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Notre Dame (football only discussion)

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Irish eyes are smiling again
http://www.sportingnews.com/exclusives/20060817/767712-p.html
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Posted: August 17, 2006

When last we saw Notre Dame in 2004, the images were downright disturbing. A fired coach and a drowning program amid unthinkable losses and uncharted direction.
When last we saw Notre Dame in June, a mere 18 months after rock bottom for the most storied program in college football, it was glam and glory all over again.
There was star safety Tommy Zbikowski at the world's most famous arena, strolling to center ring at Madison Square Garden for his pro boxing debut to fight some tomato can. His teammates, dressed in Irish jerseys, paved the way in a blue-and-gold entourage as the Notre Dame fight song blared over loudspeakers.
It took 49 seconds for Zbikowski to add another chapter to this rebirth, this transformation of a team and its time.
After nearly a decade of watching the college game pass by, it's hip again to be the Irish, and -- get this -- it's cool to flaunt it.
"We're ready to be a contender," Zbikowski says.
When last we saw Notre Dame in 2004, never had there been a more negative undertone on and off the field. Television ratings were down, and fan and booster apathy was at an all-time high after 13 losses in two seasons.
Wasn't so long ago that ND fans were falling over themselves to give up tickets to home games, including a rather embarrassing sight in 2000, when Nebraska fans commandeered Notre Dame Stadium and turned it into a Big Red cocktail.
When last we saw Notre Dame earlier this summer, $11.7 million was being refunded to alumni who did not get tickets in the annual lottery. Meanwhile, the South Bend Regional Airport was completing an expansion project that added space for more private aircraft at the facility. They're expecting 300 private planes per home game this season.
"Never underestimate the Notre Dame spirit," says Charlie Weis, the man behind the transformation.
Weis looks more like a chef than a head football coach. He didn't play college football; instead, while he sat in the stands at Notre Dame Stadium as a student in the late 1970s, he provided play-by-play for his friends, whether they liked it or not. Now there's no hotter coach in the game and no team with more positive karma heading into the final turn of this transformation: one that brings a national title.
And to think, Weis wasn't even Notre Dame's first choice for the job. Not long after he was hired, Weis was asked about being Plan B, how the Irish initially wanted current Florida coach Urban Meyer.
"I was part of staffs that won four Super Bowls," Weis said. "I don't think I have to earn my stripes."
Want to know why Weis has made it look so easy, why the Irish went from a useless dot.com bowl to a BCS bowl in one season? It's that attitude, the refreshing, reverberating personality -- and players feed off of it. That and a beautiful football mind that changed everything from the way the Irish practiced and played to the way they walked off the bus on game day.
"It's the little things," says Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who took over a moribund former national power in 1999 and in two years had brought another national title to the Sooners. "Players have to believe in what they're being told, have to believe they can be pushed beyond their ability."
When last we saw quarterback Brady Quinn in 2004, he was floundering in former coach Ty Willingham's dink-and-dunk West Coast offense. His mechanics were horrible, and he was short-hopping or sailing throws, depending on how his motion and footwork changed week to week. Now, he's the clear favorite in the Heisman Trophy race, and many NFL scouts say he'll be the first pick in the 2007 draft.
This time last year, he was just another guy on campus. This spring, he woke up one morning and had trouble leaving his apartment. The door was jammed with footballs, helmets, pennants and other memorabilia students had left to be signed.
"So much has changed over the last year," Quinn says.
When last we saw wide receiver Jeff Samardzija in 2004, he was playing an important role: He held the placement on kicks. Considering the anemic state of the Irish offense, every field-goal attempt was critical. Now look at Samardzija: Buried on the depth chart by the former staff, he has developed into an All-American under Weis and likely will be a first-day pick in the NFL draft.
Those are just two examples on a team that has been completely transformed by the right coach at the right time. It's more than X's and O's; it's feeding and developing young minds through a balance of motivation, praise and fear.
Weis is the first person to accept blame for a loss or the team's problems, going so far this summer as to interrupt an interview with Quinn to stress that he, not Quinn, made mistakes in the Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State.
That's the public side of Weis. Privately, he demands perfection. He once placed an empty gas can in front of a player's locker. His point was made without a single word.
"Most players respond when pushed, when motivated," says Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, who took over an underachieving program in 2001 and won a national title in his second season. "They have to understand that they aren't just playing for themselves. They play for their teammates, their university and their community. That's where the transformation begins."
It ends -- if everything goes as planned -- with a championship season. For nine months now, Weis has waded through an offseason of hosannas and high expectations that will soon turn into a boatload of criticism if the sky isn't blue and gold on the night of the national championship game.
When last we saw Notre Dame in 2004, the Irish had lost to BYU at the start of the season and to Oregon State in a useless bowl game at the end of it. Maybe expectations aren't such a bad thing after all.
"Who wants people to think you aren't worth a damn?" Weis says.
It's hip again to be the Irish, all right.
Even better to flaunt it.
 
