Brian Kelly to Notre Dame; Officially Unofficial

The University of Cincinnati has yet to officially confirm that their head football coach Brian Kelly has accepted the head coaching position at Notre Dame, but that's clearly the case and all signs point to an official announcement tomorrow.

After winning the coach of the year award on ESPN's awards show Thursday night, Chris Fowler tried and tried to get any sort of answer from Kelly on the matter, but to no avail.

The Cincinnati players have done what Fowler couldn't however which is get an answer as Kelly told the team in a closed door meeting following their team banquet that he had indeed accepted the job at Notre Dame.

Senior standout receiver Mardy Gilyard walked out of the meeting after just 1 minute and was clearly upset.

"I heard everything I needed to know: 'I accepted the Notre Dame job,'" Gilyard said. "He went for the money. I'm fairly disgusted with the situation, that they let it last this long."

"I feel there was a little lying in the thing," Gilyard added. "I feel like he'd known this the whole time. Everybody knows Notre Dame's got the money. I kind of had a gut feeling he was going to stay just because he told me he was going to be here."

Gilyard wasn't the only Bearcat feeling the sting of Kelly's departure.

Star quarterback Tony Pike explained that Kelly told players last week that he was happy at Cincinnati.

"The Tuesday when we were practicing for Pittsburgh, he said he loves it here and he loves this team and loves coaching here and his family loves it here," Pike said.

I'm already decidedly on the record as not being a fan of Kelly, and I won't rehash that here.

However, while I understand the need and desire to keep the process quiet, misleading your own players is pretty low.

Sure, word would have leaked out had they known, but tomorrow at his Irish press conference, it will ring a bit hollow when they speak of Kelly's honesty and integrity.

Maybe I'm wrong and Kelly actually is a really nice guy. But his public perception is curious at best. There seem to be more than a few negatives out there, but he will be given a chance to change that at Notre Dame.

Kelly will almost certainly not coach his undefeated team in the Sugar Bowl, and they will get trounced because they just aren't that good.

The book is still out on Kelly.

Virginia Tech-Virginia Week and Notre Dame-Stanford

It's a big week for both programs as the Hokies take on their arch-rivals and Charlie Weis hopes to cling to his job as the Fighting Irish travel to battle a very solid Stanford team.

Brian and I both picked Stanford in that one and it certainly looks like the smart pick right now. We'll have to see just how much fight is left for the Irish.



Saturday, Tech will bid farewell to longtime friend of the program Al Groh who will likely be coaching his final game for the Wahoos. The Hokies should roll in front of mostly their own fans in Charlottesville, but anything can happen in the battle for the Commonwealth Cup.

It's going to be a great, busy week. I'll have quick picks up tomorrow.

Sometimes things don't always go as planned. I went 5-1 in my picks this week missing only on Stanford's drubbing of Southern California. Virginia Tech defeated Maryland as expected 36-9. On the other hand Notre Dame lost another tough one, this time to No. 9 Pittsburgh 27-22.

Golden Tate is an absolute menace, I'm not sure that you can really stop him. I don't know why Notre Dame doesn't run some hurry-up offense when they get in a rut though. It's much easier for Clausen to get in a rhythm that way. I've been suggesting that the Hokies do it all year with Tyrod Taylor who seems to be the same way.

I was most impressed with Dion Lewis of Pitt. That kid is special. He and Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams are without a doubt the two best freshman backs in America.

A tough week for Charlie who appears to be in serious trouble now. Talk about a must win against UConn.

Word to the Weis: Win

As Justin alluded to I made a rather knee-jerk reaction after Saturday’s loss. Now that I’ve allowed my head of steam to dissipate I’m ready to attempt to tactfully express my feelings on what transpired. Here goes.

What I saw on Saturday didn’t mark a regression from what I’ve witnessed over the course of the previous eight games this season.

