Big Ten Country

Another Opportunity In Madison

Once again, the lights of prime-time shine on Madison as Penn State comes into Camp Randall to play Wisconsin in 8 EST kickoff on ABC. While the Badgers have been consistently good for 15 years now, this type of prime-time exposure is unprecedented and Bret Bielama wants to be sure his program doesn't miss the opportunity.

Missed opportunities are the story of the Wisconsin season thus far. A horrible quarter at Michigan and failure to recover two Ohio State fumbles on the game's decisive drive have turned a dark-horse national championship run into a must-win situation just to stay in contention for a BCS bid.

The fact the Badgers played even-up with a Buckeye team that has superior talent is testimony to their abilty to overcome the disappointment from the previous week. If they can do it two weeks in a row, they can finally get a Big Ten win and put themselves in position for a strong finish to the season. Penn State is very good, but not appreciably better then Ohio State and if Wisconsin simply matches last week's effort the odds would say the ball has to eventually bounce their way. One big bright spot for UW is the play of strong safety of Jay Valai, says Jeff Potrykus of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Joe Paterno is having the kind of season he desperately needed, with a university president unwilling to grant him a contract extension. Regardless of what happens Saturday, PSU looks no worse then a 10-2 squad and that means Joe Pa will hold all the cards when it comes to the future of the program. The present is looking awfully sharp, with an offense that has real explosiveness and a defense that stepped up and made a statement against Purdue. It's important to keep a grip on national title hopes until the road trips Saturday night and to Columbus are out of the way. That's tough row to hoe for anyone. But Lion fans can't be blamed if they are having a hard time maintaining that grip, because this may be a game they can even afford to lose, provided a one-loss team will have a chance at the title game and the presumptive loss was very close. Penn State is the one team in the Big Ten that will get respect from voters. Jeff Rice of The Centre Daily Times reports on whether the old coach will still be in the press box for Saturday night.

Michigan State and Northwestern will be in the 3:30 EST slot on ESPN2. This will be a big game for both schools. NU is still undefeated and now has an opportunity to defeat a good team for the first time. MSU can continue to put itself in position for a tough late-season stretch run. C.J. Bacher added some fuel to the fire by saying that based on the last two shootouts the schools have played, this now qualifies as a rivalry. While you can't help but respect the Wildcats and what they've done, State is decidedly the better team in this one. Northwestern's offense hasn't been as explosive as in years past, and while the Spartans have to make some progress on defense, they are considerably more disciplined then previous teams were. And Javon Ringer should have no trouble keeping Bacher on the sidelines.

Notre Dame goes to North Carolina in another 3:30 ESTkick, this one on ABC. The Irish have come along nicely, but I think they are in over their heads in this one. The Tar Heels are one of the elite in the ACC, and in spite of their narrow loss to Virginia Tech, I'm sticking by my preseason pick of them to win their league and go to the Orange Bowl. The Heels are a little more complete, while the ND offense still comes and goes and Clausen is not yet adequately supported by enough of a running game. 

October 4 Game Summaries

Ohio State 20 Wisconsin 17
The prime-time battle in Camp Randall was everything it was supposed to be. This was a game as nearly even as you can get. Total yardage was a virtual dead heat, and neither team had an appreciable edge running or passing. Third down conversions were about 50 percent each way. And if Wisconsin would have had a few more seconds at the end of the first half to try another play or two after getting to the 3-yard line, they might have a touchdown instead of a field goal and had the margin of victory. The Badgers can also point to two OSU fumbles on the final game-winning drive that bounced safely back into Buckeye hands.

But it's Ohio State who got out of this one with a win because they had more playmakers. Terrell Pryor's final numbers aren't spectacular, but they don't reflect the way his speed changed the game, and the way he came through at every key point when the Bucks had to move the ball. A long touchdown drive just after UW had taken the lead with six minutes left answered any questions as to whether he was ready for high-pressure situations. And Chris Wells rushed for 168 yards on 22 carries and was another game-changing player that the tandem of P.J. Hill and John Clay wasn't for UW. Though the latter two played well, neither has Wells' explosiveness. Thus, Ohio State is on track in the Big Ten and hoping for a rejuvenation of national title hopes, while Wisconsin has to try and recover and see if they can play their way back into the New Year's Day bowl picture. Bob Hunter of The Columbus Dispatch writes about how OSU exorcised some demons in Madison with their winning drive.

