[Editor's note: This post was submitted before the Spartans and Zags took the floor last night. I just didn't have a chance to edit and publish it. But as you can see, our man J-Dools had the game pretty well pegged, so I'm posted this anyway.]

Excitement is building in East Lansing as the Spartans prepare to face their first real challenge of the season against Gonzaga, at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

The Spartans will showcase their talented line up that is gathering more and more comparisons to the 2000 championship team. Coach Tom Izzo is among those making such comparisons.

In an interview with ESPN.com Izzo was asked if he would ever coach someone like Mateen Cleaves again. Izzo answered saying that he may be doing that right now. The player Izzo is talking about is junior point guard Kalin Lucas.

As Lucas continues to emerge as a premier point guard, his similarities with Cleaves become more apparent. Lucas, like Cleaves, is a Michigan native and Lucas is now in the leadership role Cleaves once held. Lucas came out of the gates quick this season, scoring 21 points and one highlight reel layup against Florida Gulf Coast.

Tonight Michigan State takes on Gonzaga, for the first time since the “Goran Suton triple overtime missed layup fiasco.” (The image of Adam Morrison’s mustache is still burned in my mind from that game.)

However, both teams have changed greatly from their last meeting. Gonzaga is in a transitional year with only one returning starter, in Matt Bouldin. Michigan State is a potential Final Four team this year.

Forwards Raymar Morgan and Delvon Roe saw limited time in the opener against Florida Gulf Coast due to lingering injuries. The two forwards should be ready for more minutes againsts Gonzaga, but still may be out of the starting five.

Freshman center Derrick Nix put up a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds in his debut. Nix and fellow freshman center Garrick Sherman will be utilized to take on some of Morgan and Roe’s minutes.

The trio of Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers, and Chris Allen will be counted on as the primary scorers. Lucas and Summers combined for 38 points in the opener and have been the sparkplugs for the offense. Allen struggled with his shooting in the opener, but is still a viable outside threat.

Sophomores Korie Lucious and Draymond Green are the x-factors coming off of the bench. Against Florida Gulf Coast, Lucious looked very confident in his jumpshot and has been playing aggressive. Green helped score second-chance points by controlling the offensive boards.

Gonzaga will challenge Michigan State bu the Spartans should win this game. The key word being “should.” Gonzaga has a size advantage against State and the undersized Spartan forwards will have to play big. This game is not a complete lock but if the Spartans play as they did their first game they will come out with a win.

Prediction: Lucas and Summers are too much for the Zag’s backcourt to handle and Michigan State takes the win 86-78.

Notre Dame’s game last week against Washington State was the first boring game the Irish have played all year as they swamped the Cougars 40-14. Even though it was a boring, one-sided game, I was happy.

For one time in the season the Irish dominated a team they should have dominated.

This week the Irish play the Midshipmen in a rival that began in 1927. The Irish have a 71-10-1 edge on the rivalry.  The Irish had a NCAA record of 43 straight wins against the Navy, but that was broken in 2007 when the Midshipmen won in OT. Even though the rivalry has been one-sided both teams hold this game in high regard. Both teams respect each other, and that’s what gives this game a little extra meaning.

Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd is expected to play Saturday, but he is going to be limited. This is great news to hear for the team and fans. Floyd suffered a broken collarbone Sept. 19th in 36-33 win over Michigan State. The Irish’s backup QB will be out for the next four to six months leaving the backup duty to fifth year senior Evan Sharpley.

The Navy come in a little banged up as three of their defensive starters will be sitting out, but that doesn’t mean they will stop playing hard. The Navy only need one more win to clinch playing in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 31st.

With all these factors it’s hard to pick the Navy over the Irish in this one. The Irish are a better team than they were in 2007. I expect Notre Dame to win and to win easily.

The game is on Saturday, November 7th, at 2:30pm est. You can see the game on NBC.

Apparently Lane Kiffin and the Vols didn’t get the memo.

The game looked like it would be a close finish, when Georgia trailed by five in the third quarter. But 21 unanswered points later, the Vols were celebrating a 45-19 victory.

This matchup was a complete role reversal. Georgia was supposed to be a legitamite SEC power and Tennessee was supposed to be a rebuilding team.The Vols completely shut down Georgia’s offense and the Bulldogs defense made Jonathan Crompton look like Peyton Manning. The Eric Berry-led Tennessee defense held Georgia to zero offensive touchdowns and never let the Bulldogs reach the red-zone.

But was this blowout just a fluke? Simply put, no. As much as fans were ready to give up on the Vols, this team still has life. There is no doubt the Volunteers have a championship level defense and the best defensive player in the country. Many fans and experts say that Tennessee can’t win with Crompton at quarterback. (I have even said this.) Though Crompton is likely one of the worst quarterbacks in the conference, he showed against Georgia that he is capable of stepping up in a big game.

