to anchor the middle is a big blow, but Cwynar and Hafis Williams have played reliably in his stead.  Brian Smith had perhaps one of his best games in an Irish uniform last week, but has struggled over the years with option offenses.  ND will likely have to rely on Manti Te’o and the safeties to make plays behind the line of scrimmage, or at least keep Army’s gains minimal to give the offense the ball.

On the offensive side, Brian Kelly kept the gameplan simple for Tommy Rees last week with the sloppy weather and the solid defense of the Utes.  I expect to see continued reliance upon the running game to establish a tone early and control the line of scrimmage.  Cierre Wood must continue to mature and Jonas Gray showed his strength and burst in a limited role last week.  If the running game is effective, ND will be able to keep the ball away from Army’s own churning rushing attack. 

The Irish desperately need this win to get bowl eligible and to give Brian Kelly 15 more practices with his charges to continue building for the future.  I think this is going to be much closer than Irish fans would like, but I do believe ND pulls out a W in Yankee Stadium and builds some more momentum for the big matchup in SoCal.

ND 27 Army 24

Jimmy: Notre Dame

Holy Moses was I wrong about the lads against the once "mighty" Utes.  I admit, my faith in the team was shaken.  What a wonder one week will do.  A super opportunity to finish strong in November exists for Brian Kelly and his young guns.  Love the valuable experience these freshmen and sophomores are getting.  This Army matchup is much like turning in an F term paper (Navy), only the teacher hands it back and allows you to re-submit it for another grade.  Too bad the Navy loss still counts against the overall season grade.  

The playbook should expand for Tommy Rees as the passing game could use more game reps in preparation for a high scoring USC affair.  Offense shouldn’t have trouble putting up points with either method of attack.  It’s the defense I’m more concerned with and actually eager to see them continue making strides.  I’ll tell you what (in my best non-verbal Bob Davie voice), it’s nice to have a team actually getting better as the season progresses.  What a novel and foreign concept to ND football the past 10 years.  Two more games to confirm this phenomenon, but all signs point north. 

A strong contingent of the WeIs crew will witness the 1940’s throwback game, so look forward to the real scoop on the latest athletic department cash cow weekend.  I requested that they embrace the nostalgic weekend and attend in full length wool coats with Don Draper hats, like they’re going to a Gatsby tailgate.  You only go to a football game in Yankee Stadium once.  When in Rome. 

Go Irish.  Beat Cadets.

ND 36  Army 16

Matt: Notre Dame

           

I was pleasantly surprised to see my faith in the Irish last week rewarded in a big home victory – especially on Senior Day.  The Irish defense has quietly put together a pretty solid two game stretch, and now will be challenged again by the triple option.  I’m guessing that there will be a Plan B….and Plan C and D if the defense is shaky early on.  The results simply must be drastically better than they were against Navy, or else serious questions will have to be raised of Diaco.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Irish as we go forward is that there is a core of young talent finally beginning to emerge on the defense.  It’s no secret that ND has churned out talented QB’s, WR’s and TE’s the past decade.  However, with two more years of Manti Teo and the duo of Schwenke and Shembo looking like difference makers in the opposing backfield, there may be the beginning of a solid defense to go with the offense.  It would be huge if ND can put on a show in front of Ishaq Williams and pick up another piece of the puzzle.  I believe the Irish will do what they’re supposed to, which is take care of business against an overmatched Army team.  I didn’t think I would be saying this a month ago, but I’m looking forward to heading over to Yankee Stadium and cheering on the lads. 

ND 37 Army 17

Mike: Notre Dame

As with many of Notre Dame’s recent opponents, I haven’t seen Army play this year, so I cannot analyze the individual matchups.  Since the Black Knights run a triple option offense, however, it will be very interesting to see whether Bob Diaco can make any sort of adjustments or whether he will be equally flummoxed as he was against Navy.   On offense, I would like to see a similar commitment to the run against an Army team that is, without looking at a roster, undoubtedly undersized and undermanned.  In addition, it will be interesting to see whether the Irish can match last week’s intensity or whether a letdown will be in the cards.

I do believe that the Irish will play better on defense and I expect an honest effort from Notre Dame.  Having said that, the problems that have plagued this team are not going to magically disappear.  Army will be up to the challenge and they have the ability to give Notre Dame all it can handle.  This game will go right down to the wire and, in a reversal of fortunes, the Irish will find a way to prevail.  With any luck, I will be able to survive a full day and night of drinking without getting booted out of the game, unlike last November at Heinz Field.

Notre Dame 28 Army 24

WeIs Roundtable Week 12 Picks: "The Band is Out on the Field!" Edition

In what may be a WeIs first, we spotlight five games, all of which are road favorites.  Expect some surprises.  On to the picks… 

Ohio State (-3) at Iowa

Dan: Ohio State (-3)

Hate this game. Really tough to bet. Iowa is in a tough spot having just ruined their season at the end of an emotional game, but Ohio State has been bad on the road. I’ll play the spot rather than the road history.

Ohio State 20 Iowa 13

Jeremy: Ohio State (-3)

Straight chalk picks this week devoid of explanation.  Yawn.

Jimmy: Ohio State (-3)

I'd love to see the Hawkeyes win this just to knock OSU down a peg and let a fresh face (Michigan State or Wisconsin) partake in the Rose Bowl festivities.  But if Northwestern can knock off Iowa (which is becoming old hat in Evanston now that they've won 6 of the last 7), a dialed in Buckeyes team should overcome the Kinnick Stadium crowd.  Pryor will follow the Dan Persa script and dominate like only he can.

Ohio State 27  Iowa 23

Matt: Ohio State (-3)  Lock of the Week

A weak slate of games this week leaves this Big Ten tussle as the premier game of the week.  Ohio State is fighting to remain a part of the ménage a trios atop the Big Ten standings, while Iowa is perhaps fighting for what seems like their annual appearance in the Outback Bowl.  After an auspicious first half last week against Penn State, the Vest rallied the troops at halftime and punished Joe Pa and the Lions en route to a surprising cover. 

No reason to think that TP and Boom Herron will have any more trouble this week.  In fact, I think the game will play out similar to last week, with the Hawkeyes staying close for a half and then fading as the talent gap is demonstrated between the two teams.