Penn State 20 Purdue 6
It wasn't the kind of win that will reverberate through the college football establishment when they read through the scores. But it was exactly the kind of performance Penn State needed. They were efficient on offense, getting strong games from both Darryl Clark and Evan Royster. Most important, their defense stood up and shut down Purdue. The Lions' road tests get stricter the next two weeks in Madison and Columbus. But PSU fans can enter those games knowing they have a complete team. Jeff Rice of The Centre Daily Times says the D knows how to defend the Boilermaker spread.

Illinois 45 Michigan 20
Those of us who said Michigan's win over Wisconsin was no turning point, but the product of a Badger collapse were vindicated in the last three quarters on Saturday. The Illini spotted the Wolverines a 14-3 lead and then just exploded in UM's face. Juice Williams lit up the Michigan defense for 431 all-purpose yards. Even though Steven Threet had his most productive game at quarterback, he wasn't going to keep up with this onslaught.

Between this game and a near-miss at Penn State, Illinois has put itself back on the agenda as a player in the race for the January 1 bowl invites. As for Michigan, there is no excuse for the defensive performance. This is a veteran defense that is not learning a new system. This was the kind of game they were reasonably expected to carry the load in, and it's not happening. They've given up 60 points in two Big Ten games. Rich Rodriguez is right when he says that this is ridiculous.

Michigan State 16 Iowa 13
The Javon Ringer Express was slowed down in East Lansing. 91 yards on 25 carries isn't exactly shabby, but he was upstaged by Iowa's Shon Greene, who rushed for 157. MSU was still able to get out to a 16-3 lead and then hold on. It wasn't a statement win, but it kept the Spartans moving forward. It wasn't a bad loss, but it keeps the Hawkeyes struggling. Andy Hamilton of The Iowa Press-Citizen opines that the Hawks were their own worst enemy.

Minnesota 16 Indiana 7
Neither team had any running game to speak of, and both quarterbacks played a good game. But Gopher QB Adam Weber had Eric Decker to throw to and that was the difference. The Minnesota wide reciever hauled in 13 catches for 190 yards, and his team was able to get three second-half field goals to break up a 7-7 tie at intermission. It's been a long time coming, but more then two years after Glen Mason's firing, Minnesota has again won a conference game. Rachel Blount of The Minneapolis Star-Tribune gives credit to Decker and his toughness.

Notre Dame 28 Stanford 21
After each of the last three Notre Dame wins, I've had the same reaction. Nice win, but nothing to get too excited about. And taken individually, that's true. Michigan, Purdue and Stanford are nothing to get worked up about, especially given they were all in South Bend. But taken collectively, it's a mark of how ND is progressing. No one more so then Jimmy Clausen, who threw for 347 yards in a career-best day. The Irish will have to improve their running game as the schedule gets tougher, but at 4-1, there's again reason for hope under the Dome.

Key Undercard Games

Three of Saturday's undercard games will have big implications for teams pushing to make a bowl game. For Michigan State & Notre Dame, these are part of a dwindling number of very winnable home games. For Minnesota, it's their best chance to get back on the Big Ten scoreboard with a win.

Iowa goes to Michigan State (Noon EST, BTN).The natives are getting restless  in Iowa, as Kirk Ferentz redirected criticism of his coordinators and took the blame himself. The Hawkeyes have their back to the wall after losing at home to Northwestern, right on the heels of a loss at Pitt. The Michigan State defense showed obvious vulnerablilty last week against Indiana, and the Hawks should be able to move the ball. But the question will be whether they can hold on to it. It was five turnovers that doomed them a week ago, and the Spartan offense is more able then Northwestern's when it comes to making them pay. Javon Ringer's profile is rising nationally and Brian Hoyer will look to build off a strong performance last week in Bloomington.

MSU also needs this game badly. At 4-1, their bowl hopes aren't in jeopardy, but after this game and a road trip to Northwestern next week, Mark Dantonio's squad begins a brutal closing stretch that starts with Ohio State on October 18. They play every contender in the conference, and as such, they need to be 6-1 when the process starts. After last year's overtime loss against Iowa, the Spartans feel as though they have unfinished business, per this report from Shannon Shelton of The Detroit Free Press.

