More fodder for the Stoops Rumor Mill

Rivals.com: Is this your last coaching stop?

Bob Stoops: Oh, who knows? I'm not that old, I guess. I haven't reached 50 yet. So, who knows what's in store, you know?

IBG: "I promise I'm not doing this at work" Edition

To be fair to my dear readers, I'm going to answer these questions slightly out of order, as the last question has a clear impact on the first. Sorry, Sarah.

5. I, for one, was very optimistic at the beginning of the season. Now, at 6-4, I am nearly disgusted with this team, and I admit to some actions regarding Notre Dame football that I never thought I would engage in. I can't imagine I am alone. Have you done anything this season - turn off games at halftime, leave early, not watch at all, etc. - that smack of desperation and disgust with this team?

I, too, was absolutely brimming over with optimism at the beginning of the season. And, like Sarah, I have engaged in actions that I would not normally engage in. There are two things I'm somewhat ashamed of.

First, I was hosting a party during the Pitt game. I had explained to my guests that they were welcome to join me in watching the game, but that I would be glued to the television.

At halftime, however, I was frustrated by the team, and agreed to play a drinking game. A particularly brutal one. I honestly don't remember much of the second half, except that it got worse before it got better, as I was wandering in and out.

The second thing I'm ashamed of is that although I will be done with work with no other plans on Saturday afternoon, I'm not going to the game. I normally make an effort to watch the game at Notre Dame stadium every time that I can. But this week, I just don't want to. I fear the Husky, and don't think my poor heart can take another heartbreaking loss at home. I'll watch it at home on my television.

1. The Pitt loss: give me something good about it, something bad about it, and something ugly about it.

Good: Ummm.... Golden Tate? He's always good. Oh, and Rivals.com current bowl projections put us in the Gator Bowl versus (wait for it...) Miami!

Bad: Where do I start? Running game, tackling fundamentals, flat and uninspired play at the beginning of the game. I could go on and on, but they are all of the same problems that have plagued the Irish since Weis arrived.

Ugly: When was the last time Notre Dame beat a highly ranked opponent? The Irish used to get themselves up for games against the big boys. They used to relish coming out and punching the likes of top-ranked Army, Oklahoma, Michigan, Miami, and USC in the mouth. Now, we can't even eke out a win against a decent but overrated top 10 Pitt team.

Most frustrating for me is that all season Notre Dame looks like the more talented team on the field. Even against USC. But their lack of discipline, absence of commitment to fundamentals, and inability to play smart football keep putting us in position to lose games. The fact that this team is not in national title contention is a disgrace.

2. UConn this week. Does the sellout streak end? Do you care if it does end? And if it does, does this have any meaning beyond it being the end of yet another ND streak during the Charlie Weis era?

It's not just apathy that's keeping me out of the stadium this week. I kind of want the sellout streak to end. I want to send a message to the administration that we do not approve of the mediocrity that has been churned out by every level of administration of this program. From the play of the players on the field, through their preparation and coaching, the scheduling, the Disneyfication of the gameday experience, the Draconian enforcement of alcohol consumption rules, the down-in-front mentality, the handling of coaching searches. Everything. I'm sick of it, and although I love this University, this one week, I'm making my stand.

I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore.

"There has been a surrender at Notre Dame, but it is a surrender to excellence on all fronts, and in this we hope to rise above ourselves with the help of God."
-Fr. Hesburgh

3. UConn is coming off of a bye week, with three losses just before that, including close losses to West Virginia and Cincinnati. The last time they won was just before cornerback Jaspar Howard was killed. These factors - along with ND's sorry performances recently - suggest to me that UConn is a dangerous team for a Notre Dame team that could really use a win going into Stanford. Should I be worried about this game? And what should I be worried about?

As I said before, I fear the Husky. This team is, in a nearly literal sense, a wounded animal. They are fighting through grief and pain, and each heartbreaking loss feels like they've let their fallen comrade down.