Over the span of games prior to Saturday’s debacle, Notre Dame showed itself capable of overcoming nearly any obstacle: several multiple possession deficits in the second half, 16 years without a home win against a rival, seven straight losses to a rival, countless missed chances to punch the ball in from inside the five yard-line, multiple possessions from the opposition inside the 10 yard-line (including two in a row), nine consecutive bowl losses, and probably a few more quirky statistics or intense game situations I’m forgetting.

What little momentum was gained by those achievements was squandered and left on the field last Saturday during Notre Dame’s 23-21 loss to Navy.

No, what I saw on Saturday was not a regression but rather the startling reality of an unfocused team.

This is not an admonition of things to come. Dating back to Weis’ first year at the helm of the Irish ship he clearly portrayed himself as commander of an often gritty but not always suited for battle team.

Let us examine a few case points by season:

2005 – an overtime home opener loss to MSU after manhandling Pitt in the season opener; a flat and uninspired performance against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl that led to another loss

2006 – embarrassing home loss to Michigan in a game that wasn’t close after the first five minutes of play; lackadaisical effort in the Coliseum against the Trojans in the regular season finale; another blowout bowl loss in the Sugar Bowl to LSU

2007 – failed attempt at converting personnel designed for a pro-style offense into an option attack that lead to a defeat against Georgia Tech; atrocious 38-0 shutout in Ann Arbor to Michigan; first loss against Navy in 43 consecutive attempts; loss to a second academy (Air Force) for the first time since the 1940s; zero wins in first five games of the season; 58 sacks surrendered over the entire season (a record for most at the time); another hapless effort (and shutout) versus arch-rival USC at home; worst record in school history at 3-9

2008 – blown leads at North Carolina, at Home against Pittsburgh and Syracuse (a team that won 2 games all year!); ineptitude again at USC (no first down until final play of third quarter)

There are probably many things I have left out of this list but forgive me as this was all from memory. For a more extensive list please visit this lovely piece from the fine gentlemen at NDNation (they’re always on top of their game).

My point is that the loss to Navy, while shocking, should not be too much of a surprise to the Irish faithful. With Charlie Weis as head coach there hasn’t been much ‘fight’ in the Fighting Irish.

The head coach is supposed to rally his troops and focus them on the task at hand. But Weis’ teams have been anything but focused.

To be sure, his men have challenged that stigma this year by winning three of 5 games in the closing minutes of battle.

But there remains an uneasy aura that Weis-led teams cannot get up for big games when it matters the most.

I have always liked Charlie Weis as a person and admired his willingness to transform his stubborn personality. After all, he has not hesitated to dismiss underperforming assistant coaches (see John Latina and Jappy Oliver) or alter part of his coaching philosophy (from no hitting in practices to demolition derby).

Make no mistake about it – his personality will not be the reason for his departure. His win-loss record will.

I’m not sure what the powers that be have in store for Weis but I know that a few more losses this season will only add to the case against keeping him on the payroll.

I hope he pulls himself up from last weekend, leads the Irish to victories in each of its final regular season games, and closes out the year with a Gator Bowl victory.

As Weis said at the start of the year, though, “don’t tell me about expectations, show me.”

It’s now or never for Weis. A win this weekend against Pittsburgh, which would qualify as Notre Dame's first against a top 10 opponent since Weis' first year win at then #3 Michigan, will almost certainly buy him one more season.

Losing is not an option. Time to make it happen.

Weekend Recap

So my picks absolutely tanked. 2-3 for the weekend and Georgia Tech should have lost too if not for Riley Skinner taking a sack at the end of regulation to take Wake out of field goal range.

Also, this won't come as a shock to anyone but Penn State sucks. Play a real non-conference schedule Joe Pa you fossil and maybe you won't lose to average Big Ten teams like Iowa and Ohio State (though the Buckeyes are in fact the conference's best while Iowa is a sham).

The Irish did not have a good day yesterday against the Naval Academy (one of my favorite non-Hokie teams). ND gave a valiant effort late, but it just wasn't quite enough to overcome the Midshipmen.

Brian made a partial post that appeared it was going to rail on Charlie Weis, but I took it down for now. I'm quite certain we'll get Brian's full thoughts in the coming week.