In Tennessee’s three losses they were beaten by a combined total of only 18. The Vols had a chance in each of those games and are only a few plays from having a winning record. This Tennessee squad still needs work before they will be a contender for an SEC title. But right now they are capable of being competitive with anyone in the SEC.

Many Vols fans were ready to give up on the team and their new coach. But the win against Georgia has revived the fans in Knoxville and taken some pressure off of Kiffin. And for at least one week, Jonathan Crompton won’t have to worry about death threats from his own fans.

Tennessee gets a bye this Saturday and the timing couldn’t be better. The Vols have an extra week to prepare for #2 Alabama. This will give Kiffin the time to develop a gameplan and to make sure his players are ready for this big away game.

In this week’s “I’ll Tell You This” I jump into the realm of the Sports Rumor Mill. Take a look and brew up some comments or rumors of your own!

1. Tony Dungy to Return to Coaching?

Recent rumors have placed Tony Dungy back at the helm of the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers as early as next season. Tampa Bay is 0-5, and has shown no signs of life this season, and its coach, Raheem Morris, is no doubt on the hot seat.

There seemingly will be a change in Tampa in the next couple of years, if not before.

I’ll Tell You This:

I love Tony Dungy, and while I hated to see him leave Indianapolis, I felt that it was the best thing for him and his family.

I have been very impressed with Dungy’s studio reporting, and he and Rodney Harrison make a great duo on NBC’s Football in America.

However, I have mixed emotions on his return, especially this soon.

That being said, I believe that if he is to come back to football, Tampa Bay is the place for him to go. It will be tough for him to build a team, but what a great way for him to prove that Tampa should have never let him go.

2. Other Coaching Rumors in the NFL

Several teams will be looking to replace their head coaches this year after very dismal seasons.

It is most likely safe to say that Jeff Fisher’s job in Tennessee is safe for at least one more season.

However John Fox (Carolina), Wade Phillips (Dallas), Norv Turner (San Diego), Tom Cable (Raiders), as well as a few others may not be so fortunate.

I’ll Tell You This:

I am going to make some bold predictions for this offseason.

Bill Cowher, the chin himself, will return to football at the helm of Carolina. His grit-and-spit coaching style is perfect for the struggling Panthers.

Mike Shannahan will end up replacing Wade Phillips in Dallas. What better coach to handle someone like Jerry Jones on a regular basis. There is talent in Dallas (although Romo is terrible in my opinion), and Shannahan will expose that talent.

My boldest prediction is that Norv Turner will be fired from the Chargers and replaced next season by former Seahawks and Packers coach Mike Holmgren. Holmgren has said on TV that he loves the style of football that the Chargers play, and there is no doubt that he would be a great fit in San Diego.

As for Oakland, I understand that there will be a reality show on MTV called “Who Wants to Punch an Assistant”. They are accepting applications right now. Previous work experience only requires a pulse, and knowing the difference between a football and a hamburger.

As long as Al Davis is in the picture this team is doomed to failure.

3. Gruden. Chuckie. NCAA.

Three words that a lot of NFL fans would have never put in a sentence together may now become a reality.

The main rumor circulating is that Charlie Weis’ job does not rest on the success of his Fighting Irish, but on the decision of John Gruden to come to Notre Dame.

However, even more rumors have recently surfaced placing Gruden in Louisville.

I’ll Tell You This:

As a fan of Golden Domers myself, the very thought of Gruden coming to Notre Dame excites me beyond belief.

Although Louisville would be a good fit for Gruden, he has said that it has always been his dream to coach the Fighting Irish.

Gruden would also be great at handling the pressure that comes with the job in South Bend, Indiana, much better than Charlie Weis has thus far.

4. NFL Trade Rumors

With the NFL Trade Deadline fast approaching this coming Tuesday, there are Trade rumors on the wire that may or may not be valid, I will revue what I find as the most interesting two.

Only five weeks after being named the starting QB of the Browns by Eric Mangini, Brady Quinn is now on the trading block.

While Quinn laughs off the rumors, possible destinations have included Oakland, Tampa Bay, and St. Louis.

The other major trade rumor floating around is Terrel Owens and the Bills. The biggest rumor floating is that he may be headed to Chicago to play with Jay Cutler and the Bears.

I’ll Tell You This:

Quinn is not the answer for any of these terrible teams. He has been a let down, and as it hurts me to say since he is a Irish Alum, he is quickly falling into the Ryan Leaf bust category.

Obviously, Buffalo and their terrible 1-4 record is looking into their crystal ball, and seeing that a T.O. blow up is inevitable at this time. Chicago would be a great fit as it would give Cutler the chance to throw the deep ball.

That being said, T.O. is a gamble anywhere he goes, and will likely destroy any locker room that is not completely controlled. Owens needs Parcells….perhaps a trade to Miami?