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Top 25 Countdown: No. 1 Notre Dame
http://www.sportingnews.com/cfootball/teams/notredame/20060817-p.html

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Posted: August 17, 2006

Matt Hayes
Sporting News

A quick-hit look at the 2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish:
OFFENSE
The prevailing theme is to attack the defense at its weak point by running or passing--this is where Charlie Weis' meticulous gameplanning comes into play--and to force adjustments that eventually will lead to other weaknesses. The Irish are multiple in scheme and based primarily in pro sets. The offense begins and ends with quarterback Brady Quinn, a leading Heisman Trophy contender. Tailback Darius Walker is a gutsy runner overshadowed in Weis' pass-happy offense.
DEFENSE
Coordinator Rick Minter always has used various combinations of zone and pressure to keep offenses guessing, which is what made last year so frustrating. Because the Irish had problems in coverage and struggled to find a consistent pass rush, Minter was forced to use more zone principles than he wanted to. If a strong pass rush emerges, there's no stopping the train. Defensive end Victor Abiamiri must play a more disruptive role. The secondary returns, but these guys were torched much of last season.
COACHING STAFF
Weis isn't technically the offensive coordinator, but he calls the plays, and the offense runs through him. Minter--one of three former head coaches (secondary coach Bill Lewis and quarterbacks coach Peter Vaas) on the staff--will have more success as Weis improves the talent.
AN OPPOSING COACH SAYS
I think they'll be a little better on defense, and they'll be lights out on offense, again, although they lost some guys on the line. … They have a great quarterback. A really, really good quarterback. I'll be interested to see how Charlie Weis functions when he doesn't have Brady Quinn. I think if Quinn had turned pro, he would have been the first quarterback picked. … RB Darius Walker is a solid guy, but he's not the back that the Michigan kid (Mike Hart) is.
BOTTOM LINE
From Notre Dame's point-a-minute offense to a favorable schedule to one of the top X's-and-O's coaches in the game, there's little not to like about the 2006 Irish.
SCHEDULE
Sept. 2 at Georgia Tech
Sept. 9 Penn State
Sept. 16 Michigan
Sept. 23 at Michigan State
Sept. 30 Purdue
Oct. 7 Stanford
Oct. 21 UCLA
Oct. 28 at Navy*
Nov. 4 North Carolina
Nov. 11 at Air Force
Nov. 18 Army
Nov. 25 at USC
*Baltimore
FIGHTING IRISH DATA
Stadium: Notre Dame (grass, 80,795)
Site: South Bend, Ind.
Coach: Charlie Weis (9-3, 1 year)
Offensive coordinator: Michael Haywood (2nd year)
Defensive coordinator: Rick Minter (2nd year, 4th at school)
Offensive scheme: Pro set
Defensive scheme: 4-3
Last year not in a bowl: 2003
2005 record: 9-3
More on Notre Dame, as well as scouting reports of every Division I team, can be found in SN's 2006 College Football Preview.
 