And now the most important part of my post, it would appear the Hokies will be wearing white helmets next weekend when they thump Maryland if you take a look at this new merchandise.

Brian vs. Justin - Week 9 CFB Predictions Tracker

For the first time in what seems like an eternity Notre Dame finally put away a team in the first half.

Jimmy Clausen continued to pad his Heisman candidacy stats by completing 22 of 27 passes for 268 yards and two TDs.

Golden Tate also showed why he's worthy of the sought after trophy with an unbelievable Hail Mary grab from Clausen at the end of the first half to give the Irish a 30-7 lead. Prior to that outstanding snag he bounced off of two Washington State defenders, leaving them confused and in his rearview mirror as he coasted to a TD run out of the Wildcat formation.

All in all there were only a few negatives to glean from the game: Ben Turk's 11 yard punt, Nick Tausch's blocked extra point attempt, Dayne Crist's injury, and the lack of ND campus shots as this marked the first in a series of neutral site "home" games for the Irish.

The same cannot be said for the Hokies, who suffered their third loss of the year with a crushing last-second home defeat to the North Carolina Tar Heels who recorded their first ACC victory of the season.

To be fair, the Tar Heels have turned into a talented program under the direction of Butch Davis. Had it not been for the unfortunate Ryan Williams fumble, however, the Hokies would have walked away with an Orange Effect victory. Williams is a tremendous back and I can't help but feel sorry for the guy who has elevated himself while filling in seamlessly for the injured Darren Evans.

Neither Justin nor I correctly picked the outcome of the Hokies' game but, as previously mentioned, we're left playing for pride and point totals as our records and remaining picks are identical.

We both sit at 12-4 for the year but have varying degrees of point differential accuracy. Justin is -50 while I am -93 with only nine regular season games left between the two teams (including the ACC championship).

In related news, prognosticators are projecting a Gator Bowl matchup between the Fighting Irish and the Hokies. If that theory comes to fruition my fiancee claims that "Stars and Slights would explode!" Personally, I would love to meet up against the Hokies in a bowl game especially since the two schools have never played against one another.

As long as both teams keep winning we very well might see that explosion.

Go Hokies, Go Irish!

Week 3 Recap

Ugh. 3-5 was my total for this weekend's games. I told you something didn't feel right. I mean things were screwy all over the place. Notre Dame won but lost their best receiver Michael Floyd for the season. Elsewhere, Virginia Tech had less than 50 yards of total offense in the second half, then managed an 88-yard "drive" to beat Nebraska (Video below...thank you Danny Coale!).

I managed to get fooled into thinking Georgia Tech didn't suck. I love how after Miami thumped a lethargic group of Yellow Jackets, suddenly the "swagger" is back and "the U" jumped 11 spots in the media bowl. Give me a break. The football media has really been getting on my nerves this season, but more on that as the week progresses.

My overall season record now stands at a miserable 11-10. On the bright side, UVA still sucks. Thanks as always coach Groh!

This is really the only part of the Tech game you needed to watch. Absolutely one of the most exciting plays in Lane Stadium history. Here's the link as it will likely cut the video off. Pretty outstanding HD quality.

College Football Weekend Recap

Well, my picks weren't quite as successful as I might have hoped, but I was almost spot on. My record ended at 4-3 with the losses coming by a combined 19 points (14 by Oklahoma over UGA). Not bad considering I didn't expect Sam Bradford to blow up his throwing shoulder or for Georgia to march down the field for 7 points on their opening drive in Stillwater and then score just a field goal the rest of the game.

Brian is 2-0 and I'm 1-1 in our combined Virginia Tech/Notre Dame season predictions. We both had ND over Nevada (which was a laugher of a game I barely watched) and I had the Hokies over Alabama which turned out to be a great game but of course the Hokies fell short.

In unrelated but awesome news, William & Mary defeated Virginia in Charlottesville 26-14 Saturday. The Cavaliers turned the ball over 7 times while debuting their new spread offense. I almost picked this upset not because I thought it would happen, but because I knew it would be hilarious. Turns out I was only half right.