Indiana goes to Minnesota(Noon EST, BTN). The Hoosiers haven't won since starting the season with victories over Western Kentucky and Murray State. Apparently, they plan to continue the quarterback alternation scheme of a week ago where Ben Chappell shared time with Kellen Lewis. I originally thought that was due to a Lewis injury, but apparently not. I think this is a mistake. Lewis is one of the league's most dynamic players and IU needs to put the ball in his hands. As for the Gophs, they badly need this win. If they want to get to a winning season, they must win at least two of three from home games with IU, Northwestern and Iowa and this will be the easiest one on the slate. Minnesota hasn't so much as won a single Big Ten game since showing Glen Mason the door. They should get this one. Rick Brewster tells The Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he wants to see more big plays from his team.

Notre Dame hosts Stanford (2:30 EST, NBC). The Irish have an opportunity to move to 4-1 and keep a positive feeling around the program. This game and a November matchup with Syracuse are the only home dates that ND can really circle and say they should roll to victory. There are winnable road games (notably Washington), but I don't think the Irish are strong enough yet that any road trip can be quickly counted in the win column. Stanford has beaten Oregon State, a win that looks very impressive in light of what happened last Thursday in Corvallis. Although I agree with the conventional wisdom that sees that as more an indictment of USC's weekly focus then anything about Oregon State. And if we can't read too much positive about the Beavers, we are limited in how much we can take positively from the Cardinals beating them. Bottom line: Charlie Weis must have this win.

Game Summaries: Sept 27

Michigan 27 Wisconsin 25
In the span of one quarter, Rich Rodriguez went from having the hottest seat in the nation to his first big win in Ann Arbor. In that same span, Wisconsin went from being a darkhorse national title contender to staring a disaster in the face, as they now have to play Ohio State & Penn State right on the heels of a devastating loss. Both teams were sloppy, combining for nine turnovers. Wisconsin just did not get their usual production from the ground game, as P.J. Hill was held to 70 yards. Michigan doesn't look any closer to making the spread offense click, but they found a way to rally from 19-0 down and win. Mark Snyder of The Detroit Press writes that this historic comeback could be a program-defining moment.

Penn State 38 Illinois 24
The Nittany Lions got a number of strong offensive performances, including Derrick Williams who delivered a historic trifecta, becoming the first player in the Joe Paterno Era to score a touchdown rushing, receiving and returning. But Lion fans need to be concerned about the way the defense let Illinois move the ball up and down the field. The Illini got 372 total yards, including 189 on the ground. As the PSU offense began to click in non-conference, the common sentiment held by many (including me) was "as long as the offense is strong, you know Penn State will always play defense." But is that sentiment true? The Lion defense did fade at the end of last season, notably in a shootout loss at Michigan State that cost them a New Year's Day bid. They haven't been dominating yet this year and it's not going to get easier when they play at Ohio State. Right now, I don't think it's a problem big enough to keep them from having a big year and even making a BCS game. But it could cost them a championship, Big Ten or national.

Notre Dame 38 Purdue 21
Nice win for the Irish. The game was tied 14-14 at half and Notre Dame took over in the third quarter. Jimmy Clausen posted a solid 21/35, 275 yards/3TD line. Curtis Painter more then matched him, ringing up 359 yards in the air. But ND was stronger on the ground, as Armando Allen rushed for 134 yards, while counterpart Kory Sheets went for "only" 87. Al Lesar of The South Bend Tribune analyzes that the key was Charlie Weis exploiting Purdue's weakness at linebacker.

Ohio State 34 Minnesota 21
This one wasn't as close as the score makes it sound. It was 34-6 in the fourth quarter, before a pair of garbage-time Gopher touchdowns made it close. Nothing earth-shattering happened with Terrelle Pryor, good or bad, but the return of Chris Wells was an unqualified success. Wells delivered 106 yards on just 14 carries. It looks safe to attribute Ohio State's struggles against weak non-conference competition to be just fallout from before and after Southern Cal. As for Minnesota, next week's game with Indiana will be a decisive test as to whether the optimism that started to flourish in their run through non-conference was justified.