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TOP 25: 3 Notre Dame

By WENDELL BARNHOUSE

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

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CHARLIE WEIS
More photos

Conference: Independent
Coach: Charlie Weis, 9-3 in one season
2005: 9-3
Bowl: Lost to Ohio State 34-20 in Fiesta Bowl
Why Notre Dame is No. 3: The Irish should have one of the nation's most explosive and well-balanced offenses with senior quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Brady Quinn.
Starters returning: 7 on offense, 9 on defense
Key players: Senior QB Brady Quinn, senior WR Jeff Samardzija, junior RB Darius Walker, senior FS/PR Tom Zbikowski, junior LB Maurice Crum, senior DE Victor Abiamiri.
Best-case scenario: More team speed means the defense becomes capable of shutting down opponents, and the offense continues to improve at last year's pace.
Worst-case scenario: Quinn gets hurt or the defense becomes a liability.
Bottom line: With Weis running the program and the talent on offense, the Irish are in prime position to win the school's first national championship since 1988.
Position switch
Notre Dame's need for more speed on defense plus its depth at running back led Charlie Weis to call an audible.
Early in preseason practice, the Irish coach moved senior Travis Thomas from tailback to linebacker.
Thomas, who played linebacker and strong safety in high school, was the team's second-leading rusher last season but didn't figure to see much action behind starter Darius Walker.
Weis, though, figured Thomas was one of Notre Dame's 22 best players and needed a place where he could play.
"But then again, you start to think of the other possibilities," Thomas told the Chicago Tribune. "If I'm moving, I can do great things. My stock's going to rise even more. I've played there before. Why can't I do it again? What it really came down to is me being on the field more and helping this team win."
Facing a choice
Senior wide receiver Jeff Samardzija spent his summer vacation pitching in the Chicago Cubs' farm system with Boise in the Northwest League and Peoria in the Midwest League.
The 6-foot-5 Samardzija was drafted in the fifth round in June's amateur baseball draft.
While he's a top pitching prospect, he's a preseason All-American and could be a first-round NFL Draft pick. Samardzija is toying with the idea of playing both football and baseball.
"[People] don't understand the love I have for both games," Samardzija said. "How I love going out and playing baseball, which is such a different sport than football, and how I love playing football, which is so different than baseball.
"Being able to be successful in both is tough to give up."
It figures
6 Season passing records set by quarterback Brady Quinn last season.
440 Points scored by Notre Dame last season, a school record.
1987 The last year a Notre Dame player (Tim Brown) won the Heisman Trophy.
Extra points
Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis wanted senior safety Chinedum Ndukwe to lose 20 pounds. He's now down to 210. His improved speed and quickness have been impressive during preseason workouts....Notre Dame's suspect defense must replace senior linebackers Brandon Hoyte and Corey Mays. They combined for 172 tackles, 11 sacks and 29 tackles for loss....Senior Geoff Price from Colleyville Heritage High School had an impressive spring practice and should take over as the team's punter....In Notre Dame's three losses last season, the Irish allowed a total of 112 points....The Irish allowed 265 yards passing per game, ranking 103rd out of 119 Division I-A teams.
Did you know?
Senior receiver Rhema McKnight, who totaled 89 catches during his sophomore and junior seasons, suffered a gruesome injury to his right knee in Notre Dame's second game last season. He has recovered and is expected to give the Irish a receiving threat to complement senior Jeff Samardzija. "I hope they double-team Jeff every play," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said, "because Rhema will have a field day."
Newcomers of note
Freshman cornerbacks Darrin Walls and Raeshon McNeil are likely to see plenty of action because of their speed and quickness. Freshman running back Munir Prince could wind up as the top backup to starter Darius Walker. Freshman Sam Young, a 6-7, 292-pound Parade and USA Today All-American, could be the starter at right tackle.
Preseason top 25
25 Nebraska 24 Arizona State
23 Penn State 22 Texas Tech
21 Arkansas 20 TCU
19 Georgia 18 Clemson
17 Michigan 16 Tennessee
15 Virginia Tech 14 Iowa
13 Oklahoma 12 Florida
11 California 10 Florida State
9 West Virginia 8 LSU
7 Miami 6 Louisville
5 Texas 4 Southern Cal
SCHEDULE ANALYSIS

Date Opponent Sept. 2 at Georgia Tech Sept. 9 Penn State Sept. 16 Michigan Sept. 23 at Michigan State Sept. 30 Purdue Oct. 7 Stanford Oct. 21 UCLA Oct. 28 at Navy Nov. 4 North Carolina Nov. 11 at Air Force Nov. 18 Army Nov. 25 at Southern California The Irish can beat every team on the schedule and should beat every team but USC. However, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State and Navy will be games in which Notre Dame must play its best to win. If the Football Gods have a sense of drama, both teams will be undefeated when Notre Dame beats USC in a grudge rematch.
Key game: Georgia Tech. This could be a tone-setter. A dominant victory could provide the Irish a boost that could last until November. If the Irish struggle or, gasp, lose to the Yellow Jackets, the season could become a struggle.
 
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The article was about player appearances, not recruiting. Not even a situation where I'd want anything bad to come Notre Dame's way for something as petty as that. Typical NCAA - we're allowed to make billions, but don't you dare use your status as a student-athlete to make any publicity appearances. It's worth looking at and telling them not to do it again, then let it go.
 