5. You Tell Me This:

In this week’s edition of “You Tell Me This” I want to hear from you guys about any rumors in any sports that you may know of, and perhaps if there are any spins on the rumors I have posted!

That’s all for this week kids!

Will Notre Dame’s offense still be able to produce after losing Michael Floyd for the season?

What!? Purdue lost to Northern Illinois!? Are they really that bad?

These are some very good questions, questions that need to be answered and that will be answered — at least in part — this coming Saturday.

Notre Dame at Purdue

• Purdue-Notre Dame date: Saturday, September 26th
• Purdue-Notre Dame time: 8:00 ET
• Purdue-Notre Dame TV: ESPN
• Purdue-Notre Dame Point Spread: Notre Dame -8.5

Notre Dame took a heavy blow after learning that their #1 receiver, Michael Floyd, will miss the rest of the season due to a broken left collarbone. Floyd was near the top in the nation, averaging 160 yards per game, before getting injured. This now means Golden Tate will get double covered every game for the rest of the season.

Jimmy Clausen, who might not even start on Saturday due to turf toe, will have to look for Duval Kamara, Robby Parris, or some other receiver to step it up and make some catches.

Otherwise the Irish’s offense is in for a long day.

As for the Irish’s defense, it has been terrible the last two weeks. If they play on Saturday like they have played the last two weeks, there will be trouble for Notre Dame and head coach Charlie Weis. The offense won’t be as productive because of the loss of Floyd, and because of Clausen’s injured toe. Clausen wants to play Saturday and Weis beleives he will, but even if Clausen does play, he will have to adjust his ball delivery. Clausen has stated that the toe hurts, and that he had to make an adjustment.

All that could mean bad news for the BCS hopeful Irish. They desperately need the defense to play a good game because the offense won’t be as good as in previous weeks.

One thing for the Irish to be positive about is that their opponent lost to Northern Illinois last weekend.

Surprising as it might seem, Purdue did lose to Northern Illinois 28-21. Purdue, a semi-mediocre team, looked like a D-II team last Saturday. Purdue isn’t a great team by any means, but no one expected them to lose that game either. Their passing game was non-existent, throwing for only 188 yards. They did rush for a little over 120 yards with 2 TDs, but that will hardly cover up the fact that Purdue just isn’t that good of a team this year.

Don’t expect a Purdue upset Saturday night. Even though the Irish are without Floyd, and Heisman hopeful Clausen is injured with turf toe, Notre Dame will be able to move the ball down the field and easily beat the Boilermakers on their home turf.

The bad news for Notre Dame over the weekend is that their two most productive offensive players — WR Michael Floyd and QB Jimmy Clausen — both left the Michigan State game hobbled.

The injury update news according to ESPN.com, is much better for Clausen than it is for Floyd.

Michael Floyd, who was averaging an insane 160 yards receiving per game entering Saturday’s contest with the Spartans, had surgery today to repair a broken collar bone. The most up-to-date injury update on Floyd is that he will most likely miss the season. He could possibly return for a bowl game.

Jimmy Clausen has a yet-to-be-defined injury to his foot that did not require Sunday X-Rays. It appears to be something like turf toe or a general arch injury and Clausen will undergo an MRI to determine what exactly is wrong.

Follow the links to StubHub for great deals on Notre Dame football tickets and all college football tickets.

I’ll update this post if/when I hear anything more on Clausen’s injury.

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* – Michael Floyd photo credit: Athlon Sports

Michigan State again gave their opponent a second chance, only for it to bite them back in the butt.

Late in the 4th quarter, Michigan Sate was down 30-33. Michigan State’s WR, Larry Caper, beat all of the Irish’s defense. He was wide open. All he had to do was catch the ball. Instead the ball was too high, and while Caper got his hands on the ball, he wasn’t able to catch it.

It would have been a TD and given the Spartans the lead, and maybe even the game, but it only led to an Irish interception that would clinch the game for the Irish.

The hero tonight?

Kyle McCarthy is the big man on campus this weekend for Notre Dame. His interception at the 4 yard line, with 57 seconds left, sealed the win for the Irish. A win that they needed really badly. Last week, Notre Dame let Michigan come back and beat them. A loss that put even more doubt on the team, including head coach, Charlie Weis.

The Irish aren’t even close to showing that they are the real deal. They won the game, and while thats all that matters in the end, having another late night scare shows that this team doesn’t know how to finish a game. It was another scare for loyal Fighting Irish fans. A scar that not many fans want to endure 2 weeks in a row. A scare that kinda ticks you off.

One thing that will make fans happy is Jimmy Clausen continues to play extremely well. He threw for 300 yards with 2 TD passes and no interceptions. He is looking like a great leader for a team that needs one. He has played very well this year, and is a reason why the Irish should be hopeful this and next year.