Now they are walking into Notre Dame Stadium and facing history's team on hallowed ground. UConn is the definition of nouveau riche in college football, having joined Division I-A (FBS, whatever) in 2000. And now they have a chance to make a statement in the first ever meeting of these two teams.

This Husky team dropped over 40 against Cincinatti, coming within 3 of pulling the upset. And they've had as much experience in close games than we have.

One more intangible to throw into the mix is Zach Frazier's personal desire to show up the coach and team that told him he wasn't good enough, leading to his transfer.

Notre Dame is clearly on the cusp of another coaching change, reduced to playing spoiler and trying to scratch their way into the Gator Bowl. Coach Weis keeps talking about this team's heart. These are the games where you show it.

4. Notre Dame will be seeing a familiar face in UConn quarterback Zach Frazer. Is there anyone who transferred out of Notre Dame, or who the Irish nearly got in the recruiting process, that you think would have made a significant difference on this year's team?

There are so many I could point to, but I think the biggest loss the Irish have suffered was the numerous misses the Irish suffered on the defensive line in Weis' first few recruiting classes. In particular, Gerald McCoy would have been a huge help on this defense.

Another One Bites the Dust

So, here we are, 10 games into Weis' 5th season as head coach of Notre Dame, and we're sitting at 6-4. I don't care what other factors go into the post-season review of Coach Weis, but this team has clearly underachieved. The talent is there, but these kids have shown no significant progress in fundamentals, and that falls squarely on the coaching.

I like Coach Weis. I'm grateful for so many of the great things he has done since he arrived in South Bend. He's rebuilt the foundations of the program and invested him and his family in the South Bend community. He's a good man, and he clearly has a great offensive mind. However, he has not managed to become a complete head football coach. He works tirelessly, but sitting at 6-4 in year 5 is just not good enough. I desperately wanted him to succeed, but at this point, I think it is time to accept that he will not be the head football coach of Notre Dame next year, barring three straight impressive looking wins over UConn, Stanford, and the bowl opponent. And even that may be too little, too late.

So, let's take this opportunity to look at the not-so-short list of potential candidates to replace Coach Weis, in no particular order.

Brian Kelly, Head Coach, University of Cincinnati

I was not a big fan of Kelly's when his name was being bandied about last year. But, he's shown at every stop that he's capable of building a winner in short order. There are some question marks, including his ability to handle national recruiting, admissions standards, etc. But, he reminds me very much of Jim Tressel in his background. I think he's the safest hire on the board.

Urban Meyer, Head Coach, University of Florida

I just don't think this is going to happen. Sue, he's clearly the best candidate out there. And yes, he's repeatedly stated that Notre Dame is his dream job. He has connections to the University, having coached here as an assistant. He's a Catholic named after a pope. But ultimately, he's won multiple titles at a top tier program, and pulling that kind of coup I think is beyond our ability.

Bob Stoops, Head Coach, University of Oklahoma

Stoops is clearly a top tier coach, having taken Oklahoma to a championship, multiple conference championships and BCS bowls. Again, I think luring a coach from a Tier 1 program is not going to happen. And, he does have a bit of history of losing big games. But, if it came to fruition, I'd definitely be excited. Of course, he has no experience with academic standards, and he has had some brushes with the NCAA.

Jon Gruden, Monday Night Football Analyst, former Superbowl winning head coach

Gruden is one of the names that pops up every time we start talking about a potential replacement. He graduated from South Bend Clay while his father was an assistant here. He's won on the biggest stage of them all. He's young, fiery and passionate. He also has no experience coaching in college, and I'd be very wary of bringing in another NFL guy. This team needs someone to coach up these kids on fundamentals.

Paul Johnson, Head Coach, Georgia Institute of Technology

Johnson is one of my personal favorite candidates. He's shown an ability to drill fundamentals into his players, and uses the triple option to great effect at each of his stops. Of course, transitioning back to an option offense may not be the best fit for our current personnel, but he did it at Georgia Tech in no time flat. Not many downsides here.