Michigan State 42 Indiana 29
Javon Ringer continued to dominate, racking up 198 yards on 44 carries. Even better for the MSU offense, he got help from the passing game. Brian Hoyer had a strong 261-yard outing in support, as the Spartans survived a shootout. But the defense was clearly a problem in Bloomington. The Hoosiers might have won, if not for a strange play in the third quarter. A 97-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Ben Chappell to Terrance Turner was not only called back, but turned into a safety, because of holding in the end zone. Instead of taking the lead, IU fell behind 36-29.

Northwestern 22 Iowa 17
A huge uplifting win for Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats and an equally devastating loss for Kirk Ferentz's Hawkeyes. Iowa led this one 17-3 in the second quarter, but did nothing afterward. The decisive factor was five Iowa turnovers. It served to negate good games from quarterback Ricky Stanzi (21/30, 238 yards), running back Shonn Greene (159 yards) and receiver Andy Brodell (8 catches, 126 yards). It all means that Iowa's back is to the wall, while NU is rolling along at 5-0.

Decisive Tests Waiting

The mid-afternoon 3:30 EST slot will be juicy this Saturday, as Wisconsin visits Michigan on ABC and Purdue renews its rivalry with Notre Dame on NBC. And then in prime-time Penn State-Illinois will be one of the regional games shown by ABC.

The UW-Michigan is going to be a decisive test for the Wolverines. For all the talk about the struggles they expected to encounter as they transitioned to Rich Rodriguez's spread offense, this is still a program that returned a good amount of defensive talent. This is still a program that is playing on its home field and should be able to compete with--and beat--all but the very best teams in the country when they're in Ann Arbor. As long as they are focused.

Which begs the question--will they be focused? Does Michigan believe in itself enough to embrace the new start conference play gives, just as Lloyd Carr got them to do last year. Do the players have the pride necessary to rise up and give a superior effort against a Wisconsin team that aspires to replace them in the conference hierarchy? If Michigan can't get up for this game, I can't imagine they'll be able to for too many others.

For Wisconsin, this game starts an unprecedented stretch of playing the Wolverines, Ohio State and Penn State in succession to open the conference schedule. Because of UM's struggles and the subsequent two games being under the lights in Camp Randall, there may be the tempation to write this game off as the least significant of the trifecta. But the opposite is the case. This is the game Wisconsin must win to be viable as BCS team if they don't win the conference championship. As far as national title aspirations, UW would best be served by simply putting off discussion of that until the trifecta is behind them. If they're still unbeaten at that time, then go for it. For now, they need to focus on just winning two of three and while the next two are at home, it would be preferable for Bret Bielama not to face must-win games against the Buckeyes & Lions. One thing Wisconsin is doing well right now is protecting the passer. Jeff Potrykus of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel extols the virtue of the O-Line's work.

Saturday afternoon will also provide a benchmark test for another proud Midwestern program. Notre Dame has to get its offense going eventually. I think Jimmy Clausen is progressing fairly well, but the sophomore QB has absolutely no support. I was having a conversation with my brother-in-law earlier this week about the Irish, and I just began to analyze the problems. After I had gone through piece-by-piece and just said well, they don't really come off the ball and make holes, the backs aren't that good, there's no playmakers among the receivers and the defense isn't that good. At which point he laughed and said "What else is there?" Good question. If Charlie Weis is an offensive guru, he needs to start showing it. If it's not going to be against Purdue and it's traditionally weak defense, where does it happen? Although Purdue defensive coordinator Brock Spack defends his unit against its poor standing in the national defensive rankings.

I think Spack might be a little carried away in how well the defense is playing, but the article linked to does bring up a fair point. Purdue's defense is on the field for a lot of plays. But what's true of the ND offense and the Michigan program also apply to the Purdue D--if they can't succeed this week, where pray tell, do they expect to in the weeks ahead?

The prime-time show in Happy Valley looks to be a changing of the guard at the top. Illinois has looked the part of a rebuilding team after its Rose Bowl run last year. Penn State has the look of a team ready to re-ascend to the top of the league and into the BCS. I'm staying cautious on the Nittany Lions because I did jump on their bandwagon too quickly at this time last year. And with the Illini rebuilding, I don't know that winning this game will prove much. But how decisively PSU can win will be a key indicator as to what we can expect the rest of the way. Jeff Rice of The Centre Daily Times reports that Illinois will be trying to contain the Lions offensive gamebreakers.