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Updated: Aug. 19, 2006, 3:54 PM ET
Notre Dame checks whether radio promos broke rules

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame is investigating whether athletes, including football and basketball players, violated NCAA rules with comments promoting a local sports talk show on a CBS affiliate.
John Heisler, Notre Dame's senior associate athletic director, said Saturday he became aware of possible violations when contacted Friday by The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne. Heisler said the school has not seen the spots, promoting "Sports Dogz" on WSBT-TV in South Bend.
"We're just trying to figure out what this is," he said. "I don't know if we know for sure it's an NCAA violation."
Jennifer Kearns, an associate director of public and media relations with the NCAA, told The Journal Gazette that in past situations when an athlete did not know he was breaking an NCAA rule the infraction was deemed a secondary violation.
Telephone messages were left by The Associated Press on Saturday with two NCAA representatives.
Heisler said school officials would ask WSBT-TV to provide copies of the promotions.
Last year, USC quarterback Matt Leinart had his eligibility temporarily revoked after appearing in a promotional segment on ESPN. Leinart was reinstated after Southern California petitioned the NCAA. The NCAA said Leinart's actions were "unintentional and inadvertent."
Football coach Charlie Weis said Saturday the television spots by the Notre Dame players might be different because the comments weren't used as promotions outside the program.
Weis, whose team is ranked No. 2 in preseason, said he is depending on Notre Dame's compliance officer to determine whether any rules were violated.
"I'll just let them go ahead and deal with it," he said. "But I feel it will be taken care of very quickly."
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2554795
 
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Speed work dominates ND's summer training

By Adam Rittenberg
Special to ESPN.com





SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The pursuit sent one player to Florida, another to Arizona and dozens of others to sites in between.
But no matter the destination, every Notre Dame defender had the same goal in mind.
They had seen the film more than once, cringing at the grand canyons separating them from Ohio State ballcarriers in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. They saw four touchdowns of 56 yards or longer. They saw the Buckeyes tally a deplorable 617 yards. They saw the celebrations of Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr. and Antonio Pittman, three players who are back this fall.

ncf_w_zbikowski_195.jpg

Michael Hickey/WireImage.com
Tom Zbikowski's quest for speed carried him to Chris Carter's FAST Program.


It made their next step an obvious one. If defenders didn't get faster, nothing else would matter. Without improvement, the defense would put the brakes on Notre Dame's national championship run and satisfy critics who point to the unit as deadweight. Consequently, Notre Dame embarked on its summer of speed.
Tom Zbikowski's quest took him to the so-called enemy, a wide receiver and, even worse, an Ohio State product. Following spring practice Zbikowski spent three weeks with Cris Carter's FAST Program in Boca Raton, Fla.
Though Zbikowski was simultaneously training for his June 10 pro boxing debut in New York, he didn't mix motivations at Carter's camp.
"I wanted to get down there and train for speed," he said.
Carter helped the Irish senior safety understand how receivers think.
"No break is ever good enough," Zbikowski said. "He's [Carter] never satisfied on any given play. You see what their mind-set is, see what they're looking at, whether they're pushing inside or outside."
Chinedum Ndukwe lines up next to Zbikowski in the Irish secondary, but this summer he took a reverse route from his fellow safety. Ndukwe returned to the site of Notre Dame's Fiesta Bowl flop, training with Brett Fischer at Fischer Sports in Phoenix.
Fischer's clients include NFL defensive backs Mike McKenzie, Shawn Springs and Darren Sharper. He also works with Ndukwe's older brother, Ike, a reserve guard for the Washington Redskins.
"We just worked on my backpedaling and my cuts, coming out of my breaks," said Ndukwe, who had two interceptions and four fumble recoveries last season.
Ndukwe also did individual speed work at Notre Dame, getting help from Irish QB Brady Quinn. The two players made plenty of connections at Coffman High School in Dublin, Ohio, where Ndukwe played WR and claimed the school record for receiving yards (2,174).

ncf_w_ndukwe_195.jpg

Newman Lowrance/WireImage.com
Chinedum Ndukwe hopes his speed training translates into more interceptions in 2006.


But their summer session had a different flavor to it.
"I'd try to work the middle of the field a little bit, try to break on his shoulders and things like that," Ndukwe said. "I told him not to get in the habit of throwing interceptions."
Speed also took precedence in Notre Dame's team workouts with the strength and conditioning staff. A year earlier, weight training was the focus, as Notre Dame checked off the "bigger" and "stronger" requirements of football's famous cliché.
But this summer the Irish devoted two days of each week to speed and agility drills.
"We did a lot of box jumps into running sprints, did a lot of tire pulls with weights in the tires," Ndukwe said. "It was just working on turnover, just getting your body forward and your knees going as fast as you can. We did wall [drills]. A lot of people do a lot of the same things. It's just how much you do them."
Added senior DE Victor Abiamiri: "After last summer, we had more of an idea what to expect. We had a goal in mind -- improving team speed."
Veteran defenders might have been pushed harder by the fast footsteps behind them. Notre Dame's incoming freshman class features several speedy defenders, namely DBs Darrin Walls and Raeshon McNeil and LB Morrice Richardson.
And the team's media day earlier this month was abuzz as coach Charlie Weis announced that backup RB Travis Thomas had moved to LB. Ndukwe underplayed the notion that job security motivated Notre Dame's returning starters, but Thomas acknowledged a faster pace in training camp.
"I can definitely sense an increase in defensive speed," said Thomas, the projected starter at weakside LB. "It's something that everyone pushed on this summer." The newcomers might allow Notre Dame to use the nickel and dime packages more often this season.
"I just don't think we had the personnel to be able to accomplish it last year," Zbikowski said.

