Ok I'm not that big of a blogger but I felt that I needed to talk about something that I'm so excited about this year.  The 2009 Notre Dame football team has the chance to be special.  I'm a huge Steelers, SF Giants, Penguins, and Irish fan.  In recent years my Steelers and Penguins have enjoyed their success while the Giants and Irish have fell on hard times.  I believe that now changes...........

Notre Dame returns not only depth at every position this year for the first time since the Holtz era, it also returns experience.  I know writers all over the country have their predictions for us this year, but I have my own as well.  Now I know that Notre Dame is a love me or hate me program.  We will always be the most popular university, as well as the most unpopular in the country.  Who cares right?  That is what makes college football so great.

We return 3rd year junior Jimmy Clausen along with the second most experienced line in college football this season behind Virginia Tech.  We probably have the deepest depth at WR in Notre Dame history this year.  Tate, Floyd, Kumara, Parris, Goodman, Walker, and Evans.  Now Evans is just a freshman but they are saying Shaq is looking great in practice.  My biggest concern with the WR corp is can Tate handle the constant double teams that he will see now, and can Floyd avoid a sophmore slump.  The RB's are lead by Armando Allen and Robert Hughes.  We also have young playmakers in Gray, Riddick, and Wood.  TE is also a strength this year with Rudolph and Ragone is back from season ending surgery last season.   I don't think that we will have a problem scoring points, it's the yards per carry and turnovers that I am worried about.

The D is what is going to make us or break us this year.  The DL has added much needed weight in the offseason and that looks to make us alot stronger in the trenches.  I honestly believe we have so much depth at LB and DB this year that we could quite possibly be one of the best defenses in the country this season. I know I sound like a homer but we finished 37th last season in total defense with a very young team.  It's the maturity that worries me about this team.  Will they correct the mistakes that they made in the second half of the season last year, or continue to show youthful inexperience.

As far as coaching goes I think Weis knows what he is doing. I am the first to admit that I have called for his job alot over the past two years, but he is building something special I believe.  Most people don't realize that in 2007 ND hit rock bottom not because of Charlie and his coaching, but because he had no one to coach.  I think that Tenuta will get after the defensive this season like only sweet Lou could.  We finally have depth and the talent is there, can Charlie deliver?

I have to go with 10-2 with losses to USC and Michigan State.

Thoughts?