2010 College Football Predictions: Notre Dame

The 2010 football season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is going to be a very interesting one. Coming into the season, there are a lot of questions and storylines that fans can not wait to have answered.

How will Brian Kelly turn this program around? How successful will his spread offense be? What about the new defense? How well can Dayne Crist perform after his ACL tear?

There are obviously a lot of things going on right now in South Bend, but the one thing that is for sure is the talent on this year's team. Charlie Weis did have two straight top recruiting classes, and now those players are becoming juniors and seniors. It's time for the highly recruited players to finally make a name for themselves at Notre Dame.

That said, here is a complete low-down on Notre Dame's roster.

Quarterbacks

The starter this season will be a new face in Dayne Crist. Highly recruited out of high school, Crist was a long time friend of former quarterback Jimmy Clausen. And, after two years of studying under him, it's time for Crist to shine as the new "Golden Boy" of Notre Dame.

However, after his ACL tear last season, there are questions if his health will allow him to play up to his full potential. He has the size to play the quarterback position, being 6'4'' and 235 pounds. His mobility, though, is a key asset in the new spread offense that Brian Kelly brings to Notre Dame.

If Crist cannot perform well, this season will be a disaster. He has talent around him, which we will get to in a few seconds, but a lot of the weight is put on him. He has to perform well if the Fighting Irish are going to be a competitive team this season.

Running Backs

Armando Allen led the team last season with 697 yards, and will be the top runner for the Irish this season as well. Allen is a talented running back who has the speed to run inside and outside, and can catch the ball out of the backfield as well.

After him on the depth chart is bruiser Robert Hughes. You can always tell when he carries the ball, as the fans all over the stadium are yelling his name. Last season, he was also able to catch 19 passes out of the backfield, and will be a great talent to have as the number two running back behind Armando Allen.

Also watch out for sophomore Cierre Wood. After he was heavily recruited out of high school, Wood has the talent to be a number one running back in years to come. And, while he wasn't in at all last season, he will get a number of looks in his second year at Notre Dame.

Receivers

Yes, Golden Tate is gone, but Michael Floyd, who was the most talented receiver on the roster last year in my opinion, returns after having a good sophomore year despite missing five games to an injury.

This off-season there is a lot of hype about what Floyd will do now that he is the number one receiver on the team. In the new spread offense, there's no doubt in my mind that he will be a target on a lot of plays and end up with well over 1,000 yards receiving at the end of the season.

Behind him, Duval Kamara will have to again step up to replace a star receiver. Kamara performed pretty well last season after Floyd went down by grabbing 23 passes for over 200 yards, but his performance will have to be even better this year after the loss of Golden Tate.

Also, another guy to watch out for is freshman Tai-ler Jones. Jones has amazing athletic ability to go with his quickness. In his first year, he will definitely be given a lot of looks as a receiver.

Finally, Kyle Rudolph at the tight end position will also be a key contributor. As the team's top NFL prospect, Rudolph has the size, speed, and hands to be a receiver in the spread offense. His 33 receptions landed him third on the team last year, but he will have an even bigger impact this season.

Offensive Line

The offensive line this season could have a new look with this new coaching staff, but they will be a key part of this team. If there's not good protection, then Crist will have a rough first season like Clausen did. So, it's obviously very important to have a good line to protect him.

First off, the line returns two starters from last season in Trevor Robinson and Chris Stewart. Those two guys are going to be the leaders after Sam Young's departure and for good reason. Both of them obviously have starting experience and are the most talented blockers on the roster.

Braxston Cave will be the starting center this year after an impressive spring. Zach Martin will start at left tackle despite not being very big. While he is young and inexperienced, he was a highly sought after recruit and is very talented. Finally, Taylor Dever will have to try to fill Sam Young's shoes which will be a difficult task. He is a senior, so he has experience at Notre Dame and can be a veteran leader on this line.

Defensive Line

Ian Williams will be the star of the line this season and will have a much bigger role because of the new 3-4 defense. While he has the NFL talent needed to be a great lineman, he has to start bringing more consistency to the field if this year's line is going be a good one.

Ethan Johnson will be on the outside of the three man line and will have to step up his game from last season. He showed some of his talent last year by grabbing four sacks, but he will have to be more involved in the running game this year as well.