ncf_g_abiamiri_275.jpg

Elsa/Getty Images
Defensive lineman Victor Abiamiri picked up 46 tackles for the Irish in 2005.


The back seven weren't the only ones focused on speed. The line is filled with familiar faces (Abiamiri, DT Derek Landri, DT Trevor Laws, DE Chris Frome), and coach Jappy Oliver has been instructed to "turn 'em loose."
"He absolutely has more faith in our defensive line this year with our experience," Frome said of Oliver.
Frome, who missed the final six games of last season with a knee injury, is competing to reclaim his starting job. Sophomore Ronald Talley started the final four games in Frome's place.
The 6-foot-4, 262-pound Talley brings a menacing presence to the Irish line, and not just with an imposing frame. Unlike quieter teammates Abiamiri and Landri, Talley will, on occasion, open his mouth before the ball is snapped.
What does he say?
"Intimidating things," he deadpanned, drawing nervous laughs from several reporters. The Irish hope speed will be their most intimidating attribute this fall. It won't take long to find out, as Notre Dame faces big-play threats Calvin Johnson (Georgia Tech), Derrick Williams (Penn State) and Steve Breaston (Michigan) in its first three games. Can the Irish close the gaps?
"On defense, little things easily turn into big problems," Ndukwe said. "If you have a little miscommunication, someone might be a couple feet out of place, that's the difference between a tackle and a touchdown."
 
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Is Notre Dame really that good? 8/23


The NEWS-SENTINEL FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Don't even try to escape the hype surrounding Notre Dame's football team. Short of moving to Tibet, Siberia or Ann Arbor, avoiding it is impossible.
According to various columnists, television analysts, radio talk show hosts, Internet sites and Regis Philbin:
Notre Dame will win its first national title since 1988.
Quarterback Brady Quinn will be the first Irish winner of the Heisman Trophy since Tim Brown in 1987.
Tom Zbikowski will be defensive player of the year, then heavyweight boxing champion of the world.
Construction could begin any day on a statue of Charlie Weis. (It'll be slightly smaller than Touchdown Jesus, but equally revered -- unless he loses again to Michigan State, in which case it'll be immediately boxed up and shipped east, c/o Bob Davie.)
Is this hype justified, or is it merely the result of NBC's marketing department?
To answer that question, we bring in veteran observers Mr. Negative and Dr. Positive.
Mr. Negative, as you might guess, tends to be skeptical. Dr. Positive wears Blue & Gold underwear.
Let the debate begin.
Mr. Negative: "Last I looked, Notre Dame got spanked in the Fiesta Bowl by Ohio State, and was exposed as too slow afoot and too slow to adjust. What makes you think they'll be any better at stopping people this season?"
Dr. Positive: "Charlie Weis will make it so."
Mr. Negative: "That's your reasoning?"
Dr. Positive: "Weis is a genius. Everyone says so. In fact, I'd be surprised if the Irish give up a touchdown all season. Once Weis sets his superior analytical mind in motion, mere mortals have no chance."
Mr. Negative: "Wasn't he the coach against Ohio State last season?"
Dr. Positive: "What's your point?"
Mr. Negative: "I'm just saying, if he was so smart, why did the Buckeyes make the Fiesta Bowl look like a race between Carl Lewis and Jerry Lewis?"
Dr. Positive: "That's out of bounds."
Mr. Negative: "No, 'out of bounds' was the one place where the Irish could catch the Buckeyes."
Dr. Positive: "Very funny. That Ohio State game was disappointing, but it was an aberration. A bad day. A fluke. Look at Weis' overall success. He finished 9-3 last year."
Mr. Negative: "Didn't Tyrone Willingham finish 9-3 his first season?"
Dr. Positive: "Actually, 10-3."
Mr. Negative: "And didn't Bob Davie have a couple 9-3 seasons?"
Dr. Positive: "What's your point?"
Mr. Negative: "I think it's a bit early to deify Weis."
Dr. Positive: "I agree. We should wait until mid-season."
Mr. Negative: "Let's get down to specifics. I hear Weis switched Travis Thomas from running back to linebacker. Sounds like a desperate move."
Dr. Positive: "Putting your best players on the field is desperate? I believe that's called strategy. You've heard of strategy, right? It means 'an elaborate and systematic plan of action.' "
Mr. Negative: "Wouldn't it be easier to recruit good linebackers?"
Dr. Positive: "Give him time. Weis is still coaching a ton of Willingham recruits -- quite well, I might add -- but he's making great progress toward the future. I don't know if you missed it, but the Irish have already landed several major prep players, including the No.1 recruit in the country for next season, quarterback Jimmy Clausen."
Mr. Negative: "I heard Clausen's bling sets off airport security warnings three miles away."
Dr. Positive: "Typical media exaggeration. The only bling is his championship rings, which we tend to like. Let's talk about this season, if you don't mind. The Irish have the best quarterback in the country in Brady Quinn, the best receiver in Jeff Samardzija, the best defensive back in Tom Zbikowski and one of the best running backs in Darius Walker. Their offense will score so many points, it won't matter whether the defense gives up a touchdown here and there, in the unlikely event that would occur."
Mr. Negative: "Quinn's great, Samardzija's great, Walker has potential for greatness. But I notice your list of stars includes only one defensive player. Zbikowski is toughness personified, but he's a safety. Championship teams always have big-time linebackers."
Dr. Positive: "We have big-time linebackers."
Mr. Negative: "Name one."
Dr. Positive: "Brandon Hoyte."
Mr. Negative: "He's trying out for the Colts now."
Dr. Positive: "Oh, yeah, I forgot. Um, it's on the tip of my tongue. I just read about him the other day. Maurice Crum Jr.!"
Mr. Negative: "Did you come up with that name from memory or did you check your preview magazines while you were stammering around?"
Dr. Positive: "You're mean."
Mr. Negative: "I'm realistic. The Irish will only be as good as their defense, and the biggest defensive news is that Thomas, a running back, is moving to linebacker. I don't think they're making those kinds of moves at Ohio State."
Dr. Positive: "It's easy for you to sit here and doubt the Irish when no games have been played. You'll be climbing on the bandwagon when they're undefeated heading into the season finale at USC."
Mr. Negative: "If that happens, I'll drive the bandwagon. In fact, I'll supply all the gas. But if not, you have to sing the Ohio State fight song."
Dr. Positive: " 'Folsom Prison Blues' by Maurice Clarett?"
Mr. Negative: "Ouch. I thought you were supposed to be the positive one."
Dr. Positive: "Sorry. Sometimes even I buckle to peer pressure."
 