A Rivalry Hard To Understand

The best game of the day in the Big Ten will kick off in the 3:30 ET ABC time slot, when Michigan State hosts Notre Dame. It's a contest between two teams who are hard to get a read on right now. One doesn't want to make too much of the Irish victory over Michigan, given how unimpressive the Wolverines have been and how unimpressive both teams played last Saturday. But conversely, we also ought not read too much into Notre Dame's barely surviving San Diego State. Since Charlie Weis' team bounced back with a win, we can assume their September 6 struggles were a product of it being an opening game and a lookahead all wrapped up into one. Eric Hansen of The South Bend Tribune writes that Mike Turkovich has been the pleasant surprise on the offensive line.

Michigan State's one loss came at Cal, and on the surface the seven-point defeat in Berkely looks pretty reasonable. At least that is, until you consider the Golden Bears were badly outplayed in Maryland, a 35-27 loss not as close as it looks. Since that's the only real test the Spartans have had, understanding Cal is vital to understanding Michigan State. And what we understand right now is that we understand neither. Got all that?

And no rivalry is harder to understand than this one. The road team has won seven straight. It's hard to see where this particular edition of the Fighting Irish is good enough to buck the odds and make it eight in a row. Particularly when the one thing we do understand about either team is that the one legitimate Heisman candidate is in the Spartan backfield. Javon Ringer's a darkhorse for New York City, and he's the early frontrunner in the conference MVP sweepstakes. Shannon Shelton of The Detroit Free Press reports that quarterback Brian Hoyer isn't envious of his teammate's success.

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There's one night game on the Big Ten slate this week and that's when Indiana hosts in-state rival Ball State, from up the road in Muncie. This one could be interesting, though it won't be on television. The Cardinals are pretty good, off to a 3-0 start that includes a win over Navy. Jason Whitlock at Fox Sports, a proud alum, had speculated prior to the season that Ball State would be the BCS party-crasher this year. That sounds like a pretty huge stretch and we'll find out Saturday night how big a homer Whitlock was.

Three of the Big Ten's marquee programs are off this week. Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin all have a bye on Saturday. 

Mich-ND: Irish Have Tough Hill

It's become a cliche to say that this year's Notre Dame-Michigan game will feature two coaches desperate for a win. True, but suffice it to say the desperation is a lot stronger for Charlie Weis then for Rich Rodriguez. As bad as ND looked in '07 and again last week, no one is going to run R-Rod out of town for losing on the road in a year even diehard Wolverine fans accepted as transitional.

Weis, on the other hand, has the sharks circling around him. While much of this is the instinctive dislike a lot of media people have for Notre Dame, there's also no doubt the coach brought some of his problems on himself, notably with his attitude that he would easily out X and O his rivals and some other recent comments regarding Michigan. Most important, the circumstances of his arrival have come back to bite ND. While it's not Weis' fault that Ty Willingham was fired, the comparison between the two (their records are virtually identical, and this was the point in his tenure that Willingham was fired) is completely fair and something the athletic department asked for when they ran a fine coach in Willingham out of town.

Based on last week this would seem to be Michigan's game to lose. The Wolverines at least beat a halfway decent opponent and showed they can play defense. On the Irish side, we have some flickers of promise shown in Jimmy Clausen. They will also look to pressure Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan to force mistakes. However, this can also result in breakdowns in the Irish secondary and give the Wolverines an easier time at making big plays. R-Rod's offense has not yet shown the ability to drive the field on a consistent basis, and defensive mistakes may be the only thing that can help them. 

The biggest thing Notre Dame has going for them is the tendency for teams to make sharp improvement between their first and second game. Michigan benefitted from that last week, and the Irish will this week. And of course ND will also be at home. But even given all that, it takes a very optmistic Irish fan or a very pessimistic Wolverine fan to see Weis getting the pressure off. The betting here is that R-Rod gets his first notable win in Ann Arbor.