Rounding out the line, junior Kapron Lewis-Moore has the potential to be a star player on defense and this is his time to shine. Last year, he managed to get 2.5 sacks as a 4-3 end but will take his new role this season with the 3-4. His performance in the running game needs to improve this year as well.

Linebackers

Manti Te'o will be the leader of the defense this season and perhaps the most talented player as well. After a decent freshman season, Te'o will only improve on that with a year of experience. He obviously has great potential and NFL talent that he will hopefully continue to show off as the season progresses.

Darius Fleming, the speedy linebacker, will start on the outside of the defense this season. Last season he had three sacks and that number will definitely improve this season with the new defensive scheme.

Brian Smith returns from a good 2009 campaign with 79 tackles and two interceptions. Smith comes back with a lot of expectations to be the veteran and experienced player of the linebackers. Expect a very good statistical season this year from him.

And, with four spots at linebacker this year, Anthony McDonald should be the one stepping into the new role. He is just another example of a highly recruited player who will have a chance to show that off this season.

Secondary

Senior Gary Gray has the experience and talent to be the leader of this secondary if he can finally break through. As one of the most sought after corners in his class, he really hasn't done enough to back up that hype. This will be his final chance if he plans to do something big in South Bend.

Like the rest of the defense, Darrin Walls has the talent and potential to be a star. I almost feel like a broken record right now because a lot of this is the same stuff. Walls was again a very talented player coming to Notre Dame, but just hasn't really shown it yet. As a senior, this will also be his last chance to do something big.

At strong safety will be Jamoris Slaughter who will try to replace a very good safety in Kyle McCarthy. Slaughter has the speed to be a player like McCarthy and cover a lot of ground to defend passes through the air and on the ground.

Harrison Smith, like Gray and like Walls is another talented high school prospect with a lot to prove. He will be the starting free safety this season and his physicality should make him a good one. He finished third on the team last year with 69 tackles, but expect that number to improve this season. He has great athletic ability and should have a good season this year.

Reggie Bush Apologizes To USC Athletic Director Pat Haden

Reggie Bush has not apologized, according to the Los Angeles Times. "Never did he say I'm sorry or I apologize. Never did he say, 'I lied to the NCAA or I took stuff,'" USC athletic director Pat Haden

 

said. (via Sports By Brooks)

EARLIER:

Reggie Bush apologized to new USC athletic director Pat Haden last week in a 15-minute phone conversation, according to USA Today.

According to Haden, Bush was "really contrite" and apologized for receiving benefits while playing at USC.

"He knows he made a series of mistakes. It wasn't just one mistake. It was a series of mistakes," said Haden. "He told me, 'If I could turn the clock back, I would. If I could give the Heisman Trophy back, I would.'"

USC removed Bush's 2005 Heisman trophy from display and the team is banned from playing in bowl games for the next two years.

Southern Cal has also been ordered to distance itself from Bush.
Haden went onto say "I wish I could ask Reggie to come talk to our football team. I can't. He's not allowed on the campus."

In June, the NCAA stripped USC of its victory in the 2005 National Championship game and vacate the entire 2005 season.

ESPN Arrives in Miami, Forgets Dolphins Play Football

First it was the hip, now it's basketball.Every year ESPN comes up with a fascinatingly gimmicky way to cover training camp and fans for all 32 teams patiently await their teams ten minutes of attention. This year Chad Henneand Adam Schefter are riding buses across the country going city to city in a Jack Keroueac meets Monday Night Football kind of way. Great, after waiting for pretty much everybody else to have their shot, Adam Schefter finally rolled into South Beach yesterday.

I’m as excited about The Heat as the next guy (that’s not totally true, but I get the reason for the excitement), but I really wanted to hear an interview about the Dolphins. What I got was really a stupid fluff piece and a bunch of information I’d already heard on ESPN. Schefter had Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall on the bus. He really should have just invited Marshall because they really seemed to be the only two talking.

He led by asking Brandon Marshall how it felt to be the third biggest acquisition in Miami this offseason, alluding to Chris Bosh and LeBron James recent decision to bring their talents to South Beach. Now that’s an endearing question right off the bat, and one that Marshall played off well. I personally don’t think Chris Bosh is higher profile than Brandon Marshall, but I’m biased.