Mike Shanahan, not currently employed, former 2-time Superbowl winning head coach

Shanahan is my personal favorite darkhorse in this race, even though he is an NFL guy. He has some high-level experience in college coaching before transitioning to the NFL. His system at Denver was extremely consistent, and his ability to generate a running game regardless of running back is very attractive. He's current available, so we could work out a seamless transition. I really like this option, but nobody seems to be talking much about the possibility.

Gary Patterson Head Coach, Texas Christian University

A defensive guy that coaches a team with a very explosive offense, and has built TCU into a national power. He doesn't recruit nationally (he's in Texas, he doesn't have to), but his Texas connections could add to a well-built recruiting machine that's already in place.

Nick Saban, Head Coach, University of Alabama

I'm not sure why Saban's name even comes up, but I've heard it enough times that I feel I should mention it. He's a perfect fit for Alabama - shady coach for a shady program that will do ANYTHING to win and win now. Alabama is still one of the top tier programs, and there is no chance he leaves such a cush job. And I don't want him, I don't care how good he is at coaching. Same reasons I want nothing to do with Pete Carroll.

Jim Harbaugh, Head Coach, Stanford University

Okay, so Harbaugh is a Michigan guy who reportedly does not like Notre Dame at all. But, if you ignore those intangibles, he's the best option on paper. He's quickly rebuilt a Stanford program that has to deal with admissions standards into an impressive team that just beat Pete Carrol's USC team 55-21. And, this wasn't his first time beating the Poodle either. He has a strong running game that sets up the play-action pass. He may be playing his way into an interview at the end of the season.


I'm sure there are others out there that I've missed. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment, and I'll post an addendum.

IBG: Extra! Extra! Edition

Read all about it! Notre Dame's defense torn to shreds! Oh, wait. Wasn't that last week's story? Or maybe the week before. I know I've read this story before...

This week's IBG hosted by the OB - Subway Domer. We're supposed to provide a headline for each question.

1. After weeks and weeks of living on the edge, Notre Dame finally fell off of that edge into a pile of shit. Please describe your mental state since the Navy game. Are you hopeless or hopeful? Why?

Domer Law Bumfuzzled

I'm so lost right now, I've spent all week sort of floating through life. I can't focus at work, and I'm losing sleep. I know this team is talented, and the only people beating them right now is themselves. I don't know which was is up.

I'm vacillating wildly between firing Coach Weis and staying the course. I don't know which way this program is headed, and I'm not entirely sure how to fix it.

Happily, this weekend's row with the Pitt Panthers should tell me everything I need to know about Coach Weis and this football team. Win, and you can get this ship righted and build some momentum going into next season. Lose, and it becomes time to start praying for a miracle hire by new AD Jack Swarbrick.

2. Given the sorry state of the Fighting Irish defense, are they capable of slowing down Pitt's offense, or will Stull, Baldwin, and Lewis have career days?

Pitt's Offensive Explosion

When I was looking at the matchups this weekend, I was not encouraged. Bill Stull is 5th in the country in passing efficiency. In a run-first offense. The Panthers are 16th in the country in scoring offense. Our biggest issue is giving up the long passes, and Baldwin is averaging 20 yards per catch.

They're gonna score some points.

3. Notre Dame has had serious Red-Zone issues this year. They can't score... why is that? What needs to be corrected and how can they do this?

ND Offense Gets Physical

This is one of the things that is most puzzling me this year. Offense is different when you get down by the goalline, as speed becomes less of a factor, and size and strength become more important. We are not imposing our will against defenses in the red zone. We should be pounding them, and using the tight ends on inside routes and our tall receivers on fade routes. Instead, it seems like every time we get close, we just throw a couple of fade routes and then kick the field goal. We need to run, and use our size advantage inside.

With Rudolph gone, however, I'm guessing we'll see more of the fade route since Floyd is healthy. My hope is that Armando Allen will be back as part of this offense.

4. Charlie Weis and Dave Wannstache started coaching their alma maters at the same time. They have both coached on crutches. They both seem to recruit fairly well. They are both considered disappointing in their respective 5 year campaigns. After reviewing their total body of work, who would you rather have coaching ND in 2010? Explain.