Ohio State 31 Iowa 17

Mike: Iowa (+3)

The Hawkeyes have been somewhat underwhelming this year, particularly in the past few weeks on the road against Indiana and Northwestern.  Although last week’s loss eliminated Iowa from contention in the Big Ten, I suspect that they will put together their best performance of the year at home against the Buckeyes.  Ohio State, despite having just one loss, has not performed as well as many expected this year and I do not believe they will be able to hang with Iowa if the Hawkeyes are indeed on top of their game.

Iowa 24 Ohio State 21

Stanford (-7.5) at California

Dan: Stanford (-7.5)  Lock of the Week

The line has moved down under a touchdown, which means people are betting Cal. I actually like Stanford here. Cal has a letdown after their close loss last week.

Stanford 31 Cal 20

Jeremy: Stanford (-7.5)

Jimmy: California (+7.5)

The 113^th meeting of The Big Game.  Anything can happen in this rivalry contest with the Stanford Axe at stake.  Found a terrific article detailing the greatest Cal upsets in this storied rivalry, including the crown jewel of sports highlights, The Play. 

Looking past the lame and blatant attempts to slow the Oregon offense down, the Bears proved that they certainly are a different team in Berkeley, whereas Stanford was lucky to emerge from Scottsdale with a victory.  Throw the records out the door in this one.  I think Cal finds a way to sour Stanford’s great season.

Cal 37  Stanford 34 (OT)

Matt: California (+7.5)

Ok, now this is just getting weird.  The team that was pummeled on the road against Nevada and USC and a bad Oregon State team and also nearly lost at Wazzu, is just a different team at home.  Last week’s scare of Oregon proved a few things: the Bears can play with anyone in the country, the Bears do not have a clutch field goal kicker, and Jeff Tedford will stoop to the lowest of the lows to give his team an advantage.  Seriously, instructing your players to fake injuries to slow down the notoriously quick stike Oregon offense is just in poor sportsmanship.  The Youtube clip where the Cal d lineman gets up, walks fine, looks to his bench, and that keels over in agony right on the ball as if he was taken out by a sniper is pathetic. 

Stanford has been out of sight out of mind for me since the ND game.  They’ve just gone about their business and kept piling up wins.  It’s funny to hear the complaint that Stanford is going to be left out of the BCS.  You mean a big money-making bowl doesn’t want to invite a program with no fans, no history and can’t even sell out their own stadium.  I’m shocked. 

Stanford 27 Cal 20

Mike: California (+7.5)

Tough loss for the Bears against Oregon last week, but, even in defeat, Cal showed that they are a difficult team to beat in Strawberry Canyon.  Although Brock Mansion hasn’t been particularly effective for Cal at quarterback, he should take another step forward this week with another game under his belt.  Unfortunately for Cal, the passing ability of Andrew Luck will enable the Cardinal to avenge last year’s home defeat in the Big Game.

Stanford 31 California 27

Virginia Tech (-2.5) at Miami

Dan: Miami (+2.5)

I have been getting these 2 teams wrong all season. I’ll take the points at home and I need a dog this week.

Miami 13 Va Tech 10

Jeremy: Virginia Tech (-2.5)

Jimmy: Virginia Tech (-2.5)

Miami had a big road win last week with Stephen Morris under center.  Too bad it was against a Georgia Tech team in turmoil replacing the main cog in their offense.  Va. Tech's defense will present a whole new set of problems for the true freshman QB.  And the Canes defense will have their hands full with Tyrod Taylor's multi-versatile attack.  The Hokies will stamp their ticket to the ACC Championship after this.

Virginia Tech 27  Miami  20

Matt: Virginia Tech (-2.5)

For anyone who reads my picks week to week, this shouldn’t be surprising.  I mean, I hate to sound like a broken record, but this is just what teams under Frank Beamer do.  If you want a coach to win you games in October and November, look no further than Beamer.  Sure this game is in Miami (although home field advantage has been diminished heavily with the destruction of the OB and the games now being held in a cookie cutter pro stadium).  And Miami has gotten a lift from freshman QB Stephen Morris.  And finally, Randy Shannon may be in full forced job saving mode.  But the Hokies under a veteran QB and with a strong running game are playing their best ball of the season.  Hokies survive.

Virginia Tech 27 Miami 21

Mike: Virginia Tech (-2.5)

This is a tough game to call without knowing whether Jacory Harris will play.  Then again, even if Harris plays, he might not even be an upgrade over the rapidly maturing Stephen Morris, whose performance last week at Georgia Tech caused me to consume a healthy plate of crow.  Either way, the Virginia Tech defense appears to be hitting its stride, as Bud Foster’s lunch pail crew notched four interceptions against T.J. Yates last week in Chapel Hill.  Until proven otherwise, the Hokies are the kings of the ACC and I can’t pick against them, even in Coral Gables.

Virginia Tech 30 Miami 21

Arkansas (-4.5) at Mississippi State

Dan: Arkansas (-4.5)

I’ve liked Arkansas all year. But Mississippi State has become a very hard place to play. Their only home loss was by 3 points to Auburn. That said, I think Arkansas can score just enough points to eke out the cover.

Arkansas 27 Mississippi State 21

Jeremy: Arkansas (-4.5)

Jimmy: Arkansas (-4.5)  Lock of the Week

The Razorbacks are really hitting their stride on offense with Knile Davis keying the rushing attack and Ryan Mallett slinging it everywhere.  They proved they can win big on the road two weeks ago by torching the SEC East champs.  Mississippi State shouldn't be ranked.  Of their two worthwhile wins, Georgia was playing without AJ Green and Florida was still stuck in the mud on offense.  This shouldn't be close.  

Arkansas 38  Miss. St. 17

Matt: Arkansas (-4.5)

I admire what Mississippi State has done on the field this year.  Just the fact that we are even picking an MSU game this late in the season is a testament to the job that Dan Mullen has done in Starkville.  (BTW, Starkville is dead last on the list of SEC college towns I would like to visit.  My list, and I’ve been to a few of these: Baton Rouge, Tuscaloosa, Oxford, Athens, Auburn, Knoxville, Gainesville, Columbia, Lexington, Nashville, Fayetteville, Starkville)  But, this is still a team that has trouble scoring points.  The only time they’ve scored over 30 points was against Memphis, Alcorn State and Houston, while scoring 10 points against Florida (in a win) and Alabama, 7 against LSU and 14 against that terrible Auburn D. 