A huge blow to the Irish is the loss of WR Michael Floyd. Floyd suffered a broken collarbone when he landed in the endzone. He leads the nation in receiving yards per game (160), and in yards per catch (29.1). Luckily, Golden Tate and Clausen were able to pick up the slack, something they might have to be doing for some weeks. It’s not yet known how long Floyd will be out.

Overall a win is a win. However I am beginning to doubt this defense that, in the first week, looked very strong. They have given up two straight 30+ point games. A team can’t expect to win when their defense gives up that many points in a game. Defense should be the main thing for the Irish to work on this week in practice.

The Irish’s season depends how the defense plays. Look for the defense to step it up next week.

Let me just say one thing looking back at last weekend and then we can get into the preview: Notre Dame lost the Michigan game because of terrible, crazy, offensive play calling.

What were they thinking when they called two pass plays with the lead late in the 4th quarter!? Run the ball and make Michigan use their timeouts! It was just dumb play calling at its “finest”.

Now back to the ND-MSU preview. Before we delve into the analysis, here are the particulars for Saturday’s matchup:

Michigan State at Notre Dame

• Michigan State-Notre Dame Date: Saturday, September 19th
• Michigan State-Notre Dame State Kickoff Time: 3:30 ET
• Michigan State-Notre Dame TV Channel: NBC
• Michigan State-Notre Dame Point Spread: Notre Dame -10.5

Notre Dame has to win this game, and on paper Notre Dame is the stronger team; but this is sports, and if you haven’t found out yet that anything can happened in sports, well you’re not a very astute fan.

So while Notre Dame should win this game, don’t count out Michigan State too easily.

Despite the 30+ points given up against Michigan, Notre Dame’s defense has improved dramatically. While the Irish offense is explosive, I believe it is their defense that will be the key to this game. Defense wins football games, as the old adage goes, and Notre Dame has the defense to do beat Michigan State, along with the offense to back it up.

Michigan State needs to stay to the basics of football. That is playing smart football, not giving up many turnovers, and converting on chances. Michigan State is running against the wind in this game, but playing smart football can make all the difference.

This game will go to the team with the better choices, play calling, and whoever converts on the others mistakes. Those are fairly common things you have to do to win a football game, but not many teams can do that in a game, and they end up paying the price for not sticking to the basics.

Overall I see Notre Dame winning this game comfortably. if not, then maybe Notre Dame isn’t as good as they were hyped to be.

No, that wasn’t a typo.

Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton really threw 5 TD’s in a single game. (A short pause for you to google this if you still can’t believe it.)

Crompton and the Vols steamrolled right over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 63-7 on Saturday, racking up 657 yards of total offense. Crompton had a career day with 233 yards passing to go along with his 5 TD’s. He showed maturity and, unlike last season, appears comfortable in Lane Kiffin’s pro-style offense.

However, the Volunteers’ running back corps refused to be shown up by their senior quarterback. As a team Tennessee rushed for 380 yards and 4 TD’s, averaging over 8 yards per carry. Senior running back Montario Hardesty had 160 yards on 18 carries, with a huge 43-yard TD run.

Tennessee’s offensive “Freshman Four” also played well, having a coming out party against Western Kentucky.

Running back Bryce Brown scored UT’s first TD of the season and finished with 104 yards on 11 carries. His fellow frosh back David Oku had 42 yards and 2 TD’s on 8 carries. Marsalis Teague was the leading receiver for the Vols. Teague caught 6 passes for 86 yards and a TD. Nu’Keese Richardson made an impact all around, catching passes, returning kicks, and even running the wildcat formation.

Lane Kiffin’s focus, however, is not on the blowout victory of last week.

The Vols are preparing for a rematch against UCLA after losing a heartbreaker in Pasadena last season. As a former USC coach, Kiffin is no stranger to the Bruins either. Thus, there are plenty of storylines heading into Saturday’s game in Knoxville.

Before we break down the matchup, here are the particulars:

UCLA Bruins at Tennessee Volunteers

• UCLA-Tennessee Date: Saturday, September 12th
• UCLA-Tennessee Location: Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee
• UCLA-Tennessee Kickoff Time: 4:00 ET
• UCLA-Tennessee TV: ESPN
• UCLA-Tennessee Point Spread: Tennessee -7.5
• StubHub: Tennessee-UCLA tickets
• StubHub: Tennessee football tickets
• StubHub: UCLA football tickets
• StubHub: All college football tickets

The matchup between Tennessee and UCLA is completely different than last season. In ’08 the Vols were a team searching for an offensive identity and UCLA was lucky to scrape out a win.

This season the Vols appear rejuvenated on offense with their explosive young talent and offensive mastermind Lane Kiffin at the helm. And though the offense has improved vastly, the strength of this Vols team is still the defense, led by its all-world safety Eric Berry.