Weis retained despite year-end skid, Wanny fired after bowl win

I'm still going to go with Weis. Although Wanny has managed to get his team into the top 10, he did so in a weak Big East. His biggest win is over Navy (which I'm certainly in no position to scoff at), and the loss was to a now 4-5 NC State team. This team would only have 1 loss against that schedule as well, and may have been able to actually beat Navy, since they would have been able to focus on them as the toughest team on the schedule, rather than coming out flat and uninspired.

Weis has his issues - don't get me wrong. I just think that, at the end of the day, he's better than the Wannstache.

5. Prediction time. How does this game play out. Please include a score, an offensive MVP, a defensive MVP, and a sleeper.

Cardiac Catholics give Coach a Heart Attack

Notre Dame comes out of the gate pissed off and ready to hurt someone. They get an early lead, but the Panthers punch back with their own explosiveness by scoring a couple of LONG TDs with Baldwin, and another rushing TD by the freshman RB Lewis. Notre Dame and Pitt eventually settle into a shootout, trading scores and leads until the end of the game. Clausen scores the go ahead TD on a quick slant to Allen with 1:15 left on the clock.

Weis, in his excitement, suffers a mild heart attack and is carted off the field in an ambulance.

Then Stull comes out and tears the ND secondary to shreds en route to a game winning TD pass to Baldwin.

Tenuta, in his frustration, eats Ian Williams.

Pitssburgh 49
Notre Dame 45

Yes, folks, you read that right. Domer Law, the biggest ND homer and eternal optimist, picked us to lose a game. It's sad, but true.

Offensive MVP
Notre Dame: Golden Tate, 15 catches 174 yards 3 TDs
Pittsburgh: Jonathan Baldwin, 12 catches 247 yards 4 TDs

Defensive MVP
Notre Dame: Manti Te'o, 17 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks, forced fumble
Pittsburgh: Adam Gunn, 14 tackles, 5 TFL, INT

Sleeper: Bobby Burger, 7 catches 89 yards TD

Reply Hazy, Try Again

What a weekend. It's Monday morning, and even after a relaxing Sunday and a good night's sleep both Saturday and Sunday night, I'm emotionally spent. To be fair, this doesn't all fall on the Irish - there are personal and work issues that decided to rear their ugly heads this week as well.

But, the fact remains that for the first time since I was a child, I shed a tear after the game. It was right during Navy's alma mater, and I was honestly surprised at how emotional I felt.

All of the past 20 years of frustrations and disappointments welled themselves into one perfectly formed teardrop, which slowly wend it's way down my face as the Navy players sang jubilantly after their 2nd straight win at Notre Dame Stadium. Part of what I was feeling was pride - I've watched far more Navy games than any other opponent in my lifetime, as they were always the left-over tickets once everyone else in the family had the opportunity to pick which games they would attend with my grandmother. Personally, I was just happy to go regardless of opponent. And after watching so many times the Navy players lay everything on the field for a full 60 minutes, to see them earn a victory is special to me, even though it does come at the hands of my Irish.

But I was at the 2007 game, too. And there were no tears, despite it being the worst season in Notre Dame history.

This week was different.

This week, I ended the game with my eternal optimism for Notre Dame football shaken.

I don't know where we go from here.

Our BCS hopes were coughed up with Jimmy's fumble inside the 2 yard line. Jimmy's Heisman campaign bounced right between Michael Floyd's shoulder blades and then disappeared. Coach Weis' career may have just sailed off course like Nick Tausch's 2 field goal attempts.

And that's what hurts the most. Last year, after the Syracuse loss, I had the knee jerk reaction of wanting him fired. I spoke and wrote out of anger and frustration, but inside I knew he'd get another chance. This team was too close to try and shift gears.

And even now, I'm hesitant to call for Weis' termination. The pieces to the puzzle are all here, and this team clearly has the talent and ability to beat anyone in the country. Indeed, the only people beating the Irish this year are the Irish themselves.