Then the attention turned to Brandon Marshall’s plans to play in the NBA should there be an NFL lockout next year (which is interesting, because I’m not 100 percent on this but I’m pretty sure the NBA is set for a pretty interesting labor squabble after their upcoming season, too) and Chad Henne’s bowling ability. The former of which dominated the conversation, and made a headline on the front of ESPN.com. Sprinkled in between the banter were a couple questions about Henne and Marshall’s first impressions of each other. At the end of the piece the two signed the bus, though they only showed Marshall and he was still talking about basketball the whole time. Then they sent it back to Bristol where Tedy Bruschi offered an “objective” opinion.

Great work. Seriously, ESPN shows up in Miami, fails to really address the Dolphins training camp or frankly even show any footage of it at all and as a parting gift leaves the Dolphins with a mild distraction by running a story about Brandon Marshall’s intent to play in the NBA next year and dropping in a little bit about breach of contract. Also, it’s probably a microcosm of their coverage of Miami sports this next year with the Heat in the forefront and the Fins as an afterthought (still better than Marlins and Panthers). Ok, I’m done ranting, follow me over the page break and let’s talk about the Dolphins.

Will Allen Out Until Season

Will Allen will be sidelined until the start of the season as he had to have his knee scoped yesterday. He had been enjoying a very solid camp but started to favor the knee a couple of days. Allen is a tough guy and attempted to play through the pain but eventually had to miss time and was sent to see a specialist yesterday morning.

Will Allen will be sidelined the rest of camp after having his knee scoped Thursday.

The surgery was on the same knee that Allen had operated on last season when he missed the rest of the year after injuring it in week 7. It was a minor procedure that was done to clean up a few things after the last surgery, but it will hold Allen out until the beginning of the season. There’s a couple ways to interpret this. Allen is 32, it’s the second surgery on the knee, there’s no guarantee he comes back strong from this at all. But on the other hand it may be good the Dolphins made him get it dealt with rather than letting him tough it out all year and risk doing more damage.

Regardless it gives Nolan Carroll an opportunity to secure the nickel spot with Jason Allen also still in the mix, though I’ve read reports where Miami has been playing Jason Allen some at boundary corner and has been happy with the results so far. Regardless, Nolan Carroll is getting a lot of attention lately and stands to really solidify his place in Miami’s long-term plans. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a trio of talented young corners locked up for the next few years?

Dolphins Pre-Season Opener

The Dolphins will take on the Buccaneers tomorrow night at Sun Life Stadium. We’ll have a full preview of it before the game, but for now, the Fins have announced that Chad Pennington will not play, Chad Henne will play a set number of snaps, but mostly like about the first quarter, the Tyler Thigpen in the second and that Pat White will play a lot. It’s pretty obvious Miami needs to see Pat White run the offense in some game situations to determine what kind of a player they have in his second season.

Pat White has seen a lot of scrutiny thus far in the young season. More than just about any 4th string quarterback I’ve ever seen. But a good preseason could go a long ways towards helping him silence critics and show the Dolphins he has a place on their team. Tony Sparano has said in the past the first preseason game is the most difficult from a coaching standpoint because your roster is the most bloated at that pointed having not made cuts yet, and depending on how the game goes, you might not be able to get everyone enough reps to get a good look at some people. In this case you can tell the Dolphins need to see White and have made a point of it. Here’s hoping the kid shows up.

How's that foot holding up, buddy?

A Few Things I’m Going to Be Looking For…

-How does Ronnie Brown look, if he’s going to be playing at all? I want to see him just make one solid cut with a tackler coming at him in a game situation and then I’ll feel a whole lot better going into the start of the season.

-What do Brandon Marshall andKarlos Dansby look like as a Dolphins? We’ve seen them in practice gear, but it’s always kind of fun the first time you see a new player in uniform.

-How does the interior line look?  Miami is still fleshing out the inside of its line and and the Bucs have a pair of promising young tackles that are sure to see some extended reps.

-Can Ike Alama-Francis match the hype? He’s getting a ton of credit right now, is he really going to be a force or is he just another case of too much being made out of drills and two-a-days?

-What does the defense look like? I don’t mean how do they play but what does the scheme look like? All we’ve heard about is ‘hybrid 3-4.’ Well obviously they’re not going to show too much, but still we should get a look at what this new scheme is all about.