More Notre Dame...I Know, I Know

Here's my take on the 2009 edition of the Fighting Irish football team. No one can accuse this reporter of being biased in favor of the Irish, but I do follow them fairly closely. I mean, it's impossible not to follow them seeing as every game is on television and ESPN has yet to put Lou Holtz out to pasture.

But without further ado, here we go.


Nevada @ Notre Dame

This one should be interesting. Nevada has a far superior running game returning two 1,000-yard rushers, one of whom is quarterback Colin Kaepernick. I think the passing games are pretty even but the Irish defense will be a blitz-happy unit under Jon Tenuta and should slow the Nevada attack. Home field helps too.

Nevada 21
Notre Dame 24


Notre Dame @ Michigan

Yes the spread will work in the Big Ten, but not this year. Rich Rodriguez needs another year to implement his scheme and get his personnel in place. It’s still a rivalry though, so anything can happen.

Notre Dame 35
Michigan 21


Michigan State @ Notre Dame

History only means so much. The string of Michigan State wins in South Bend is impressive but it doesn’t really mean anything. MSU doesn’t even know who their quarterback is yet. Despite that, I really like Mark Dantonio as a head coach and I think the Spartans are a team to watch this year in the Big Ten.

Michigan State 31
Notre Dame 28


Notre Dame @ Purdue

No more Joe Tiller as coach. No more Curtis Painter at quarterback; heck, Purdue wasn’t even good with both of them last season. This one could get ugly. On the bright side the Purdue faithful know how to party so no worries for the Boilermakers.

Notre Dame 42
Purdue 7


Washington @ Notre Dame

It was a bad year for the Huskies in 2008. The only real bright spot is Jake Locker who is the best quarterback you’ve never heard of. His injury last season derailed what promised to be an excellent season for the dual threat QB. I don’t think they have enough tools for him to win this one, but again…anything can happen.

Washington 24
Notre Dame 30


USC @ Notre Dame

It doesn’t matter who their quarterback is, USC is superior at every position and has talent to burn despite all the players they’ve sent to the NFL in recent years. The 2005 game Brain referenced was lightning in a bottle and even that didn’t quite work out. All the tradition, pomp and circumstance in the world can’t make your players better. If they wear the green jerseys they’ll probably lose by more.

USC 35
Notre Dame 17


Boston College @ Notre Dame

Boston College is in a real mess. Their only returning QB with any experience is gone and Mark Herzlich, the best defensive player in the ACC and arguably the best linebacker in the country is out for the season as he battles cancer. The only bright spot for the Eagles is that new head coach Frank Spaziani is one of the three best defensive coordinators in the country (The other two being Bud Foster of Virginia Tech and Tenuta). We’ll see how he does as a head coach.

Boston College 7
Notre Dame 35


Washington State @ Notre Dame (in San Antonio)

Boy, it’s tough times for football in the state of Washington. The Seahawks are the best bet for a winner this year as the Cougars join their chief rival Huskies in rebuilding a once proud program. I’m not very optimistic about their chances of improving on their two wins from last season either. This one should be another laugher.

Washington State 3
Notre Dame 42


Navy @ Notre Dame

Contrary to what Brian said, I don’t think Navy’s offense is gimmicky at all. It’s a highly complex system that requires extreme precision from all 11 players and timing is the most crucial component. No team possesses those skills like the Midshipmen. Losing Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada (I only missed one letter the first time without looking!) certainly hurts, but there is no shortage of disciplined athletes in Navy’s system that can pick up where he left off. Look for Ricky Dobbs to take the snaps and run the offense. ND wins this one, but don’t be shocked if Navy pulls an upset.

Navy 21
Notre Dame 28


Notre Dame @ Pittsburgh

Pitt is an interesting team. I think they’ll probably win the Big East this year (which isn’t saying much) after losing to league champion Cincinnati by only seven points and losing just one other conference match against Rutgers last year. Bill Stull is a capable quarterback, and even without LeSean McCoy, Pitt could cause plenty of trouble in 2009.