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Weis says road opening suits his psyche

By MATT WINKELJOHN
Cox News Service
Wednesday, August 23, 2006 SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The good ol' days are gone at Notre Dame, where the football team no longer plays every game at home, as in 1895, when a squad nicknamed the "Catholics" beat Northwestern Law, the Illinois Cycling Club and the Chicago Physicians and Surgeons, but got whipped by Indianapolis Artillery.
Notre Dame doesn't schedule carpetbaggers any more, the team is known as the Fighting Irish, and they'll begin their third straight season on the road, Sept. 2 at Georgia Tech. That seems fine with second-year coach Charlie Weis.
"I enjoy going on the road because it plays to my psyche of an 'us-against-the-world' mentality," he said. "I like that where, 'It's just us in this locker room.'"
Weis' first Irish team went 5-0 in away games, including a season opening victory at then-No. 23 Pitt. The Irish followed that with a 17-10 win at No. 3 Michigan and also won at Washington, at No. 22 Purdue and at Stanford with 55 seconds left, prompting the coach to say his team was more focused behind enemy lines.
Notre Dame is 11-2-1 in games at Georgia Tech, where Weis said, "There will be a few [Notre Dame] fans there, but basically it's going to be all them, and be all hostile, just the way you want it. I like to play to that psyche."
To get ready for the conditions in Atlanta, Weis enlisted the help of a few Irish players from Georgia — star running back Darius Walker (Buford) and cornerback Mike Richardson (Warner Robins).
"We practiced inside, and cranked [the heat] up, and it was miserable," Weis said. "I was the only one who knew it was going to be that way. It was hot in there, about 90, and it was humid in there.
"I turned to a few guys from Georgia and said, 'Look familiar?' I'm trying to send a message that this is what it's going to be like."
Weis said Notre Dame has more reinforcements in 2006 than it did last season, especially on defense. The Irish went 9-3 last season, its losses coming to Michigan State, Southern Cal and Ohio State (Fiesta Bowl).
"When you're going out there for the first game of the year, you have to be ready to beat the heat and the humidity, and you can't do that if you're not willing to use your depth," he said. "If you're just going to keep your front guys in the whole time, then you're just opening up a can of worms."
Matt Winkeljohn writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
 