In Monte Kiffin’s first game as UT defensive coordinator, the Vols held Western Kentucky to 83 yards of total offense. The Hilltoppers only managed 34 yards rushing, averaging a laughable 1-yard per carry. The scary part of UT’s defensive performance is that Berry didn’t play all that well and the defense still held strong.

Berry and the Tennessee defense could have a field day against UCLA’s freshman quarterback Kevin Prince, who threw two picks against San Diego State in the Bruins opener. Prince doesn’t seem experienced enough to go up against a top-level SEC defense and will likely turn the ball over multiple times.

The Vols will have to be careful of their own turnovers however. Jonathan Crompton will have to keep an eye out for UCLA safety Rahim Moore, who had three interceptions last week against SDSU.

Lane Kiffin, though, appears to be more than capable of putting together an effective offensive game plan. And if Tennessee’s offense can produce even half as well as they did last week, the Neyland faithful should once again be singing Rocky Top at the top of their lungs.

And the Vols, coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in school history, should be 2-0.

My prediction for Saturday’s game: Tennessee- 31 UCLA- 17

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1. Sam Bradford

This past Saturday, Oklahoma was upset in new the Dallas Cowboys stadium by BYU. What’s worse is that last year’s Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Sam Bradford, injured his throwing shoulder on his way to the ground. Sooner Nation stopped breathing for a moment, however with recent reports it seems that the Sooner’s Slinger will only miss 2-4 weeks.

I’ll Tell You This: For all of you skeptics of Mark Sanchez and other athletes coming to pro sports early, and for all of you haters of high schoolers jumping to NBA, this is the case against you. Bradford decided to stick around one more year when he could have been the #1 pick last year. What if this was a career ending injury? Even though it’s not at this point, what if it severely affects Bradford’s play?  Bradford would possibly never get to live his dream of playing pro football. And worse, what would be his future profession after dumping all of his time into becoming an A-level quarterback?

2. Saving Weis?

Charlie Weis and all of South Bend (and those who support the Irish) may breathe just a little easier after Notre Dame pitched a shutout against Nevada. Jimmy Clausen finally looked like the quarterback that he has been hyped to be, completing 15 of 18 passes for 315 yards and 4 touchdowns.

I’ll Tell You This: No coach in sports is under as much pressure as Charlie Weis is right now. Notre Dame MUST win, and look good in doing so. However, this was Nevada. It’s the first week of the season. The team that should have won did. Next week brings bitter rival the Big Blue of Michigan. Someone shoot Charlie a text and let him know his job is still on the line.

3. Al Davis Strikes Again

Once again, Bill Bellicheck is a genius and Al Davis is a fool. This past weekend the New England Patriots traded DE Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders for a first round pick in 2011. Seymour is getting older and has seemingly started to lose a step, but is still an upgrade to a porous Raiders D-Line. However, the question remains: is he worth a first round pick?

I’ll Tell You This: There is not a soul on the earth that can honestly tell me that Al Davis made a good move, or ever will. Seymour is a “right now” type of guy, and Oakland is FAR from a “right now” type of team. There is no doubt that the Patriots will likely be picking top 5 in the 2011 draft, and that is something that no one in the entire NFL (save for New England) wants to see (and it’s possible that Al Davis won’t even live long enough to see). Al Davis needs to let go of this historic NFL franchise or they will never succeed. It’s definitely the black hole….a place where NFL players and winning go to die.

4. The Rookies

NFL rookies take the cake this year as both Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions and Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets will both get the starting nod at quarterback for their respective teams this season.

I’ll Tell You This: Although I think both guys are talented and will be good quarterbacks in the NFL, both teams are making mistakes starting them. Yes, some quarterbacks do well when thrown right into the mix (see Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts). However, in many cases it hurls what may have been a talented superstar into the cursed pool of the draft day flops (See Ryan Leaf, Joey Harrington, and David Carr). And some never can turn it around afterwards. Both teams have respectable veteran starters in Daunte Culpepper (Detroit) and Kellen Clemens (NY).  I can only hope for the sake of these two QB’s that they follow Peyton’s path to success and not Ryan Leaf’s path to America’s Funniest Home Videos.

5. The Knockout Heard Round the World

Everyone has seen it. Most of us saw it every hour for 48 straight hours on every sport program on television. And while for a fan of MMA like myself it was somewhat exciting to watch, America was once again taken aback by another sports thug when Oregon standout running back LeGarrette Blount sucker punched Boise State’s Byron Hout after Hout spouted a little trash talk to Blount. Blount made things worse by almost going Ron Artest-style on a couple fans on his way to the locker room. It took 4 or 5 police officers and building security to keep him from broaching the stands.

I’ll Tell You This: Although it is very sad to see a player throw away his career for lack of ability to keep his attitude in control, I do find it funny that the game started with both teams meeting at midfield for a handshake in light of “Good Sportmanship Week.” What I also find funny is that Blount ran his mouth ALL week before the game and then after getting held in check and to career lows, couldn’t take what he had been dishing out. The senior received a one year suspension, thus ending his college career. What will he do with his time off? Maybe he should give the Winnepeg Blue Bombers a call. He can hang out with Pacman Jones. They would make a cute couple. Canada can have him too.