Of course, Arkansas likes to put up points in bunches, and they are coming off back to back thrashings of South Carolina and UTEP.  I know that Miss State has a good D, and I know that the cowbells will be ringing in Starkville, and I know the emotions will be running high for the first home game since the tragic death of Nick Bell.  But for football reasons, I’m picking Arkansas to win.

Last note on this game – the SEC West has the number 2, 5, 11, 13 and 21 ranked teams in the country.  That is just crazy. 

Arkansas 30 Mississippi State 17

Mike: Arkansas (-4.5)  Lock of the Week

The Razorbacks are quietly playing like an elite team right now under Bobby Petrino, so I would imagine that Arkansas supporters are still kicking themselves for letting Alabama off the hook earlier this season.  In any event, Mississippi State has overachieved this season, but last week’s affair in Tuscaloosa proved that they aren’t quite ready for primetime yet.  Look for the Hogs to roll right through the Bulldogs to set the stage for a huge Thanksgiving weekend tilt with LSU in Little Rock.

Arkansas 38 Mississippi State 21

Nebraska (-3.5) at Texas A&M

Dan: Nebraska (-3.5)

A&M has been hot and it’s Saturday night deep in the heart of Texas. But I don’t think A&M has seen the type of physical offense that the Huskers will bring to town. I like the favorites again (getting nervous here).

Nebraska 35 A&M 24

Jeremy: Nebraska (-3.5)

Jimmy: Nebraska (-3.5)

Kyle Field will be rocking for this Saturday night showdown.  A&M is one of the hottest teams in the country with a mid-season QB switcheroo.  In a stroke of irony, Ryan Tannehill, a QB -converted to WR - and now back to QB replaces the school's all-time total offense leader, Jerrod Johnson, and hasn't looked back.  The Aggies have scored over 40 in three of their last four games in typical Big 12 shootout fashion.  They still have a chance at winning the South division for a chance to play Nebraska or Missouri again for a BCS bid.

The Huskers haven't lost on the road yet, but were pressed in overtime to win at Iowa State two weeks back.  Nebraska has been a hard team to get a read on.  Some weeks it's the Taylor Martinez running show.  Others, T-Magic gets pass happy.  Still others, Roy Helu sets single game records for a tradition rich running program.  The common denominator is Nebraska can hurt you in many ways.  Whether they choose the best one Saturday will be crucial because A&M will put some points on the board.  

At the end of the day, I think the Huskers are more talented, even if they rarely play like it for 4 quarters.  I’ll get behind Big Red this week in what could be a very entertaining game. 

Nebraska 45  Texas A&M 40

Matt: Texas A&M (+3.5)

Something is brewing in College Station.  It looked like a month ago that the Mike Sherman experiment was going to have a premature ending in December after another disappointing season.  But here we are four weeks later, and the Aggies are ranked after four straight blowout wins, including OU, in state rival Texas Tech and Baylor.  If they win this game and then beat Texas, all of a sudden they’re looking at a Top 10 or 15 type season and a New Year’s Day bowl game. 

The catalyst for the in-season transformation has been QB Ryan Tannehill, the QB turned WR turned QB.  The disappointing Jerrod Johnson was finally benched after a disastrous run where he turned the ball at will.  This is a guy who was the number one pick in my (and many others I’m sure) college fantasy football league this year.  Just a tremendous fall from grace. 

Nebraska has been chugging along since that bizarre loss to an awful Texas team, but I think that playing in College Station is a different beast.  They handled their previous road test in Stillwater, albeit in a shootout that made former Blackshirt greats look away in horror, but a night game against a rejuvenated A&M team could be trouble.

Texas A&M 34 Nebraska 31

Mike: Nebraska (-3.5)

Speaking of teams kicking themselves, Nebraska fans are surely lamenting the fact that their national championship hopes were dashed in an ugly home loss to a bad (and hated) Texas team.  The Huskers, however, have otherwise played quite well this year and their defense should be able to slow Texas A&M’s high powered offensive attack.  On the other side of the ball, the Nebraska rushing game will likely have its way with the Aggie defense, which is a far cry from the old “Wrecking Crew” units of the 1990s.

Nebraska 37 Texas A&M 27

Bonus Picks 

Dan:  Clemson (-13.5) at Wake Forest

Wake is terrible.

Clemson 38 Wake 17

Jeremy: Penn State (-10) vs. Indiana (Andover, Maryland)

Jimmy: UCLA at Washington (-2.5)

Pulling out my TERDS theory once again (Thursday Evening RoaD Syndrome), Jake Locker has to beat a below average UCLA team by more than a field goal if he still clings to any chance of playing on Sundays.  Wow has his stock plummeted.  I don't buy the "he'll rise again after workouts" line that scouts toss out there.  Sure, it may improve his draft status, but for a guy talked about being the #1 overall, he's easily slid out of the 1st round with this craptastic season.  Hopefully he emerges from the fog for one night and delivers a much needed win for the Husky faithful.  

Washington 23  UCLA 16

Matt: Clemson (-13.5) at Wake Forest

I hate to kick my alma mater when they’re down.  But Vegas leaves me no choice.  Clemson is by no means a good team, and the Dabo Swinney era appears to be going nowhere fast, but they have beaten NC State, beaten Georgia Tech by 14 and Maryland by 24.  Let me tell you, Wake Forest is no GT or Maryland.  They’ve lost four straight against the spread and a shocking eight straight games overall.  This is a downright terrible Wake Forest team.  Give the points and laugh all the way to the bank.

Normally in Winston-Salem, there is the sweetness of ACC basketball season to soothe the ache from a rough football season.  This year however, looks like it could be a downright disaster.  Wake has already lost to Stetson and VCU at home, and neither game was close!  Wow.  The Jeff Bzdelik era could not have gotten off to a rougher start, and the message boards are already on fire with heated complaints about him.  Of course, it didn’t help that the only scholarship point guard on the roster, freshman Tony Chennault from Philly, broke his foot in the first game and is out for three months.  Could be a long season in the Dash, and keep an eye on how Vegas treats Wake in the early period of the season.  This is not the Wake teams of Randolph Childress and Tim Duncan, or even Justin Gray and Eric Williams.  Ugly.

Clemson 41 Wake 13

Mike: West Virginia at Louisville (+5.5)

Despite a tough loss to an improving South Florida team, Louisville can certainly hang with any team in the Big East on its home field.  Moreover, given the inconsistency of West Virginia, I am putting almost zero stock into the Mountaineers’ blowout win over Cincinnati.  I like the outright upset here, which will further intensify the scrutiny on the embattled Bill Stewart.