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Quinn, Irish `trying to turn the hype into reality'

By Howard Richman
McClatchy Newspapers
(MCT)
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - His face appears on college football magazine covers across the country, his heartthrob looks make females giggle, and he has the cell-phone number for NFL star Peyton Manning.
Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn plays the most glamorous position for the most glamorous program in college football, and he's awfully good at it.
So here's how much this stardom has gone to his head this summer:
"He baby-sat my four kids a little over a month ago," says Mark Crabtree, Quinn's high school coach in Dublin, Ohio. "I didn't pay him. He did it for enjoyment. That's Brady. He's awesome."
No doubt the kid's on the verge of striking it rich on numerous fronts. That includes striking the most famous pose in college football.
"He's all about team," Crabtree said. "He's humble, down to earth. He really is the kind of young man I want my sons to be like."
Quinn hopes to set quite an example for them in 2006.
There is speculation this might be second-ranked Notre Dame's year to win its first national championship since 1988. But that's not all. The Irish hope to snag another Heisman Trophy along the way. Notre Dame has seven Heisman Trophy recipients in its fabled history. But no Irish QB has been awarded it in 42 years - since John Huarte was honored in 1964.
"There's been a lot of hype around the season, and we're trying to turn the hype into reality," Quinn, a 6-foot-4, 227 pounder, said of the team goal.
As for the individual award:
"Obviously, I'm not the type of person to take all this stuff in and get a big head about it or take all this hype and turn into someone I'm not," said Quinn, fourth in the Heisman voting last season.
The apple pie, all-American act seems genuine. Notre Dame, however, almost deserved the old pie-in-the-face for nearly waiting too long to act on Quinn.
Louisville presented Quinn his first scholarship offer before his senior high school season. Ohio State, located 15 minutes from his house, offered. But it was Michigan that appeared to be on the verge of landing him.
"He called me about 11 at night in June and told me he was pumped about Michigan," Crabtree said.
Enter the father of Notre Dame senior safety Chinedum Ndukwe, Quinn's high school teammate, who told then-Irish coach Tyrone Willingham he should take a closer look at Quinn.
"He told Ty that Brady was better than anybody he had on his team right now," Crabtree said.
Willingham listened. In July, Notre Dame offered.
"He got pretty emotional about it," Crabtree said.
Quinn made an oral commitment to Notre Dame. Now, he owns 31 school single-season or career records. That includes passing yards (8,336) and TD passes (58). He completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 3,919 yards with 32 TDs and seven interceptions in 2005.
"Brady's good. If people don't know that, they need to go read some books about football," senior wide receiver Jeff Samardzija said.
Irish quarterbacks coach Peter Vaas said: "Brady is constantly looking to get better 365 days a year. It's as simple as that."
But records don't drive Quinn. When he got phone numbers this summer for Manning, New England's Tom Brady and Green Bay's Brett Favre, Quinn wanted to know what drove them to become supreme.
"I had the opportunity to speak with some of the greatest quarterbacks ever," Quinn said. "I spoke to them about some of the different things that they have gone through in their career. Talking to Peyton Manning, you truly realize he is a business guy, takes a business approach to everything. He looks at himself as his own corporation."
Irish coach Charlie Weis certainly knows how to give Quinn the business. In Quinn, Weis sees lots of Brady, whom he tutored at New England before arriving at Notre Dame. And he rides him equally hard.
"Every time Quinn throws an incomplete pass, he already knows it's coming ...," Weis said, "and I will say, `Yeah, there's my Heisman Trophy winner.' He's miserable because he knows he's going to be the public sacrificial lamb."
Weis, though, has witnessed Quinn digest the complex NFL-style offense, and that only will enhance an already powerful Irish attack.
"When we put in the offense last year, we were able to put in a substantial amount of the offense because he was able to grasp it, but there's a difference between being able to grasp it and being able to take it mentally to another level," Weis said. "He's done a great job in the offseason about being able to take this stuff to another level. We'll just see how that works out."
The national title and Heisman speculation have Weis on guard. He thinks Quinn can handle it, but human nature could make it challenging.
"We can act like everyone is oblivious to that (hype), but no one is oblivious to it," Weis said. Not to the Heisman hype and especially not to all that national championship talk.
"I'd be lying if I told you guys that it (national championship) wasn't in the back of our minds," Quinn said. "That is our motivation."
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Notre Dame career passing yards leaders
QB Yards Years
Brady Quinn 8,336 2003-
Ron Powlus 7,602 1994-97
Steve Beuerlein 6,527 1983-86
Rick Mirer 5,997 1989-92
Jarious Jackson 4,820 1996-99
Joe Theismann 4,411 1968-70
Terry Hanratty 4,152 1966-68
Joe Montana 4,121 1975-78
Blair Kiel 3,650 1980-83
Tom Clements 3,594 1972-74
 
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Notre Dame's back and ... overrated?
Notre Dame is back!