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You can follow BigMB on Twitter by going to www.twitter.com/mylesb3269.

All areas of the team were spot on. The defense was fast and shut down both the running and the passing game. The offense was unstoppable. Notre Dame ran away with the game early, and once they had it they never looked back.

Jimmy Clausen had a Heisman-caliber game, throwing for 315 yards and 4 touchdowns. The ball came out out of his hand like a bullet and was always incredibly accurate as well.

Sure, it wasn’t a top 25 team they played in South Bend on Saturday, but a game like that should improve Clausen’s confidence in the pocket and the overall confidence of the offense. It was a great day for the junior QB and hopefully we will see more games like that from him.

It was just a blast to watch this game. Being a Notre Dame fan I had seen some bad football being played by the Irish over the past 2 years, and this game was basically a vacation from all that bad football. For once this team looked like the old Fighting Irish I knew and loved.

It was a big win against a small school, but it seemed like it was a huge win against a huge team. You could see the happiness on the players’, coaches’, and fans’ faces. This is a win the team needed. To start off a season like that, after playing so poorly the past couple of seasons, must be a big relief. Hopefully it is also a sign that this team can do big things this year.

Next week the Irish play against rival Michigan. It is another big game and comes against a team that is in the same position Notre Dame is, only worse. Both teams will want a W, so expect a hard fought football game. You can check out the game on September 12 at 2:30cst.

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* – Jimmy Clausen photo credit: AP via BoDog Beat

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As college football begins once again, fans can rejoice that ESPN will have more to cover than the Little League World Series. My apologies to Chula Vista, California.

For students at the University of Tennessee, such as myself, the start of the season means gratuitous amounts of orange and a sharp increase in whiskey sales.

Putting the Lane Kiffin offseason media circus behind us, it is now time to start playing football, and probably the start of the in-season Lane Kiffin media circus. The Vols kick off the season against Western Kentucky this Saturday and barring a repeat of last year’s debacle against Wyoming, UT will start off the season with a “W”.

[Editor's Note: Follow these links to StubHub for great deals on Tennessee football tickets, and all NCAA college football tickets. Plus, get ready for Saturday with the Week 1 college football TV schedule from MSF.]

The season will really start for UT in week two versus UCLA. The down-to-the-wire loss to the Bruins in Pasedena last year still lingers in the minds of the Vols. This year the Bruins travel to Knoxville and Kiffin will be under extreme pressure to win the rematch.

But will Kiffin be able to quickly turn this program around? That is the question everyone is asking about the Vols’ young new head coach.

Coming into this season Tennessee is unranked for the first time in 19 years. However, Kiffin seems poised to revive this program. Kiffin has brought in an elite coaching staff with NFL credentials and outstanding recruiting skills.

Lane’s father, Monte Kiffin, left the NFL and followed his son to Tennessee as the defensive coordinator. Coming to UT, Monte was effectively handed a top level defense and was told “Here you go, have fun.” Monte will help bring out the full potential of 3 time All-American safety Eric Berry. (A scary thought for all opponents.)

The offense is completely revamped with Kiffin’s pro style playbook and zone blocking system. This is a much needed change after the abysmal offensive performance last season. The Vols have the electric Gerald Jones returning at receiver, who will be a year older and should be a major offensive weapon. Jones is currently injured, but should be able to return in time for the rematch against UCLA.

The added youth to this team will have an immediate impact as Kiffin assembled a great recruiting class. Top-ranked running back Bryce Brown will play a major role in the offense, likely splitting carries with senior Montario Hardesty. His fellow freshman back David Oku will also see time, likely as a third down back.

Speedy freshman receivers Nu’Keese Richardson and Marsalis Teague will provide big play potential to the passing game. Also, freshman cornerback Janzen Jackson may battle his way into a starting role on the defense.

The most important factor in the ’09 Volunteers season, of course, will likely be the play of senior quarterback Jonathon Crompton. Last year Crompton threw for a meager 889 yards, with only five touchdowns and four interceptions. The Vols need Crompton to emerge as a solid starter in Kiffin’s offensive system.

My prediction for the 2009 Tennessee Volunteers season: 8-4 (4-4)

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* – Eric Berry photo credit: TNJN/Hall, Adrian via Tennessee Journalist

When I used to teach at an alternative high school down in Miami, one of the most often used terms my students would say is “duck.” And being called a “duck” was not a good thing. It meant something along the lines of being cowardly and acting like a wuss. (And I know this because they gave me a vocab test one day in return for all the vocab tests I gave them.)

Well, the definition of “duck” is now crystal clear: Oregon Duck running back LeGarrette Blount.