Louisville 20 West Virginia 17

Last Week

Dan: 4-3 (+)

Jeremy: 2-5 (+)

Jimmy: 3-4 (+)

Matt: 4-3 (+)

Mike: 4-3 (+)

Season

Dan: 40-35-1 (4-6-1)

Jeremy: 45-30-1 (8-3)

Jimmy: 42-32-2 (7-4)

Matt: 37-37-2 (5-5)

Mike: 46-29-1 (8-2-1)

WeIs Roundtable: ND Basketball Preview (Part 2)

Hope you enjoyed yesterday's discussion.  Now it's time for some ND Basketball predictions.

Most Valuable Player

Matt: Ben Hansbrough

Until Eric Atkins is ready to take over at the point, Ben will serve as the point guard.  Brey loves his veterans – his ‘men’ – and BH fits the bill.  He can do a little bit of everything, and quietly shot over 41% on three’s last year while everyone focused on Abro and Gody’s offensive exploits.  He’s a smart defender, has enough size to hold his own in the Big East, and I look to Ben to fill the leadership void left by Tory as the floor general. 

Mike:  Carleton Scott

While Tim Abromaitis is the team’s best bet to make one of the All Big East Teams this year and other players are more offensively challenged, Carleton Scott will be the most important, and hence valuable, player this season.  If recent history is a reliable guide, we can expect the Irish to execute at a high level on offense.  To finish at or near the top of the Big East standings, however, Notre Dame must be proficient at defense and rebounding.  Scott, who excelled in both of those areas last year, is the type of athlete that Notre Dame has sorely lacked in prior years, so his continued development is vital to this team.

Jimmy: Ben Hansbrough

You could argue a case for four guys here (five if Eric Atkins has a Chris Thomas-esque impact as a frosh, minus the primadonna act).  Abro will be the points leader.  Carleton Scott is the rebounding/blocks savant with a penchant for the dramatic play, ala Ryan Humphrey.  Scott Martin, an unknown commodity, might be the "most talented" player on the roster if you listen to what the coaches say.  Then there's Ben Hansbrough.

He may not lead the team in any categories, but Hansbrough should be the glue guy for this unheralded collection of players.  He'll be counted on to handle PG duties while Atkins assimilates to the role, along with knocking down open looks, spreading the ball around from his 1/2 position, play solid defense, crash the boards with aplomb and fill the Dutch Boy hustle sheet every night.  His versatility will make him indispensable to the team's success.  

Most Improved Player

Matt: Ty Nash

This looks to be a two man competition between Nash and Scott, but I think that Nash is really going to impress people with his newfound game.  For starters, he worked a ton on his free throw shooting, so look for that mark to improve from his 60% last year (Through two games he is at 79%).  Without Gody around, Nash will be the alpha dog on the boards, and the emergence of Scott as a shot blocking threat will only help the post defense.  Finally, Nash has an element of versatility to his game, as evidenced last year by his part time role of press-breaker.  He can handle the rock fluidly, and with the loss of Tory, Nash may find himself playing the point-forward role more this year.  Last year Nash averaged 8 and 5 – this year I think he ups that to 13 and 8.

Mike:  Ty Nash

Nash, like Carleton Scott, displayed flashes of brilliance last year, particularly in the rebounding department.  With an extra year of experience and offseason preparation, Nash should have developed an expanded arsenal of low post moves that will allow him to become a much needed scoring threat in the paint.  In addition, I expect the senior captain to become a more vocal leader of this team, as well as an important source of toughness and rebounding.  Perhaps this is wishful thinking, but continued improvement at the charity stripe would be nice too.

Jimmy: Ty Nash

If his first two games are any indication of what to expect from the big man in his final year, he may have already wrapped up this award.  The career 57% free throw shooter has already started 15-19 (79%) from the stripe in the first two games, a marked improvement with bigger ramifications.  If Nash reliably hits his FTs, he immediately becomes a post option in close games instead of an offense-defense substitute.  His developmental process has taken longer than most fans would've liked (thanks in large part to Brey's aversion to giving Nash minutes his first couple seasons), but he's saving his best for last.  Already a steady low-post defender who knows how to use his big frame, Nash will build on his strengths and put together an all-around solid campaign now that he's playing 25-30 minutes/game.  The Ty Nash- Carl Scott tandem will surprise a lot of teams this year.  Scott already enjoyed his breakthrough improvement late last season upon cracking the starting lineup and averaging a 10/8 over 9 games.  

Season Prediction

Matt: 21-9 regular season (11-7 conference)

6th in Big East, Quarters of Big East Tournament, 1st round of NCAA Tournament

Ultimately, I believe that this year’s ND squad will be a lot of fun to watch.  Personally, I had gotten a little tired of the Harangody show.  There was no denying his brilliance at times, but it never was truly team basketball, and I think the talents of other guys on the roster often took a backseat to getting Gody his points.  This year, we have the mystery and potential of Scott Martin, the breaking in of a new point guard, the athleticism of Carlton Scott, the multitude of big Big East bodies to throw at opponents…it really will be a different team. 

On top of all the roster upheaval, there is actually a schedule to get excited about for once!  In Kentucky!  Gonzaga at home!  Georgia and the possibility of Temple in a holiday tourney.  Those are exciting games and will be true tests.  Mike Brey, God bless him, will never stop loading up on the Chicago States and Liberty’s of the world, but at least we can get a real feel for this team’s strengths and weaknesses before diving into Big East play. 

A few thoughts about individual players.  I think Abro will continue to struggle.  The cat’s out of the bag on his game now.  Can he adjust into more than just a three point shooter?  I’m skeptical.  Scott Martin will be a David Graves type player, filling in the stat sheet on a nightly basis.  Carlton Scott will be the first legitimate Big East athlete that ND has had in….a long time.  Eric Atkins will have everyone forgetting about Tory Jackson by March.  Jack Cooley will emerge as an effective banger down low, and with his crewcut, the memory of the Mongoose will live on.  Hansbrough will be the glue guy – hitting big shots, breaking the press, playing tough defense.   Give credit to Brey, he has put together a roster that meshes very well.  It’s early in the year, but already roles are coming into focus on the team, and I am hopeful that the rotation will go deeper than only six or seven men. 