-Who can return a kick? Kick coverage is kick coverage, so it doesn’t matter when you get your shot every return is important and it’s going to be key to see if anyone can show the type of elusiveness and burst that could win the job.

Hope you’re all ready for a good weekend and some Dolphins football.

Ranking the Running Backs

Just as we talked about when we rated quarterbacks, there are going to be a number of key factors to consider when entering your fantasy football draft. Obviously the schedule is important, as is the weather in games and health.

However, knowing how your league scores is ultimately a reason to pick one back over another. For example, Adrian Peterson didn't lead the league in rushing, but put up 18 touchdowns last year. If Ryan Grant is only going to get you six touchdowns, but Ray Rice might get you 11, and their rushing yards are equal, it's important to pay attention to those numbers.

It's also important to see if leagues count rush attempts and/or receptions. Some backs, like Chris Johnson and Rice, pick up a lot of receiving yards while others, like Peterson, do not. This is also key when considering a back in the draft.

With all that in mind, let's rank the running backs for 2010.

The Cream of the Crop

• Chris Johnson, Tennessee
• Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
• Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
• Ray Rice, Baltimore

All four of these guys could put up very similar numbers this year, rushing for somewhere between 1,300-1,500 yards and posting double-digit touchdowns. However, each has unique skills to bring to the table, and concerns, that are worthy of additional consideration.

Johnson: led the league in rushing last year. Teams will focus on him in 2010, forcing Vince Young to beat them. Don't expect 2,000 rushing yards again.

Peterson: coughs up the ball too much. He lost six fumbles last year, and the Vikings were forced to use Chester Taylor late in many games to preserve their lead. Being that Taylor is now in Chicago, and Brett Favre hasn't officially come back yet, Peterson could have a rough season.

Jones-Drew: he's the leader of a young offense and handled the ball a lot last year. His 14 touchdowns might not happen again this year, but the 1,300+ yards could.

Rice: he's in the best situation of this top group. He's a good receiver and has capable bodies with whom he can share carries. However, with the addition of Anquan Boldin the Ravens might be more pass-happy in the red zone, and Rice only rushed for seven touchdowns last year. Still a safe bet for over 1,700 all-purpose yards.

Second-Tier Starters: Worth Waiting, not Over Paying

• Steven Jackson, St. Louis
• Ryan Grant, Green Bay
• Frank Gore, San Francisco
• Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh
• Michael Turner, Atlanta
• Cedric Benson, Cincinnati
• Ryan Matthews, San Diego

These seven guys are trendy picks that might be worth considering in a second or third round, but aren't worth a gamble in the first.

The biggest argument on this list is Jackson being included in the second tier and not with the big boys as locks for big seasons. However, the Rams have been running him into the ground and history shows that backs averaging consistently 320-340 carries a season over an extended period of time don't last very long. With the Rams mediocre line and the money they've invested in Sam Bradford in mind, Jackson might have seen his last 1,400-yard season.

With Grant and Benson, the biggest issue is consistency. Both have outstanding weeks and miserable weeks in the same season, and are both a fantasy owner's best friend and worst enemy in the matchup format.

Both Gore and Mendenhall have dealt with injuries in their pasts, but should be good to go for around 1,200 yards and 8-10 touchdowns. Mendenhall might be the best pick of this group because of Pittsburgh's quarterback issues (Roethlisberger suspended, Holmes traded). Gore is a beast that should see better holes with an improved line in San Fran.

Turner lived up to his nickname by burning fantasy owners that picked him at the top last year. He came into camp out of shape and dealt with injuries all season. He reported to camp in shape and on time this year, and could return to dominant form for the Falcons.

Matthews was the Chargers' first round pick this year, and he'll be the man for them because LaDanian Tomlinson's now with the Jets. They like him a lot, and have had success in the last decade, so seeing him put up numbers similar to those Matt Forte did for the Bears in his rookie year could be expected.