Now, this isn't meant to be any disrespect to the men of the Naval Academy. They have busted their ass for the past decade and a half and in the process have built themselves not just a good team, but a solid program that the rest of the nation needs to start respecting.

But even they know, inside, that they couldn't beat this Irish team if they were hitting on all cylinders.

And that's why I can't quite bring myself to pull the plug.

I agree with everything Brawling Hibernian and OC Domer have to say. While talking to Sarah from Bad Trade over brunch on Sunday, I admit to having the knee jerk reaction of wanting to fire him.

But now, sitting at my desk Monday morning, doubt and uncertainty have clouded this entire program, to the point that I don't even know for sure whether or not we should can Charlie.

Certainly, the next three game will have some bearing on this discussion. Lose another, and it's clear Charlie should go. Lose two, and it's clear he will.

But, if we win out, should he stay or should he go?

This team will then be 9-3, with close losses to a top 5 USC team, a solid program in Navy, and a Michigan team that started with a lot of bluster before faltering down the stretch. We'll play in the Gator Bowl or Cotton Bowl against the likes of Oklahoma or Miami.

Win or lose in that game, it's too late to be making a decision on Weis' future as the result of a bowl game.

If we win out, I think Weis keeps his job. He broke the bowl streak, and the streaks against BC and MSU. He almost beat USC, and he beat Boston College - the first win over an opponent with a winning record. The win over Pittsburgh - Weis' first since 2006 - would be the difference, as well as a win over what should be a ranked Stanford team as well.

But drop even one of the next three, and the picture becomes a lot murkier.

We lose to Pitt, and once again the charge arises that we beat up and bad to mediocre teams, but can't beat good teams. Lose to UConn, and we have yet another loss to an average team that we should beat. Lose to Stanford, and we get both charges, as inconsistent as that may be. Also, another loss would bring up the fact that Weis' teams start out strong and fade down the stretch.

More converning to me, however, regardless of whether we win out and retain Weis, is that I feel like the entire program is on shaky footing right now regardless.

Fire Weis, and we have to bring in yet another coach with, at best, decent credentials. Forget the pipe dreams about Meyer or Stoops. That's just not going to happen. And I have no idea why everyone is so high on Gruden. He was a mediocre NFL head coach, and other than graduating high school from South Bend Clay, I'm not sure why people seem to want him so bad. Brian Kelly and Gary Patterson are probably the front-runners, and neither of them are particularly exciting for me, except that they are having unprecedented success at their current schools right now. And that's without the recruiting restrictions and academic requirements of Notre Dame.

Not that I don't think that those coaches could succeed here. In fact, whoever takes this job if Weis leaves will have a great foundation upon which to build their legacy. Even if both Jimmy and Tate leave, you still have Rudolph, Allen, Hughes, Floyd, Kamara, Goodman, Parris, Ragone, Toma, Evans, and Walker at the skill positions. Ninety-five percent of the coaches in the country would trade their talent at the skill positions for that in a heartbeat. And the defense, which still sucks, is loaded with talent that is lacking only proper coaching.

But, we'd be back at square one going into a season where we should be easily the favorite to win it all. Clausen, Floyd, Tate, and Rudolph could all claim to be the best in the country at their respective positions. I can't remember a team with that much star power at the offensive skill positions. And yet we're sitting at 6-3, staring at uncertainty headed into next year.

I'm not sure where we go from here. Indeed, the image that keeps running through my head is from Chris Van Allsburg's Mysteries of Harris Burdick. I don't know why, but here it is for your viewing pleasure:

Irish Blogger Gathering: Gold Helmets Galore!

This week's Irish Blogger Gathering is hosted by Charlie's Nasties.

1. With all of the recent injuries, what scenario would you rather have? Option A: Dayne Christ out for the season, Trevor Robinson out indefinitely with an ankle sprain and Jimmy Clausen suffering week to week with turf toe OR Option B: All of the above players are 100% and Floyd is out for the year?