As for the schedule, let’s say ND goes 9-2 in nonconference with losses to Temple and Kentucky.  The start to the Big East season is brutal with home games against Georgetown and UConn sandwiched around a trip to the Carrier Dome.  Maybe two losses there.  But really, the overall schedule could be a lot worse, as the Irish only play Nova, Pitt and Syracuse once, while repeating against St. John’s, UConn and Marquette.  I’ll say the Irish go 11-7 in the Big East with losses to Georgetown, at Syracuse, at Marquette, at St. Johns, at Pitt, at West Virginia and to Villanova.  The back half of the Big East schedule is a lot easier, and that is where ND is going to have to make its run. 

Add all of that up, and it amounts to yet another year on the bubble.  Of course it’s impossible to predict what the matchup will be in the tournaments, both Big East and NCAA, but my faith in the Irish to perform in March is not strong given recent history. 

Mike:  20-10 regular season (11-7 conference)

6th in Big East, Quarters of Big East Tournament, 1st Round of NCAA Tournament

Although I usually view Notre Dame football and basketball with a jaundiced eye, I truly believe that this year’s squad can have a special year.  As an initial matter, John Gasaway at Basketball Prospectus, no other conference has suffered as much attrition as the Big East, so there is a prime opportunity for the Irish to contend for the league crown.  Moreover, the challenging non-conference schedule should allow the Irish to be more battle tested by the time they enter conference play.

From a talent and leadership standpoint, the pieces are in place for ND.  Obviously, it is somewhat scary to rely primarily on a true freshman point guard, but Eric Atkins should benefit greatly from being surrounded by plenty of veterans, several of whom (Hansbrough, Martin, Abromaitis) can handle the scoring load.  Furthermore, this team has a nice mix of talented players in the backcourt and frontcourt, as well as decent depth, assuming that Brey decides to use his bench for once.  More importantly, the Irish should be characteristically strong on offense and, with the loss of Luke Harangody, improved on defense.  Psychologically, Brey’s teams seem to perform better when expectations are low, so the 7th place projection in the coaches’ poll can serve as motivation for this team.

In light of the foregoing, I would love to pick this team to finish among the top of the league, reach the conference finals and advance beyond the Sweet Sixteen.  Until I see it happen under Mike Brey, however, I remain a skeptic.

Jimmy: 19-11 regular season (10-8 conference)

7th in Big East, Semis of Big East Tournament, 2nd Round of NCAA Tournament

After re-acquainting myself with the roster and perusing the schedule, I'm fairly optimistic about this season's potential.  For whatever reason, Mike Brey squads fare better the less anyone expects them to.  This year fits that description perfectly as most national pundits expect the Irish to struggle trying to replace their terrific twosome.  An adjustment is expected, but the team should find an identity by the time December rolls around. 

Known for loading up on cupcakes with the most frosting, Brey's non-conference scheduling typically causes plenty of head scratching.  By my count, there's three schools of faith to prepare a team year in and year out.  1) Load up with a murderer's row of competition as a true test of your team's abilities, sacrificing early losses for experience and sharpening skills for tourney time.  Tom Izzo demonstrates this scheduling principle better than anyone - and look where his team's ended up 3 of the last 4 years.  2) Strike a balance between a few top notch games (“double boosts”), a glut of decent mid-majors (“smart buys”)  and a couple bottom feeders (“stupid buys”).  It’s no secret that finding middle of the road schools who will turn in winning records from 2nd tier conferences (think MAC, MWC, A-10, MVC) is RPI gold.  3) The path of least resistance, which happens to be Brey's scheduling preference.  Sure, there’s a few high caliber teams hiding the fact that the rest of the non-conference slate is a veritable pu-pu platter.  Problem is, this hurts the team doubly as it poses little team challenge and acts as an RPI anchor come Selection Sunday. 

This year, the non-conference dozen is actually more palatable than others in recent memory, thanks to dates with Kentucky and Gonzaga, plus three solid matchups in the Old Spice Classic.  But the other 7 schools are gawd awful, closing things out with a true Christmas present in the form of Maryland-Baltimore County on Dec. 22nd.  Is that really an accredited college team or a YMCA Rec League All-Stars?  

It's one thing to schedule winnable games.  It's another to scrape the bottom of the barrel for said "buy" wins.  It’s a “stupid buy” in every sense.  I refuse to believe that if ND reached out to schools like Dayton, Creighton, Drexel, UAB, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Ball State that they’re not salivating to sign a deal to work on whatever terms ND sets.  Substitute half of those aforementioned schools on any year's schedule and it drastically improves the competition and RPI windfall.  It's not rocket science.  (Out of curiosity, I looked up all 10 years worth of data for Brey’s non-conference tendencies.  The results are telling.  Check back for a more in-depth review shortly). 

The schedule is what it is and Brey likes to beef up on wins because they're much harder to come by in the BEast, especially now with 18 conference games.  Paradoxically, Brey's best attribute is his consistent Big East record.  Only twice in 10 years has the team had a losing conference record, quite an achievement.  The schedule makers were fairly kind to the Irish with Home and Home matchups with a down UConn, St. John's (a year or two away from being fully rejuvenated by Steve Lavin) and Marquette.  Even with all the attrition and terrific talent that exited the BEast, there's still a number of solid to very good teams.  

Where are the losses?  Don’t think the Irish win the Old Spice Classic.  There’s one loss in there somewhere.  Kentucky and Gonzaga are tall orders, but good measuring sticks.  The 1-2 punch of Georgetown and ‘Cuse to start the Beast schedule will be a rude awakening coming off the third exhibition game.  Road games at Marquette, West Virginia, Pitt and UConn would be eye-opening wins, but losses in my book now.  There’s always room for a bad night, which I think will come in the form of either @ Providence or home to a frisky Seton Hall.  And a home loss to Villanova brings us to 11. 

It will be a fun season as it feels like a fresh start with plenty of new talent gelling before our eyes.  Still not confident enough in Brey to get past the first weekend of March Madness.  I hope I’m dead wrong, just like my Utah doomsday prediction. 