I woke up this morning excited to hear how the college football games went last night that I didn’t get a chance to see, and all they are talking about on ESPN is the sucker punch that Oregon RB LeGarette Blount landed on Boise State’s Byron Hout.

As you’ll see in the video below, Hout appears to be talking trash and makes contact with Blount (and should be reprimanded by his coaches for it), but it certainly does not excuse what happened next.

If you haven’t seen the punch yet, and then Blount having to be restrained from going into the stands to presumably give the same treatment to fans, here is the unfortunate video:

Video: Oregon State RB LeGarette Blount Punches Boise State’s Byron Hout

And now what happened after the punch:

Video: LeGarrette Blount restrained from attacking fans

And then after the game, Blount offered one of the least sincere apologies I have ever seen. Forgive me for being judgmental — and I realize he’s just a young kid who has some very obvious emotional problems whose head was probably spinning while giving the apology — but hopefully no one at Oregon is fooled by this canned, forced apology like they were fooled earlier this year.

According to the announcers, Mark Jones and Bob Davie, Blount had been suspended earlier this year. He had purportedly learned to control his emotions and was allowed back on the team, at least according to what they were saying while watching everything unfold. Clearly, however, he had learned nothing.

LaGarrette Blount needs help and shouldn’t be allowed back on a football field until he gets it. The Oregon Ducks need to do what is right for him, so he can help turn his life and attitude around, and forget about getting him back on the football field until that is accomplished.

Video: LeGarrette Blount apology after hitting Boise State player

What a terrible way for the college football season to begin.

According to the AP report of the game and Blount’s sucker punch, Blount will most likely not be arrested despite immediate post-game rumors suggesting that he might be. Here is what the two coaches had to say about the incident immediately after the game:

Oregon coach Chip Kelly said he would review the game film before making a decision on Blount’s future.

“I did not see anything. I will see it on tape and make a decision on what we need to do with him,” Kelly said. “There is no place for that. I do not condone that. I will make that decision if that is the case.”

Petersen didn’t want to comment on what happened.

“It’s just unfortunate,” he said.

For the record, Boise State won the game 19-8, their first step towards trying to crash the BCS come January.  Time will tell what the loss and Blount’s eruption will mean for Oregon.

As Alvarez’s hand-picked successor enters his fourth season as Wisconsin’s head football coach, Bielema must halt a steady decline in the program. Bielema’s Badgers were 12-1 in 2006, capping the season with a win over Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl to finish the year ranked fifth in the nation. A year later the record slipped to 9-4 and Wisconsin lost 21-17 to Tennessee in the Outback Bowl.

Then came last year’s miserable 7-6 season that saw the Badgers barely scrape by Fresno State, one-win Minnesota, and I-AA opponent Cal Poly. The season also included a two-point loss to a three-win Michigan team, and ended with an embarrassing effort against Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Every year under Bielema the Badgers have gotten worse.

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When he took over, they were a perennially ranked team. Now they enter the 2009 season just hoping to become bowl eligible.

Bielema is a defensive-minded coach, and was UW’s defensive coordinator under Alvarez. He must focus his attention on that side of the ball because Wisconsin has seen its points allowed average swell from 12 in 2006 to nearly 27 last season. Fixing that will go along way in reversing the downward spiral of Wisconsin’s record. It won’t be easy with just three returning full-time starters – safety Jay Valai, defensive end O’Brien Schofield and linebacker Jaevery McFadden – returning.

The inexperienced defense has talent though and is ready to accept the challenge.

“There are no excuses for us on defense to give up more points every year,” Valai told Madison.com. “We’d better reverse that trend because we have to. With the type of offense we have, we’re going to ground and pound and beat the mess out of you … so we’ve got to come through.”

Wisconsin has loads of talent at the skill positions on offense, but will have to get consistent play from first-year starter Scott Tolzien. The junior beat out highly touted freshman Curt Phillips and last year’s starter, senior Dustin Sherer, for the job.

Wisconsin lost some starters on the offensive line, but the one thing that has always been a constant in Madison is a good, big, strong offensive front. The Badgers play power football, and the big uglies up front should be able to reload and clear holes for a stable of running backs led by John Clay and Zach Brown.

Clay is the official No. 1, but Brown is a good change-of-pace back that has the ability to take 20 carries a game. Also in the mix is true freshman Montee Ball, a super prospect from Timberland High School just went of St. Louis. Redshirt freshman Erik Smith has blazing speed and good hands out of the backfield – both good for a third-down threat.

The Badgers bring back nearly all of their pass catchers. Travis Beckum’s injury last year opened things up for Garrett Graham to become the featured tight end. Returning at wideout are David Gilreath, Isaac Anderson, and Nick Toon, son of former Badgers great Al Toon. What that trio can’t afford to do is drop passes, something that plagued the unit a season ago.