Notre Dame 31
Pittsburgh 28


Connecticut @ Notre Dame

Unfortunately for the Huskies, they no longer have Donald Brown in the backfield. Brown is a terrific back who ran for over 2,000 yards last season and scored 18 touchdowns to boot. I just don’t see them being able to replace that kind of production, plus they’re on the road in this one.

Connecticut 17
Notre Dame 31


Notre Dame @ Stanford

Brian’s right, this is a very dangerous game for the Irish. Tavika Pritchard is a solid quarterback so if Andrew Luck is really good enough to keep him on the bench, Stanford should be in good shape. I also really like Toby Gerhart who had 1,136 yards rushing last season. Jim Harbaugh has done a nice job improving Stanford and I look for them to make a bowl game this season. It’ll be interesting however to see how the team that lost it’s last three games in 2008 when it needed one win for a bowl fares at the end in ’09.

Notre Dame 24
Stanford 28


So my overall prediction is Notre Dame finishing the regular season at 9-3. They may lose another one somewhere and pick up a win I don’t expect, but I think 9 wins is a fairly reasonable expectation for this bunch. All the national championship talk (Lou Holtz I’m looking in your direction) is pretty ambitious for a team that finally figured out how to win a bowl game just last year after a much-publicized postseason victory drought.

This season will be critical for the future of head coach Charlie Weis. He’s a terrific coordinator and a very smart offensive mind. I’m starting to think he’s in over his head as a head coach however. His 29-21 record (with 19 of those wins coming in his first two seasons) leaves a lot to be desired, a sort of one step forward two steps back kind of thing. I’ve also questioned some of his administrative moves, most importantly making the aforementioned Tenuta a co-defensive coordinator. The guy wasn’t even calling plays last season. That’s just mind boggling to me.

I of course being a Hokie am a big proponent of giving a coach plenty of time to get his system implemented and find the right blend of coaches. This is a talented team and a talented coaching staff but this season, right or wrong, will probably decide Weis’ immediate future as the head man in South Bend.

Brian's 2009 Notre Dame Football Predictions

When I first looked at Notre Dame's 2009 football schedule I honestly felt pretty good about it. Not great, but I thought we would be a lock for 8 wins. Then I took a closer look... and my thoughts scared me.

Seemingly every team on the schedule is breaking in a quarterback with inexperience. By the time the Irish play most of those teams each QB will have had a few games under his belt, but the first year for new college QB's is always tumultuous.

Notre Dame returns Jr. Jimmy Clausen in his third year of meaningful snaps. Last season he showed signs of brilliance at times and signs of incompetence at others. The stage is set for a breakout season, a-la Brady Quinn's Junior campaign in 2005.

WR's Golden Tate and Michael Floyd are also back to add to their already impressive collegiate resumes. They comprise arguably the best 1-2 WR punch in college football.

So. Kyle Rudolph is the next Pro-bound TE, following in the footsteps of predecessors Anthony Fasano and John Carlson.

The off-season addition of Running Backs coach Tony Alford and Offensive Line coach Frank Verducci will hopefully provide fill the void in the Irish offense: QB protection and a strong running game to setup play-action bombs to Tate and Floyd.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that Weis is back to calling offensive plays without the distraction of also coaching special teams and helping out on defense. That burden falls on newly appointed Defensive Coordinator Jon Tenuta.

Corwin Brown, previously the Defensive Coordinator, moves into a new role as Associate Head Coach, Co-Defensive Coordinator, and Defensive Backs Coach.

So what do all of these moves mean for the Irish in 2009? Let's have a look into Brian's crystal ball...


1. Nevada at Notre Dame - 2:30p CST on NBC, September 5
The first game of the season will set the tone for what to expect moving forward. A strong performance and expectations will be even higher. Conversely, a weak performance could be the prelude to a disappointing year.

The Wolfpack are an interesting matchup for any team with their Pistol offense. While they are one of the few teams the Irish will face all year with experience at the QB position (Colin Kaepernick) the Irish aerial attack will be much more potent.

Irish Linebacker Brian Smith records the first of many sacks for the Irish defense as Kaepernick is pressured all afternoon into making poor decisions.

