Notre Dame

The college football season is just around the corner and the pre-season hype has been underway for a while now. What team seems to be getting the most attention? It isn't the defending champ from Texas, nor the runner up (and possibly the best team the last few years) from USC. It isn't even the consensus preseason #1 Ohio State. You guessed it, Notre Dame.

Haven't we already heard this story before? New head coach comes in and turns around a program that seemed on the decline, and now all of a sudden they are national championship contenders? Sure, Charlie Weis did turn a soiled program around and give some shine back to the Dome, but didn't Ty Willingham do the same thing? How did that turn out?

The Irish went 9-3 last year, 3 wins better than their 6-6 season in 2004, ending the season in an embarrassing loss that was worst than the 34-20 score might indicate. In 2002, Willingham's first year, they went 10-3. Notre Dame fans will tell you that their schedule going into last season was a fierce one, and I'll give you that fact. Let's remember, going into the season they had to look at games at Pittsburgh and at Michigan to start things off, as well as trips to Washington, and matches with USC and Tennessee were looming. But a funny thing happens as the season goes along...

Pittsburgh finished the season 5-6.
Michigan struggled to a 7-4 year.
Michigan State was 5-6 (including a win over the Irish).
Washington was 2-9.
Purdue was 5-6.
BYU went 5-6.
Tennessee had a 5-6 season.
Syracuse went 1-10!
Stanford was 5-6.

Not including the Fiesta Bowl game against Ohio State, USC and Navy were the only teams on the schedule, in addition to Michigan, that had a winning record. USC defeated Notre Dame, and Navy hasn't beaten Notre Dame in a few decades. Of course the offense put up good numbers; they played against young or non existent defenses all year long. Give credit for actually winning the games Notre Dame should typically win, but let us not go overboard with the resurgence of Notre Dame and start proclaiming them a National Champion contender...yet.

You heard it here first folks, Notre Dame will start out the 2006 season 0-3 with losses at Georgia Tech, and home against Penn State and Michigan. You can take that Charlie Weis and Brady Quinn and National Championship talk down a few notches when that happens.