It's no question I'd take Option A. Turf toe is painful (I actually got the same injury two days after Jimmy did) but you can work through it. Crist is our 2nd string QB, and our 3rd stringer has actually started games for us. And Trevor Robinson, while very good, is not irreplacable, as we are very deep along he O-line.

Michael Floyd, however, completely changes this offense. Last year, with Floyd out, the offense struggled mightily, and we lost both games. This year, Floyd was out at the end of the Michigan game, a loss. And he didn't get to play against USC, our only other loss. One could legitimately make the argument that if not for Floyd's injury, we would be undefeated and in the thick of the national title picture.

Now don't get me wrong - Golden Tate is amazing. But just think what he would be doing if they couldn't triple team him every play.

Now, the only way I'd choose option B is if you look at the possibility of a medical redshirt, and you know that all of the players are going to use every ounce of eligibility left to them. I'd rather have Michael Floyd here to help with the transition from Clausen to Crist after winning the title next year. But, it's unlikely that Floyd will be able to stay out of the draft after next year.

2. After experiencing our first neutral site game at San Antonio this week, it got me thinking about our upcoming off site game against Navy. What are your thoughts on playing Navy in Ireland in 2012? Should the 7-4-1 model take us abroad?

I'm already in the planning stages to take a very large contingent of my friends to Dublin for this game. I've never been more excited about a Navy game in my entire life.

Sure, it has a couple of drawbacks. However, watching the Fightin' Irish play in the homeland of the Irish has got to get you fired up.

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

I'm lookng forward to Manti Te'o's relationship with Ricky Dobbs. The key to stopping this offense is to play sound, fundamental assignment defense. And, the best way to disrupt this offense is to get negative plays on first down, taking them out of their comfort zone. With Te'o's athleticism, I'm expecting him to have a career game in tackles, especially tackles for loss. If nothing else, he can force the early pitch, keeping the tailback from getting to the edge.

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



The obvious answer here would be cornerback/safety play in the zone defense. We have had serious issues with passing coverage from zone to zone. There is a clear lack of communication there, as there are too many miscues. If the defensive backfield could play as a unit and count on each other to cover their assignments, this team would be unstoppable.

5. Everyone in the country saw that Navy took #6 Ohio State down to the wire in the opening week; how will the Midshipmen fare against the Irish? Predictions please.

Unlike the Buckeyes, the Irish face this Navy offense every single year. The experienced players know what's coming, and have practiced against it several times before. Also, the strength of our defense all year has been rush defense.

The key here will be how the Irish matchup against Navy on first down. If we can stop them for little or no gain, or even get a loss, this offense will struggle to move the chains.

Also, I'm excited to see what this offense looks like with Michael Floyd back in the lineup. Robby Parris is also healthy, so we now have 7 receivers that have shown the ability to be productive. And a potential All-American tight end on top of that. Not to mention the guys that can catch the ball out of the backfield. So many weapons to try to defend.

My prediction is that we'll have success in shutting down the potent Navy rushing offense, but because of the very nature of their offense, they may be able to keep things close. If we have early success and can build a substantial lead, this game could become a blowout. But, this is Navy, and they never say quit. We need to flex our muscles on defense and play for 60 minutes.

Notre Dame 35
Navy 24

Go Irish! Beat Midshipmen!

IBG: Halloween at the Alamo Edition

This week's Irish Blogger Gathering is hosted by Whiskey over at One foot Down.