Jimmy Clausen throws for 320 yards and 3 TDs with 0 INTs and Armando Allen tacks on a rushing TD. Nick Tausch attempts his first collegiate FG and shows confidence by nailing a 38-yd FG straight through the uprights.

Final Score: Notre Dame 31, Nevada 17


2. Notre Dame at Michigan, 2:30p CST on ABC, September 12

Rich Rodriguez's Wolverines squad experienced a 2008 season that almost mirrored the 2007 Irish. A disappointing 3-9 season left a sour taste in Ann Arbor. Does the spread really have a chance to succeed in the Big Ten?

Round 1 for the Irish defense against a Fr. QB (Tate Forcier) has the makings of an ugly afternoon for the winged-helmets. Forcier will have a roller-coaster game with several highlights, most of which to the delight of Notre Dame fans and expense of the home crowd.

Whoever plays return man for ND (Armando Allen, Golden Tate or true Fr. Cierre Wood) will shimmy through the Wolverines special teams for the first Irish kickoff return for a TD since Armando Allen's in the Hawaii Bowl last year.

Michigan manages to score two TDs with an additional FG tacked on for good measure. Notre Dame proves to be too much to handle, though, as Clausen throws for 268 yards and 3 TDs while James Aldridge and Armando Allen each add 1 rushing TD.

Final Score: Notre Dame 42, Michigan 17


3. Michigan State at Notre Dame, 2:30p CST on NBC, September 19

Notre Dame has not beaten MSU at home since more than a decade ago. Yet, despite this fact I feel fairly confident in their ability to end that streak this year.

MSU has a bit of a QB circus going on as a decision has not yet been made on who will take the first snap of the season: RS So. Kirk Cousins or RS So. Keith Nichol. There's no saying the starter of the Spartans' first game will still be the start by the time the roll into Notre Dame Stadium, either.

Even with the questions on offense the Spartan defense will keep things interesting throughout the game.

The Irish will pound the ball early and often, eclipsing the 100 yard mark by the first series of the 2nd half. Allen gets into it not only on the ground but through the air as well, catching a ball out of the backfield for a 30-yard Irish score in the 2nd quarter.

Cousins and Nichol are rotated throughout the game causing inconsistencies in the Spartan offense and numerous miscommunicated routes.

Nick Tausch connects on 2 of 3 FGs for the Irish on top of 4 passing TDs from Clausen to Tate (2), Floyd (1), and Kamara (1).

Final Score: Notre Dame 34, Michigan State 28

4. Notre Dame at Purdue, 7p CST on ABC/ESPN, September 26

The opposing QB carousel continues with another new starter in Joey Elliot for the Boilermakers. Elliot was supposed to engage in a battle last spring but expected starter Justin Siller was dismissed from the team, earning Elliot a default victory.

A career backup to the departed Curtis Painter, Elliot is a RS Sr. who has played several games over the past three seasons. Even his limited game experience, though, will not be enough to overcome the hurdle of learning a new system under first-year Head Coach Danny Hope.

Want to know how this turns out? Take a look at this video...

ND pounces all over the Boilermakers in this contest. It's not even close. Clausen throws for 5 TDs in a breakout game of more than 400 yards passing. Aldridge adds 1 rushing TD and Brian Smith recovers a fumble for another score.

Final Score: Notre Dame 49, Purdue 14

5. Washington at Notre Dame, 2:30p CST on NBC, October 3

Former USC Offensive Coordinator Steve Sarkisian is in his first year on the job as Head Coach of the Huskies.

There should be no doubt that Sarkisian can improve upon his predecessor's shortcomings. A winless 2008 campaign will hopefully represent rock bottom for a tradition-rich program.

QB Jake Locker is probably better than advertised and with the help of Sarkisian could have a standout year. His development will be marked this season as the Huskies put a more competitive product on the field than the previous few years under Tyrone Willingham.

Will Sarkisian provide enough spark to defeat the Irish? No. But it should be a slightly more competitive game than last year.