Final Four Picks

Matt:

Michigan State – In Izzo I Trust

Duke – In Coach K and Kyrie Irving I Trust

Syracuse – In Jimmy B and Kris Joseph I trust

Ohio State – In Jared Sullinger and David Lighty I Trust

Mike:

Duke

Michigan State (they should rename the Final Four the Tom Izzo Invitational)

Villanova

Gonzaga

Jimmy:

Michigan State

Duke

Pittsburgh

Ohio State

1^st Team All-Americans

Matt:

Jacob Pullen, Kansas State

Durell Summers, Michigan State

Kyle Singler, Duke

Harrison Barnes, UNC

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

Mike:

Kyle Singler, Duke

JaJuan Johnson, Purdue

Kalin Lucas, Michigan State

Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young

Austin Freeman, Georgetown

Jimmy:

Jake Pullen, Kansas State

Austin Freeman, Georgetown

Kyle Singler, Duke

JaJuan Johnson, Purdue

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

WeIs Roundtable: ND Basketball Preview (Part 1)

Are you ready for some hardwood?!  As this roller coaster Year 1 of the Brian Kelly Era winds down, the infant basketball season provides a fresh canvas to extrapolate on what the seasonmay bring.  The WeIs braintrust convened to discuss the 2010-2011 season, to be rolled out in two installments - (1) relevant topics and (2) season predictions.

1) Who Will Be Missed More - Luke Harangody or Tory Jackson?

Mike: Jackson, without question.  Although Harangody was a unique and gifted scoring threat and a capable rebounder, his defense was, to be polite, awful.  Notre Dame has enough playmakers to pick up the slack offensively and the team will benefit from improved interior defense.  Jackson, on the other hand, will be missed badly, and not only because ND will be forced to rely heavily on a true freshman at point guard this year.  Tory showed a special knack for putting the team on his back when things weren’t going well and I do not see anyone on the current roster who shares that ability.    

Jimmy: Make no mistake, there's a significant production void with The Mongoose's graduation.  The school's only player with 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds (he’s 2^nd all-time in both categories) could be counted on to "get his" nearly every night.  That said, Gody wasn't exactly a stalwart defender, to put it mildly.  And the offense sometimes fell into ruts as he forced entirely too many poor shots. I know its borderline blasphemous to disparage and minimize the impact of an NBA draft pick and a 4-year leader.  Luuuuke is one of my top 10 favorite ND players ever.  His lunch pail attitude, ability to score in the funkiest manner and knack for rising to the occasion were tremendous.  But the question is who will be missed more this year, Tory or Gody.  And my answer is Tory. 

The Warrior was everything you would want in a 4-year true point guard.  The team ebbed and flowed with his play more than anyone else.  When Gody posted his typical 26 and 12, Tory would quietly have 13 pts, 7 assists and 7 boards, with a huge steal or block sprinkled in.  After the bitter taste Chris Thomas' "leadership" left in everyone's mouth, Tory was Listerine for the soul.  You could tell it was all team, all the time for him.  

As an added bonus to any home game if you knew where to look, Tory's family always sat behind the bench and never shied from dancing in the aisles or yelling words of encouragement at #2.  It was easy to see where he got the joy and passion he played with.  

Taking my small bromance out of the equation and looking objectively at the roster composition, it's a helluva lot tougher to fill the shoes of a 4-year PG with little experience behind him than at PF.  Both will be missed, but I’m sure I’ll find myself pining for Tory much more as the season progresses.

2) Is the “Burn Offense” here to stay?

Mike: Not a chance.  As indicated in my response below, this squad has plenty of gifted offensive players that should mesh together quite well.  The pieces are in place for a return to traditional Irish basketball under Mike Brey, i.e., a relatively up-tempo style with an emphasis on sharing the ball and knocking down threes. 

Jimmy: Just when we though Mike Brey was heading towards a calamitous finish to the season with his best player hurt, the Mock reinvented the entire look and feel to his team by switching gears to the Burn Offense.  Instead of the up-tempo, if-we-can't-stop-you-we'll-outscore-you style, Brey opted for a methodical, plodding flow predicated on taking advantage of opponent mistakes and open looks created by effective spacing and ball movement.  Lo and behold, they became an efficient possession-centric team that dictated play.  Whether it was the personnel or the slower temp saving their legs (or a combination of both), the defense, in turn, became scrappier and more stingy.  The result?  A 6-game win streak, including surprise wins over Marquette, UConn, Georgetown and Pitt (twice!) that propelled the team into the Big Dance.  We'll leave what happened in the tournament out of this discussion for now.  

Has Brey been saving this change of pace style all this time in his back pocket for an emergency situation?  Did it happen organically in practice with the leadership of a veteran floor general?  Did Tinkerbell sprinkle common sense pixie dust into the basketball offices?  I wish I knew the answer to all of these, and I'm not discounting the last question's potential veracity.

Until Brey finds what he’s looking for at the PG spot, the Burn should be employed as it spreads responsibility to all 5 players.  Last season’s small sample size indicates the team is better off operating on both sides through the Burn.  Now, what should happen isn’t the reality our head coach lives in.  Will Brey suddenly change 20 years of reliable patterns of coaching?  Highly unlikely.  I’m sure the offense of old will be back for the better part of this season.  Brey is a bit stubborn and wants to win “his way” instead of evolving and ditching his traditional methods for a formula that works.  At some point, the Burn will resurface, though more out of desperation than design. 

So to answer the question is the Burn Offense here to stay with one word, no.  

3) Team Strengths

Mike:  Offensive Efficiency and Senior Leadership

Throughout the ups and downs of the Brey era, the one constant has been Notre Dame’s ability to score points in bunches.  With a roster full of skilled passers, shooters and scorers, this year should be no different.  The loss of Luke Harangody may seem to be significant at first blush, but the surrounding players, who often became relegated to spectators when Harangody touched the ball, should be able to fill the void.

Jimmy: Veteran Experience

ND is the polar opposite of Kentucky.  Whereas the Wildcats must reload their roster yearly because of the allure of the NBA, ND rarely shares the concern of losing its best early.  And perish the thought that multiple players would bolt early.  Even with the loss of four-year mega-contributors in Jackson and Harangody, the roster is still stocked with experienced players who have years of familiarity in the system.  Such veteran savvy will be leaned upon to hopefully make a Sweet 16 trip for the first time since 2003.

4) Biggest Weakness

Mike:  Quickness/Defense

Some things never change, huh?  Carleton Scott will finally give the Irish a shot blocking threat inside, but this team still appears to lack length and quickness on the perimeter, particularly when compared to its conference brethren.  Accordingly, the emergence of several consistent rebounders is paramount.