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

(a) I hate the 7-4-1, not as a concept, but as a limitation. I like having 7-4-1 as a goal, but if sticking to the 7-4-1 is going to cost us a series against Miami or Alabama, scrap it to get those games done. The biggest problem with the 7-4-1 is that it creates too many "buy" games, where we cannot offer an opponent a return trip.
(b) I feel very similar about the barntorming game. I love the idea, its the implementation that I would like to fix. The idea of playing a quality opponent at a neutral site as a sort of mid-season bowl game is great! The only problem is, scheduling a marquis opponent has been a problem. Apparently, the big conferences are thumbing their noses at the idea of playing a neutral site game in their "conference footprint," leaving us to play, for example, a Pac-10 team in Big-12 country. I could deal with that, but the other issue is that we are insisting on treating this as a "home" game for revenue purposes, leaving the marquis opponents feeling slighted. Forget the money - there's plenty to go around. Let's split the revenues down the middle and find a way to play Alabama in the Orange Bowl. Texas in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. Florida State in the Superdome. Wisconsin at FedEx Field in DC.
(c) I was concerned about this game at first. I thought nobody would go. But then, I remembered that this fan base is positively obsessed with their Irish. Hell, if I had the money and the time, I'd sure as hell be there. I know Sarah over at Bad Trade is going. Heck, half of the people I invited to my big Halloween Party are going. Of course, I wish the opponent were somewhat better than Washington State, but who knew that the Cougars would be one of the absolute worst teams in all of college football when they got here? If I recall, they do play in a major conference (Pac-10) and have been in the Rose Bowl as recently as 2002.

2. I have personally had this game circled on the schedule for quite some time as the one “sure thing.” After the last few games I have really been looking forward to a drama free victory. As luck would have it I started looking at the Cougars more closely this morning and it appears that freshman quarterback Jeff Tuel went 28 of 42 for 354 yards and 2 TD’s in a losing effort against Cal over the weekend. With the Irish secondary still struggling to get it together what are the chances that yet another freshman signal caller makes this one way more interesting than it should be on Saturday night in San Antonio?

Zero.

I'm sorry, but the deficiencies in our pass defense may be bad, but this Washington State team is simply not equipped (as our past several opponents have) to handle the pressure up front. We'll actually see these blitzes get to the quarterback, and everyone will think our problems are solved, when they are in fact just masked by a weak offensive line.

If this game becomes a nailbiter, the heat on Coach Weis will turn up immensely. This team is ranked 119th in Sagarin's computer ratings, and 125th by his predictor (we're 20th and 22nd, respectively, in those categories).

We should walk out onto that field and quite smiply manhandle these kids. This should get ugly by early in the second half, and we should get plenty of time to watch Dayne Crist work.

If that is not the case, then this team is far further away then I thought.

We've had some nailbiters, but they came against a Michigan team that still thought they were pretty good (and in the Big House), a Michigan State team that has had our number at home the previous 6 times, a Purdue team that is young but talented and growing (oh, and who beat a top 5 Ohio State team as well), a USC team that has owned us for the better part of a decade, and Boston College, who always treats the Notre Dame game as their biggest game of the year (and who was 5-2 coming in, in case you forgot). Their Sagarin rankings? 46/48, 43/36, 75/62, 5/5, and 38/31 respectively. Only Purdue was ranked out of the top 50.

This Washington State team is not in that category. 119/125.

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

Obviously, Dayne Crist. With Jimmy Clausen facing a big decision about whether to come back next season, this is a golden opportunity to get some meaningful snaps for the heir apparent. Indeed, I want to see us give him the chance to throw the ball around the field a little bit in a live game.

Next in line would be the offensive line backups. I know we rotate them in right now, but I'd like to give next year's starting 5 quite a bit of time to play together and develop their chemistry.

4. With the game being played on Halloween Night chances are that if you are not traveling to San Antonio you most likely have a scheduling conflict. Whether you are supposed to be at a party dressed as Fat Elvis, taking your kids trick-or-treating or just dealing with your doorbell ringing nonstop how do you plan to watch the game? If you are going what are you most looking forward to?

As stated earlier, I am throwing a massive party at my house. Of course, said massive party will also involve a very large and very raucous game-watch. There will be around 100 other people capable of answering the door and handing out candy. My butt will be front and center watching the football game. I'll mingle with guests while I celebrate the blowout.

5. Trick or Treat? Predictions please.

Treat! Or is it Tate? The Irish should fire out of the gate here, looking to put this whole "Cardiac Catholics" thing they've got going on away for at least one week. Of course, knowing Coach Weis, he'll let off the gas up 28 points.

Notre Dame 42
Washington State 3

By the way, I still need a costume for Halloween. Please post your ideas in the comments section.