That’s the good and the bad. The yin and the yang. So what’s the prognosis?

Well, the schedule is managable.

Wisconsin opens at home Saturday with Northern Illinois, a 6-7 team a season ago. Then it’s two more home games against Fresno State and I-AA Wofford. So a 3-0 start is likely, but Wisconsin was 3-0 last year also.

Week four is the first real test, a home game against Michigan State, which is a team considered a dark horse to win the Big Ten. Win or lose, if the Badgers at least look crisp and focused against what is on paper a more talented team, then things could be looking bright. Last year’s contest in East Lansing was a 25-24 win for Sparty.

Another winnable game is in week five, but it’s also Wisconsin’s first road game. Minnesota was dismal last year, but the Badgers barely won to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe – the best rivalry trophy in all of college football. Minnesota will be improved this year, so it will be no walk in the park inside the Gophers’ brand new stadium for the Badgers.

And this is when the schedule gets really tough.

Although Wisconsin played Ohio State tough last year, the Buckeyes still won, and a similar fate could await the Badgers this year. The Buckeyes are stacked and experienced.

The following week is homecoming in Madison, but it’s also against highly-touted Iowa. It sucks losing the homecoming game, but just think of all the comforting drinks that will be comsumed on State Street after the game.

So 4-3 is likely after seven games, but there might not be a loss on the schedule after that with home games against Purdue and troubled Michigan. The road contests are at Indiana, Northwestern and Hawaii.

A 9-3, or even an 8-4 record will reverse the trend of the last three years, and should save Alvarez from having to make a difficult decision.

Bret Bielema just might be able to stave off the “Fire Bret Bielema” calls for at least one more season.

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* – Barry Alvarez / Brett Bielema photo credit: Wisconsin Badger Sports Fan

* – Jay Valai photo credit: BadgerBeat.com

* – Brett Bielema photo credit: Wizard of Odds

In fact, the past two years have been hell for Irish fans.

Notre Dame went a combined 9-15 over the past two season, including setting the record for most losses in a season in 2007 with nine. The Irish especially did not fare well against their main rival USC, losing 0-38 in 2007 and 3-35 in 2008.

So you would think it could only get better for the Irish, right?

Well, that’s exactly what might happen.

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This year has the potential to be a comeback year for the Irish. With a relatively easy schedule, the Irish can post an above .500 record for the first time in two years and could end up in the top 25 – or *gasp* even the BCS – at the end of the year. The Irish were ranked at 23rd in the pre-season polls, which I think is a lenient ranking considering how average they were last season.

One thing is for sure, after yet another stellar recruiting class pulled into South Bend by Charlie Weis: the Irish have the players to prove they belong in the top 25. The Irish’s recruiting class was in the top 10 again this year, and we all know that recruiting is a necessary step in rebuilding a college football program into the powerful force it desires to be.

Furthermore, the returning players on offense have matured and should be ready to take another step forward this season, which is obviously one in which the Irish hope to win a spot in one of the major bowl games. And not only do they want to be in one, they want to win one.

The offense is led by junior QB Jimmy Clausen and junior WR Golden Tate. These two love each other and are prepped to have a stellar year. Clausen has been called a bust by some, but he is now in his prime and so is the offense. Notre Dame is known to have had potent offenses in the past, and it all starts at the QB position. With greats like Joe Montana, and recently Brady Quinn, Clausen has high expectations to fulfill.

Another person who is not a player also has infamously high expectations to fulfill. And when I say that, I mean – who else? – Charlie Wies.

Going into his 4th season, Weis has put up a modest 29-21 record. The only great year Weis has had was in 2006, when they went 10-2, but lost in the Sugar Bowl to LSU. After the disappointment of the last two years, fans have been calling for Notre Dame to fire Weis, and there was rumors after last season that he was in fact going to be fired. However, Weis wasn’t fired, and this year will be a statement of just how good a coach Weis is.

He has clearly had mixed reviews over his coaching career with Notre Dame. All agree he is a great recruiter, but some argue he is a terrible on-field play caller and coach. Is his offense too complicated for a college football team? Some have said so. The overriding trust is that Weis has the tools, and he mentally understands how to move the football. Now can he use those tools effectively and instill the same knowledge into his players?

We will just have to wait and see.

As you can see, this year will be a make or break season for the Fighting Irish and their embattled coach. The players are there, the schedule sets up nicely, and the fans are ready. Will this be a comeback year, or will it just be another disappointment?

Nobody can know, except maybe Touchdown Jesus.

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[Editor's note: you can catch Notre Dame's first game this Saturday, September 5, against Nevada at 3:30pm est. Follow the link to see the entire Week 1 college football schedule and point spreads.]

* – Notre Dame gold helmet photo credit: UND.com

* – Charlie Weis / Jimmy Clausen photo credit: AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar via WSBT.com