Allen will rush for 140 yards, supplementing another solid performance from Clausen who throws for 280 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT.

Robert Blanton picks off an errant Jake Locker pass for a TD, too, though Locker throws for 2 TDs and rushes for another.

Final Score: Notre Dame 31, Washington 21

6. Southern California at Notre Dame, 2:30p CST on NBC, October 17

Quick: who was the last Notre Dame coach to beat USC? If you guessed Bob Davie, you are correct. His 2001 Irish squad beat Pete Carroll's Trojans 27-16 in South Bend.

The stage will be set for a matchup of two top ten teams when the Irish and Trojans resume one of college football's most exciting rivalries. Notre Dame will pull out all the stop for this game - green jerseys, stadium pep rally, Joe Montana, Jerome Bettis, and a host of other Irish greats.

Believe it or not, the Irish have a tremendous opportunity to take down the Trojans. Yes, I know this is essentially the same Notre Dame squad that failed to get a first down against the Trojans until last play of the third quarter, finished with 9 yards in the first half, and managed only 3 points.

But ND's defense will face a a green Trojan offense, led by RS So. Aaron Corp who will have only 5 games under his belt at this point in the season.

Brian Smith, Robert Blanton, Ethan Johnson, and the rest of the Irish defense are eager to avenge last year's defeat at the Coliseum. Couple that with the confidence from 5 straight wins and the advantage of 80,000 Irish faithful willing their team on defeat the evil empire... smells like a recipe for success to me.

Can the Irish pull off the upset? Yes. Do I honestly believe that? Yes. Will they?

Yes. No Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush = a repeat of 2005 except without the soul crushing defeat. Notre Dame asserts itself as a legitimate national title contender by squeaking out a victory and ending the 8-year drought.

Final Score: Notre Dame 21, Southern Cal 17

7. Notre Dame vs. Boston College, 2:30p CST on NBC, October 24

Fresh off of a defeat over the Trojans this is the very definition of a trap game. Given the Eagles' recent success against the Irish I am tempted to pick the upset here, but there are few key factors at stake that will enable the Irish to walk away with this one.

BC will be breaking in a new quarterback this season after the expected frontrunner, Dominique Davis, was dismissed from the team for academic reasons and has since transferred.

Justin Tuggle, a RS Fr., or Codi Beck, a transfer from American River Junior College, will earn the starting nod in this one. Both have yet to log actual game time for the Eagles.

On top of the QB position, the Eagles will be without star LB Mark Herzlich, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer earlier this year.

Moreover, the Eagles will be breaking in their 3rd coach in 4 years.

The potent Irish offense will not repeat last season's embarrassing shutout in Chestnut Hill, en route to a comfortable victory.

Final Score: Notre Dame 34, Boston College 10

8. Notre Dame vs. Washington State @ San Antonio, TX, 6:30p CST on NBC, October 31

This game will mark the first of several offsite home games for the Irish, playing in hot recruiting beds around the country to add more exposure to the University.

Let's keep this one simple, though - Wazzou won 2 games last year and not much has changed to suggest they can eclipse that mark.

Armando Allen has a monster game with 150 yards on the ground, 2 rushing TDs, and 1 receiving TD. Clausen has a great game as well, throwing for 325 yards and 3 TDs.

Final Score: Notre Dame 38, Washington State 6

9. Notre Dame vs. Navy, 1:30p CST on NBC, November 7

All is back to normal in the world as the Irish started another winning streak vs. the Midshipmen last season.

Gone is former QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada among a host of other key cogs (namely FB Eric Kettani) to the well-oiled Midshipmen option attack.

While its team is not chock full of blue chip future NFL stars the Midshipmen are always a tough out due to their gimmicky offense and overall discipline. Any man offering up his life for his country is certainly disciplined enough to run like a banshee on the football field for 60 minutes at full speed.

Navy did manage to snap Notre Dame's 43-game winning streak in 2007 in a rousing 3 OT thriller. Will they do it again? No.

The Midshipmen secondary is too porous to combat ND's aerial attack. Jimmy and co. will have a field day.