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Four teams will play tuneup non-confernce games at noon EST on the Big Ten Network. Illinois hosts Lousiana-Lafayette, a choice of opponent that rivals Penn State's pick of Coastal Carolina or Wisconsin's finale with Cal-Poly for sheer audacity on the part of the AD.

Northwestern will host Southern Illinois, while Florida Atlantic goes to Michigan State. And Minnesota's home date with Montana State round out the nothing games on an otherwise lively September 13 card.

At Least They Survived

It was a week for surviving. Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame all got strong tests, and while it was ugly in all cases, all three survived.

Michigan's test was the one that wasn't a complete surprise. As I mentioned in the game preview comments two posts down, Miami (Ohio) is a good program in the MAC. Still, there's no denying that a 16-6 war wasn't what Rich Rodriguez had in mind for getting on the board in Ann Arbor. The run defense saved the Wolverines, but the offense is still generating absolutely nothing in the air. Michael Rosenberg of The Detroit Free Press addresses three burning questions surrounding the program, including the immediate future at quarterback.

The Wolverines trip to South Bend was already looming as a battle between two programs desperate for a win. Notre Dame's performance in their opener at San Diego State did nothing to dispel that. The Fighting Irish looked terrible in barely pulling out a 21-13 win. They trailed 13-7 in the fourth quarter and only a fumble on the goal line (a play about one inch from being a touchdown) kept the Aztecs from going up by two scores in the final period. Keep in mind this is the same SDSU team that lost at home to Cal Poly in its opener.

Now, I realize this was the second game for the Aztecs, the one game in which teams improve the most, while it was the opener for ND. I realize the Irish may have been looking ahead, not only to Michigan, but to higher-profile games generally. It still can't explain this away. On the plus side for the Domers, Jimmy Clausen showed why he is so highly regarded in the fourth quarter. He led two clutch drives for touchdowns, including some beautifully thrown balls on routes down the sidelines. Jeff Carroll of The South Bend Tribune has a clear-eyed view of how ugly this was. And congratulations should go out to Aztec coach Chuck Long, a former Iowa quarterback who was runner-up in the 1985 Heisman voting.

Since Ohio State already has a good performance under their belt, their 26-14 struggle with Ohio can be dismissed as a look-ahead problem a little easier. The Buckeyes trailed 14-12 in the fourth quarter, and it was the Bobcats who were making the mistakes, as they gave up four interceptions. Ken Gordon of The Columbus Dispatch calls the escape a rude awakening, as the team prepares for Southern Cal.

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It wasn't all about surviving. There was also a lot of good news in the Big Ten. Penn State leads in getting the plaudits. In spite of facing a decent Oregon State team and also enduring controversy during the week, as Joe Paterno suspended key players, the Lions turned in a 45-14 rout. Daryl Clark played well, and Evan Royster rushed for 141 yards.

Wisconsin took a while to get started, spotting Marshall a 14-0 lead. But once the Badgers took over, they blasted the Thundering Herd. Allan Evridge threw for 308 yards, temporarily ending questions over whether UW will be too one-dimensional to get into a major bowl game.

Minnesota took advantage of five Bowling Green turnovers and got a great game out of Adam Weber (21/25, 233 yards). Time will tell just how impressive Bowling Green's opening day win over #25 Pitt was (as the Panthers struggled again in Week Two), but this is still the biggest moment of the Gophs have had in two years.

Northwestern was outplayed by Duke, and only a holding penalty prevented a game-winning touchdown pass. But they did survive and moved to 2-0. The downside for the Wildcats is what happened in Columbus. They have Ohio on the schedule come September 30. I had earlier projected that if the 'Cats came out of here with a win, they would easily coast to 4-0 prior to Big Ten action. Between the precarious nature of this victory, combined with the feisty Bobcat performance, that can no longer be assumed.

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All of the other teams had their games in hand by halftime at the latest. Javon Ringer's five-touchdown performance in Michigan State's rout of Eastern Michigan was the most notable individual performance. Illinois beat Eastern Ilinois behind the running ability of their passing game. Juice Williams ran for 174 yards, and Aurelious Benn rushed for two touchdowns. Iowa shut out Florida International, while Indiana gave up only a field goal to Murray State. Purdue won its opener over Northern Colorado 42-10.