Jimmy: Offensive Closer

Total team athleticism aside (which can’t be fixed this year), a gaping void left by Luke and Tory is a go-to player when the team needs a bucket(s) down the stretch.  Gody was an alpha dog offensive beast, while Tory never shied away from big pressure situations.  Plan A and Plan B are gone – what now?  Abromaitis is the best shooter, but he faded fast last year and has to rebuild his confidence.  Carleton Scott might be the de factor option, building on his clutch 3 that sent the Marquette game to OT.  He’s athletic enough to create shots in the post or perimeter.  Hansbrough has the bloodlines to be a go-to guy, but he’s not the same interior presence as 6-inches taller older bro.  Scott Martin is the wildcard unknown commodity as he hasn’t played the college game for 2 years.  He’s receiving some good buzz for his offensive talents.

I’ll be very curious to see what Brey draws up for close contests.  Until someone emerges, this is an Achilles heel that may be the difference in 5-6 games.  How’s that bubble feeling?

5) State of the Program

Mike:  Same As It Ever Was

After a lopsided loss to Syracuse that I had the misfortune of attending in 2009, I wrote an article on this blog regarding Notre Dame’s lack of commitment to excellence in basketball as it relates to Mike Brey’s future at ND.  From the time of that article until the Georgetown game last year, which I also attended, it appeared that the program was hopelessly mired in mediocrity.  In fact, I wrote letters to John Jenkins and Jack Swarbrick to express my disgust with the state of the program and to suggest multiple solutions.  Still waiting for Savvy Jack to write me back.

Anyway, last year’s late turnaround was encouraging and Brey certainly must be commended for rallying the troops after the injury to Luke Harangody.  Still, as is always the case with Notre Dame basketball, one step forward was matched by an immediate step back, as the disappointing loss to Old Dominion reinforced that Notre Dame is still far from the nation’s elite on the hardwood.  As such, I expect another standard season under Brey:  solid offense, weak defense, a big win or two, an early exit in the Big East tournament and an NIT berth or first round exit in the NCAA tournament.

Jimmy: Groundhog Day

It has become a bubble existence for Notre Dame basketball in year 11 of the Mike Brey Era.  The average RPI rank over the last five years is a quasi-respectable, yet tenuous, 52 – very bubbalicious.  Apparently the Mock thrives on the whimsy of a committee determining the fate of his hard work year in and year out.  Needless to say, it’s a little maddening for the devoted fanbase who follows this little brother program as religiously as its gridiron counterpart.

We pretty much know what to expect at this point from the head coach - 3 scoops of vanilla & 2 scoops of chocolate leading a perimeter based offense that rides hot hands for scoring.  Brey's teams have never been confused with lockdown defenses that impose their will without the ball.  Much too often over the years, the team has been susceptible to allowing easy buckets in the paint.  Once in a blue moon, a Mike Brey team surprises people with their athleticism.  Brey has notorious substitution patterns, relying on a short bench for reasons only he knows.  

Brey gets credit for waking the echoes of the hoops program, returning the team to the NCAA Tournament in his first 3 years - the first visit the Irish made since 1990 (thanks for the memories John McLeod).  Those first three trips (2nd round in 2001, 2nd round in 2002 and Sweet 16 in 2003) equal the three best tourney finishes under Brey.  The team has made three subsequent trips to March Madness, but have flamed out early in all three instances. 

One significant step forward for the program is the recent, and long-awaited, Joyce Center renovation.  Included in the more cozy environment is the installation of a jumbotron screen, which, from what I hear, is loud and confusingly displays the game action for those not-really-nose-bleed seats.  I’ve embraced the pyrotechnic hip-hop intro for starting lineups.  It’s fun for the players and fans.  Give Brey credit for this technologic improvement as a necessary recruiting tool.  Not that what ND does is better than other schools, but at least it’s something. 

Basketball will always play second fiddle to football at ND.  Once you get past that, there's still room for growth.  Brey’s merits are praiseworthy, while his shortcomings continue to stunt the program from reaching higher on the apple tree.  We have yet to see whether Swarbrick has bigger visions of grandeur to chase that opportunity or continue embracing the warm, fuzzy (and stagnant) feeling that Michael Brey's expansive assortment of mock turtles provides.  For now, why don’t we throw in a Michael Bublé album and play some Trivial Pursuit with our lovable bubble team. 

Week 11 Pick: Notre Dame - Utah

Dan: Utah

[Editor’s Note: Dan has better things to do this week than wax poetic about how this could be a close game.  Dan may also be fairly surprised by the relatively small ( -5.5) spread.  Does Vegas know something about ND coming off bye weeks?]

Jeremy: Utah

I’d really love to roll the dice and pick the upset here, but I do believe that Utah is the better team, and Notre Dame hasn’t beat a “better” team since…boy, I can’t even remember when. 

Although I do think that Utah is the better team, I’m not really sure how good they actually are.  Their schedule is a joke – the best teams they’ve played have been Pitt and TCU.  They needed overtime to beat a lousy Panthers squad, and were curb-stomped at home by TCU.  Their lofty ranking for much of this year appears to be related more to their “name brand” than anything else. 

That said, ND is starting a true freshman QB who has looked equal parts surprisingly impressive and in-over-his-head during his appearances in games this year.  I’m not shocked that Rees had a good measure of success against Tulsa given that he’s got some experience in the spread offense, and given Tulsa’s abominable pass defense.  Utah will not allow him to methodically lead the Irish down the field with short passes, and in order to score, I believe ND will have to hit on some big plays, both through the air and on the ground.  They haven’t been terribly successful in getting consistent big play production against quality defenses this year. 

Two things I’ll be looking for out of this game – continued maturation of Rees and Cierre Wood, and production out of what should be a near fully-healthy Jamoris Slaughter.  All three of these guys will play a big role in ND’s success in the coming years and it would be nice to see them all take some steps forward at the end of the year. 

Also – big recruiting weekend for the Irish with two QBs in town (Everett Golson and Jacoby Brissett) along with Brennan Scarlett from Oregon, who could ease the pain (at least a bit) for losing Aaron Lynch. 

Utah 31  ND 20

Jimmy: Utah

The first meeting between these schools should have carried a little more fanfare than this.  Senior Day will tug at the heart strings a little, but you can’t say with a straight face you’re going to miss this class on the football field.  We all wanted to like these guys.  But look over this list slowly.  Is it shocking that this collection is responsible for the losingest 4-year stretch in school history?  Armando Allen, Brian Smith, Ian Williams, Gary Gray, Robert Hughes, Kerry Neal, Emeka Nwankwo, Matt Ragone, Harrison Smith, Steve Paskorz, Andrew Nuss, Taylor Dever, Aaron Nagel, Matt Romine, Brandon Walker (and early bolters Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate).  Yikes – that’s a lot of names that made minimal impact in their careers.  And the ones that played generally left fans wanting more. 