Final Score: Notre Dame 38, Navy 13

10. Notre Dame at Pittsburgh, time TBA, likely ESPN, ABC, or ESPN2, November 14

As unlikely as it may seem the Irish will come into this game with the opportunity to tack on 10 wins in the regular season for the first time since 2006 you better believe it can happen.

In Weis' first game as ND head coach the Irish throttled Dave Wannstedt's Pittsburgh team in his first game as the Panthers' head coach by a final score of 41-21.

I don't expect as wide of a spread in this year's game, especially given the epic collapse last year in South Bend, but I do expect the Irish to finish strong and not blow an early lead in this one.

If Pitt still had "Shady" McCoy I would be inclined to pick them in this bash. But Shady bolted Pitt after just two years in collegiate action (he was drafted in the 2nd round by the Philadelphia Eagles.)

This won't be a high scoring game but it will certainly be close.

Without a legitimate threat in the backfield the Panthers will face an afternoon of white uniforms on their side of the ball. Tenuta will unleash his blitz-happy defense upon the Panthers all afternoon, evening, whatever time of day it is.

Darrin Walls, the hometown boy, will return an INT for a touchdown in this one as the Irish defense sets the pace early.

Final Score: Notre Dame 28, Pittsburgh 14

11. Notre Dame vs. Connecticut, 1:30p CST on NBC, November 21

Senior day for the fighting Irish should have a much different ring to it in 2009 than it did last year. If you recall, the Irish blew a lead against the lowly Syracuse Orange (3-9) in 2008.

This time around, though, ND will have learned to close out the games it could not shut the door on one year ago. Led by seasoned veterans on both sides of the ball the Irish will take command early in this one.

Former Irish QB Zach Frazer will be the likely starter for the Huskies in this clash. Last time he was in ND stadium he was in a competition to earn the starting nod for the 2007 Irish squad. After losing the battle to Demetrius Jones (now a converted LB at Cincinnati), Evan Sharpley, and Jimmy Clausen he was granted permission to transfer to UCONN in July of '07.

Frazer has improved since his days in South Bend but I don't expect him to be a miracle-worker.

Irish win this one and to move to 11-0 on the year before heading to Stanford and an inevitable BCS bowl game.

Final Score: Notre Dame 34, UCONN 17

12. Notre Dame at Stanford, 7p CST on ABC, November 28

By now you're probably thinking I'm crazy. What are the odds ND comes into the final regular season game of the season undefeated (let alone a win against USC)? Total it up throughout the year and you're looking at .049% chance of winning all eleven games to this point.

Here's where things get wild. By this point the bandwagon will be full of the usual array of lovers and haters. One more win and ND can possibly enter the national title game (depending on how other teams fare throughout the season and how much the Irish are penalized by their weak strength of schedule).

Will it happen? No. I find it rather discomforting that I feel this way but I don't have a good feeling about this matchup.

Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh has silently been working miracles out west in Palo Alto, CA. The Cardinal have pulled recruits away from USC and even beat the Trojans two years ago at the Coliseum.

RS Fr. Andrew Luck beat out RS Sr. Tavita Pritchard in spring ball to win the starting QB position and is poised to follow in the lines of Stanford's rich tradition of talent signal-callers. He clearly has the brains, as he was valedictorian of his high school, and talent (rated as high as the #4 QB in his recruiting class) to lead the Cardinal offense.

Even if he doesn't pan out in his first year at the helm Pritchard is capable of running the show.

It is with great regret I provide my final prediction for the 2009 Irish - an upset loss to the Cardinal over Thanksgiving weekend.

With so much riding on this game the Irish will definitely be focused but I fear they will be to stiff. The fighting Harbaugh's will take advantage of that tension ending any talk of pitting the Irish in the national championship game.

Final Score: Stanford 20, Notre Dame 14

Disagree? Feel free to leave a comment with your set of predictions. We encourage debate here at Stars and Slights.

Stay tuned for my outlook on the 2009 Virginia Tech Hokies as well as Justin's predictions for VT and ND.