Lion Offense Must Pass Test

Penn State will get a good test on Saturday in the prime mid-afternoon ABC slot. Oregon State is coming to the Valley. The Beavers are coming off an 8-4 season that was capped by a win in the Emerald Bowl. Penn State should still be okay when it comes to winning this game. Oregon State has to replace most of its defense, and they opened the season with an eight-point loss to Stanford. None of it points to an upset in the making, but this is still an opportunity for the Lions.

Darryl Clark has been given the reigns of the offense and entrusted with the task of finally producing enough points and time of possession so the Lion defense can get support. The PSU offense hasn't been up to snuff since 2005, when Michael Robinson was at the helm and won the conference MVP. Clark is in the same mold as Robinson--a quarterback who can move and make things happen out of the pocket. He's got an experienced corps of receivers to work with and a veteran offensive line. One year ago at this time, the Lions blew out Notre Dame. But in retrospect, we can see that the offense did not play nearly as well as it should have against what was a lousy defense. Come Saturday, against an opponent with a weak D, but still from a BCS conference, PSU will have to show it can move the ball. Otherwise, a major bowl bid will remain an elusive goal. The Centre Daily Times has a game preview.

Notre Dame will get what they hope will be a comeback season started. There should be no difficulty in beating San Diego State. The Aztecs lost their opener to Cal Poly, a school whose principal claim to fame is having been the destination of Tom Cruise's character in the old football movie All The Right Moves. If nothing else, the Irish will start this year better then last. Eric Hansen of The South Bend Tribune reports that thus far, Charlie Weis has stifled the urge to return to play-calling. My own thoughts? That will last until the first three-and-out. Most veteran coaches are set in their ways, and its human nature for all people to default to natural instincts when a rough patch hit.   

Notre Dame Preview

The Flaherty clan is getting set for a family reunion tomorrow at Milwaukee's Irishfest on the shores of Lake Michigan. And just as no reunion restricts itself only to the immediate family, nor does Big Ten Country restrict its coverage to our blood clan alone. Today's post takes a look at our couisins down in South Bend--the ones who show up to the party and either inspire cheers of affection or incite you to brawl.

Notre Dame didn't do much brawling in 2007, winning only three games in their worst season in recent memory. The optimism that had been brewing around Charlie Weis after his back-to-back BCS bids quickly turned to a hot seat. The good news for the coach is that he's got enough talent on hand to at least start the road back to respectabilty.

Jimmy Clausen took his lumps as a freshman quarterback. His sophomore year will be better. Not only is he more experienced, but his supporting cast is as well. David Grimes and George West return at receiver, and he's got pretty good backs in James Aldridge and 238-pound bruiser Robert Hughes. While his offensive line was horrible in '07, they bring back four starters and experience always makes for a more cohesive line.

Charlie Weis is farming out the play-calling duties this year. While I generally agree that head coaches should stay away from play-to-play duties during a game in order to keep focused on the bigger picture, I do wonder if Weis isn't going too far in restructuring things. This is a man who made his living as a play-caller in the NFL and everyone has to play to their strengths. We'll see how long the new arrangement lasts.

If it were just about the offense, Notre Dame could dream of returning to the BCS. But the defense remains a work in progress.The Irish remain young in the trenches. Being a 3-4 scheme, this might not be as deadly as it would to a program with a four-man front, but it still puts enormous pressure on a linebacking unit led up by Maurice Crum. Notre Dame does have a strong secondary, with both corners returning along with senior free safety David Bruton.

An improved offense and veteran secondary add up to improvement in South Bend. The schedule remains tough, although not as brutal as the 2007 docket. The Irish should be able to beat San Diego State in the opener, and combine that with wins against Washington (road), Navy (Baltimore), and Stanford (home). That gets them to four victories. A virtually certain defeat at Southern Cal awaits them. The season then gets settled in the broad middle of seven other games that include road games with Michigan State and an improved North Carolina, along with the annual grudge match against Michigan. If ND just gets to 3-4 in these seven, they go bowling again. And if they go 4-3 or 5-2, they likely get themselves onto New Year's Day. Bob Wieneke of The South Bend Tribune writes how kicker Brandon Walker is hoping to be a part of a few mob scenes this fall.