Have you heard? This fall, the Fighting Irish can win the national championship, Brady Quinn should win the Heisman Trophy and Charlie Weis is the early favorite for the Papacy, though he might turn it down on the grounds that his current job is more important.

These are all wonderful developments for college football. People have often said that college football needs Notre Dame. I don't know about that. Notre Dame went away for a decade or so and the sport seemed just fine without it. But college football is definitely better off with Notre Dame in the national spotlight.
The Fighting Irish reek of tradition. Find me an American who doesn't know about Rockne, the Gipper and Touchdown Jesus and I'll demand to see a passport. Notre Dame Stadium is one of the coolest sports venues on the planet. The Irish have an extraordinary history of winning. They've had arguably more great coaches over the years than any other school.
And as good as the Irish have been, they would probably have been even better except that every few years, when the football program gets too big, academic types tend to worry and tighten standards and a performance dropoff usually follows.
Notre Dame-haters hate to admit all that, which is part of the fun. But to see if Notre Dame is truly back, we must examine whether the Irish meet the following three standards:
1. A Great Coach You Can Hate

Lou Holtz was one of the best coaches of his era, wildly entertaining and, if you were in the mood, easy to loathe. He'd say things like "This is the best Navy team I've ever seen" and "I don't know how we can stay on the field with Army" and people across the country would want to pick him up and strangle him, which seemed highly possible since he appeared to be 4-foot-6 and weigh 67 pounds.
Plus, there was that book Under the Tarnished Dome, which Holtz claimed not to have read and supposedly revealed Notre Dame to be a cheating fraud, though frankly I never read it.
And as a game coach, Holtz was one of the best of the last 30 years.
On first glance, Charlie Weis doesn't fit the bill. First of all, despite the wonderful success he had last year — and despite the accolades being sent his way — we really can't call him a great coach yet. He has only been a head coach for one season.
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Charlie Weis has the Fighting Irish back in the national title mix. (Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
And last year, he called that play for a child who had just passed away, one of the nicer sports moments of the last decade. Doesn't seem possible to hate a guy like that.
Ah, but Charlie has come through. He spars with reporters. He talks a tough game. Sometimes, he seems genuinely offended that anybody else is trying to coach the game he invented.
VERDICT: We can't say for sure, but it looks promising.
2. National Championship Hopes

Let's be honest: Just as it's no fun loving a bad team, it's not much fun hating a bad team. Notre Dame fans — especially the subway alums who only care about the team and not the school — did not enjoy the Bob Davie era and didn't much like the Tyrone Willingham era, either. And even for the haters, the fun of seeing Davie look befuddled by his team's four-touchdown deficit wore off after a while.
Now Notre Dame is No. 2 in the AP poll and tied for third in the coaches' poll. But there are legitimate questions about the defense, overall talent level and whether Notre Dame is truly ready to make a national-title run.
VERDICT: I'm not sold, but that's OK, because it brings up ...
3. The Suspicion That Notre Dame Is Overrated Because Everybody Wants a Great Story like "Notre Dame Is Back!"

Bingo!
Nothing against Notre Dame. Nothing against Quinn. Nothing against Weis.
But it's fair to wonder if a team by any other name would be just as hyped. This is a program that hasn't won a bowl game since President Clinton's first term. Sure, the Irish finished No. 6 in the country and almost upset USC, but their last game was a bad loss to Ohio State and they finished 9-3 — a strong 9-3, but still 9-3. Remember, Willingham had a similar first year.
Also, the schedule is filled with mines: Georgia Tech and USC on the road; Michigan, Penn State, Purdue and UCLA at home. And I didn't even mention Michigan State, which has dominated Notre Dame in recent years.
Swirl that around your mouth for a second: Michigan State, which has defined mediocrity for most of the last few decades, has dominated Notre Dame. The Spartans have won five straight games in South Bend. That's not to say Notre Dame can't win the national championship, just that the Irish might be a tad overrated.
Then again, maybe Notre Dame is just that good. That's the beauty of sports: as the season unfolds, we'll find out.
VERDICT: It's been a long time since crowds chanted "overrated" during a Notre Dame game. Maybe this is the year.
Back, indeed.
 
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