Tandems: Teams That Will Run-By-Committee

• Kansas City - Thomas Jones, Jamaal Charles
• New Orleans - Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas
• Carolina - DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart
• Chicago - Matt Forte, Chester Taylor
• Indianapolis - Joseph Addai, Donald Brown
• New York Jets - Shonn Greene, LaDanian Tomlinson
• Detroit - Kevin Smith, Jahvid Best
• Miami - Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown
• Oakland - Michael Bush, Darren McFadden

This is a longer group because more and more teams are moving two an offense that features more than one primary back. There are some intriguing names in strange places on this list, though, and these teams could give fantasy owners migraines all year.

Jones had one of his best seasons in the NFL last year, running for over 1,400 yards with the Jets. But they, as so many other teams have, decided to dump him after a great season. So he landed in Kansas City, which is puzzling because Charles had his own 1,000-yard season last year. It's hard to handicap which of these two will get more carries, especially in the red zone.

Similarly, Carolina has two backs that have had exceptional seasons in the last couple years. Both DeAngelo Williams and Stewart have seen their names in the top ten in the league in rushing, and in an offense that's going to be featured a new quarterback, both of these guys should see plenty of carries. DeAngelo Williams and Stewart might be the strongest individual plays of these players.

In New Orleans, Bush is a year past knee surgery and looks explosive. But Thomas is the better runner between the tackles and, while he might not put up as many all-purpose yards, could make up for it by seeing the end zone more often.

Forte and Taylor are intriguing in Chicago because it's hard to know what Mike Martz's system is going to look like with the Bears' personnel. The team has three tight ends on the roster, a questionable offensive line, and the same group of relatively young receivers. It's also hard to handicap which of these guys will see the end zone more often.

The Jets are an interesting situation because Greene showed the ability to be a top-tier back last year (which is why they let Jones walk), but the addition of future Hall of Famer Tomlinson clouds the situation. Clearly Tomlinson doesn't intend on being a full-time backup, and has a history of finding the end zone.

With Indianapolis, Detroit and Miami, there are injury concerns that make picking any of those four backs hard. Ricky Williams had a nice season last year, but Ronnie Brown is the more electrifying back. Both Smith and Best had their seasons end with injuries last year, so Detroit might be a wild card. In Indy, Addai has been solid when healthy, but Brown looked like he could be a dominant back last year when he got a chance. Which player Peyton Manning hands the ball to will be a question mark each week, and their touches in the red zone could be spread out as well.

Oakland is... well, Oakland. Jason Campbell should improve the offense, but knowing which guy is going to get the bulk of the carries is an annual crapshoot.

The MC Hammer Group - Don't Touch This

Dallas - they have three backs that all have histories of injuries and splitting carries. Marion Barber has never emerged a a prime-time back, but could get double-digit touchdowns.Tashard Choice and Felix Jones are sexy picks because they're home run hitters, but the three figure to see equal action in different situations. Good luck picking the most valuable of the three!

Denver - Knowshon Moreno's the most talented, Correll Buckhalter is the most consistent, and neither is healthy. Given their quarterback issues and the health concerns already popping up, it might be best to avoid the Broncos completely in the draft.

New York Giants - Brandon Jacobs is a beast, while Ahmad Bradshaw is a bowling ball. They combined for 387 carries and 12 touchdowns last year, but knowing which back gets the ball week-to-week is a health-based guessing game. Either could be a decent RB2 pick, but neither is a lead back.

Washington - they brought in Donovan McNabb and Mike Shanahan, which would lead a fantasy owner to think the Skins will probably throw the ball more often this year. Washington also quietly added two over-the-hill running backs, Larry Johnson and Willie Parker to their backfield to compete with over-the-hill Clinton Portis for touches. It's easy to say avoid this situation on draft day.

Tampa Bay - Cadillac Williams has been more of a pinto the last few years, spending most of his time on the sidelines in a t-shirt. Derrick Ward had a nice season with the Giants before Tampa overpaid for him, and he didn't impress as much as they would have hoped last year. This could be an interesting backfield to watch in 2010 as they continue to develop their offense around young quarterback Josh Freeman.

Houston - the Texans had 13 rushing touchdowns last year from four running backs, and were only able to get 437 yards and three of those touchdowns from Steve Slaton. Because Slaton lost three fumbles last year, Ryan Moats looked like a stronger fantasy play until they selected Ben Tate from Auburn in the draft. Tate could easily emerge as the leading rusher in Houston, but gambling on any of these backs as more than a third or fourth backfield option would be a mistake.