Hopefully we look back fondly and regard this class as the group tasked with an ugly transition that paved the way for better days by modeling the ND way to recruits.  (Just writing that sentence caused my gag reflex to start acting up – can’t believe I’m making excuses for mediocrity).  I appreciate the sacrifices and commitment these student-athletes made, but their “legacy” is chock full of underachievement and disappointment. 

As for the game itself, I fully expect Utah to channel their frustration from last week’s embarrassment and unleash their full arsenal on an overmatched Irish defense.  Things could get ugly fast.  Tommy Rees’ first career start is the only real point of interest, outside of a love-is-blind masochistic compulsion to tune in to NBC. 

Utah 45  Notre Dame 31

Matt: Notre Dame

I’m back on board.  All it took was a bye week and a cathartic week of reflection for me to start taking baby sips of the Irish Kool-Aid.  First, this game, then some bigger picture observations.

Utah isn’t that great.  They were wildly overrated due to their undefeated record, but their only real test before last weekend came against Pitt, which they barely passed with a win in overtime.  Sure, they’re destruction of Iowa State in Ames was nice, but really there just isn’t much there on the resume.  Five of their 8 wins have comes against the dregs of D-1 (Wyoming, UNLV, San Jose St, Colorado St, New Mexico are all sub-100 in the Sagarin rankings with New Mexico checking in at a whopping 175.  My bank account thanks you Lobos.)  And of course they got the doors blown off of them last week at home against TCU.  No one will be confusing this Notre Dame team with TCU any time soon, but still, the opportunity is there for the Irish to pull off the ‘upset’ and get the train back on the tracks.

Rees played competently two weeks ago against Tulsa, and I think Kelly will have coached him up so that there will be no noticeable dropoff from Crist.  Armando Allen is done for his career, but in comes Cierre Wood to see if he can live up to his lofty hype.  Again, not a lot of dropoff in pure talent there, maybe even an upgrade.  Of course Armando brought the intangibles of pass protection, receiving…but let’s see what Cierre can do.  On the defensive side, Utah’s QB Jordan Wynn is ok, but was dreadful against TCU.  I think ND has seen much better QB’s already this year, so I’m really not too worried about him.  In their two real games to date against Pitt and TCU, the Utes rushed for only 170 yards combined.  Again, not quite the juggernaut that everyone would have you believe leading into last weekend.  I think ND can handle Utah and get back to the winner’s circle.

As far as big picture, I really think the bye week helped put things in perspective for me.  Maybe that was because there wasn’t an opportunity for another L to be tacked onto the record, but a few things:

-          It’s Year 1 of the BK era people!  He’s not going anywhere, no matter how many chuckleheads on NDNation clamor for Gruden or Stoops.  He has made his living as a player development guy, and that can’t really happen overnight.  He didn’t win with 2 stars at UC and no stars at Central by accident.  Let’s give him a chance to get a season under his belt, a recruiting class in the pipeline, and then maybe we can start handing out grades.

-          It’s Year 1 of the BK era people!  Can’t say it enough.  Perspective.  Lou Holtz was under .500 his first year at ND.  Pete Carroll inherited a mess at USC and wasn’t great right out of the gate.  Nicholas Saban lost to Louisiana Monroe during his first season!  That’s ten times worse than losing to Navy or Tulsa.  Now, if the same things are happening in year two, then we have problems.  But I don’t think they will.  Kelly is too good of a coach with too good of a track record, no matter how ‘small timey’ it may be, to just flame out at ND. 

-          Injuries.  Ok, never an excuse, but in this case, it’s just reality.  What other team in the country has lost its starting QB, RB, TE, WR2, a starting safety and a myriad of other dings and dents along the way?  It’s just been a tsunami of injuries.  Again, I’m chalking it up to one of those fluky years, but if it’s happening again next year then some fingers will have to be pointed at the strength and conditioning program.  Perhaps the most damaging injuries of all have been at safety, the position of least depth right now on the roster.  With Jamoris Slaughter basically having been out for the year and Dan McCarthy right next to him on the sideline, Harry Smith and Zeke Motta have had to be ironmen.  Not to mention it severely limited the defenses ability to play nickel etc.

-          Crazy circumstances.  The Tulsa game was played under a black cloud and one can only imagine the mindset of the players and coaches after experiencing such a tragedy.  The Navy game was a fluke to the 10^th degree, with a complete butcher-job of the defensive gameplan (Assistant coaches are not off limits for the one and done treatment, so BK needs to do a thorough examination of Diaco’s ability to lead the defense next year) and Michigan was just a one man show (admittedly better talent or scheme on defense should have won that game as Michigan has proved to once again be a fraud.) 

Bottom line is, there are two big games left to show the country that Notre Dame is not fading into Bolivian and is still somewhat relevant on the national landscape.  Utah is not a great team, merely a good one, and USC is similar and will have nothing to play for.  I want to see this Irish team circle the wagons and win out, which I don’t think is unreasonable.  Let’s finish strong on the field and in recruiting (this weekend could be big) and go from there.  IF, there is any sign that the players are throwing in the towel or going through the motions, that would be extremely alarming.  I haven’t seen it yet, the writers who cover the team daily haven’t seen it, and honestly I don’t expect to see it.  The leaders on this team are all young guys who haven’t proven anything, and I think they can see the opportunity in front of them to bring the program back.  That starts on Saturday.  The students will not be storming the field as the losingest class in ND history.

ND 37 Utah 31

PS, if ND gets blown out on Saturday, forget I ever wrote this.  I’ll be right back in line with everyone else questioning everything about the program from the Adidas on the jersey to the head coach, athletic director and president of the university.

Mike: Utah

Utah is coming off an embarrassing home trashing at the hands of TCU, but the Utes have too much firepower for Notre Dame to handle.  With an extra week to rest and prepare, I expect ND to play somewhat better than in weeks past.  Given ND’s deficiencies on defense and an offensive game plan which should feature about 80 passes from a true freshman quarterback, “better” will not be good enough.  Look for Utah to move the ball with relative ease and to score another special teams touchdown.  For Irish supporters, this season cannot end fast enough.

Utah 37 Notre Dame 27