Two Dudes, One Post: Signing Day 2011 Edition

It takes a special day to get Bill to write about anything (Penn State wins over teams not named Coastal Carolina come only ever so often), but it takes a monumental event to get him to write something in the offseason. National Signing Day is just that event. This week we break down the classes that the Irish and Nittany Lions inked and analyze how it will impact things going forward for both teams.

GIDDYUP!

1. Give your team's class a letter grade and a brief analysis of your staff's overall effort in this recruiting cycle.

Mattare: A- for the class, A+ for the staff’s effort.

Brian Kelly has answered a lot of the critics that didn’t believe he could recruit on a national level this off-season by delivering a consensus top ten class. A highly touted group of high schoolers pledging their commitment to ND isn’t something that’s particularly new—Charlie Weis brought in some huge and even higher rated hauls—but what has Irish fans especially excited is the fact that this class is loaded with potential difference makers on the defensive side of the ball.

The three stories that accompany the three commitments of Stephon Tuitt, Aaron Lynch, and Ishaq Williams show exactly why this staff deserves nothing less than an A for this year’s recruiting cycle. All three seemed bound for other schools—in fact, two were well publicized Notre Dame decommitments—but relentless work by Bob Diaco, Chuck Martin, Tony Alford, and the big man BK himself ensured that all three ended up in blue and gold.

With Tuitt, the trio of Diaco, Martin, and Kelly were in his living room within 24 hours of his decommitment from Notre Dame and by the time they left he was back in the fold. Aaron Lynch was ready to enroll in Florida State just days before Tony Alford was able to sway him back to Notre Dame. And perhaps most famously, Bob Diaco paid Ishaq a 4:30am visit the morning he was supposed to visit Penn State and convinced him to head to the Midwest instead of central Pennsylvania.

The class itself is not flawless which is why it’s not an A. There are holes that must be addressed quickly in the next recruiting cycle (CB, RB, NT) and some stinging misses, but this was a serious “mythbusting” class.

The myth that Notre Dame couldn’t recruit top defensive talent was debunked by landing three of the top five defensive ends in the country according to Rivals. The myth that Notre Dame was forever doomed to lose every major defensive line recruit that gave a verbal commitment was busted. And perhaps most importantly (at least in the mind of skeptics among the Irish Faithful), the myth that Brian Kelly was too “small-time” to handle national recruiting was proved completely false thanks to his effort and the staff’s entire body of work.

Things are snowballing in South Bend—and for once the momentum is headed in the right direction.

Bill: C

Too many early missed opportunities. Offers came out slow while the state's top talent took their talents to Oakland, PA and New Brunswick, NJ. The only reason we have a quality speed guy in this class (Bill Belton) is because of the coaching fiasco that took place at Pitt after the season ended.

This was a solid class for offensive and defensive lineman but we whiffed on the elite hogs in Cyrus Kouandjio and Ishaq Williams. Aside from the trenches not much good can be said about the coach's efforts this year. PA had two 4 star defensive backs Terrell Chestnut and Kyshoen Jarrett and we weren't close to getting either. Of the top 10 players in the state Penn State was only able to get commitments from two.

The uncertainty surrounding the coaching staff is coming to a head. Tom Bradley has been pursuing other jobs because it's been made pretty clear the school will go out of house for the next head coaching hire. At this point I hope he gets another job because he's been so loyal and done a great job for us. He's been rumored to be taking as many as 4 assistants with him which will completely decimate the staff. Basically, this has to be Joe's last year. The damage can’t be masked anymore (it's a blog, relax).

A 4:30 am Notre Dame visit to a Brooklyn (Joe's hometown) recruit should not be effective, it should be annoying. The fact that Ishaq was convinced that it's not enough to go to Penn State because of a position coach is unacceptable. The assistants have been holding this ship together with mighty putty for the past few years, and the job they have done is nothing less than astounding, it’s too bad they won't be rewarded for their efforts but it appears they won't.

A change is coming at Penn State, and after seeing what has happened at Michigan I'm afraid that we might have let our program slip to where we end up with the likes of Rick Neuheisel instead of Chris Petersen. This is scary.

2. Who was the most important recruit you got this year?

Mattare: It has to be defensive end Aaron Lynch.

He’s rated the lowest of Notre Dame’s triumvirate of defensive line mega-studs, but in my eyes he’s far and away the most important player to land on-campus this spring. Lynch is equipped with explosiveness and quickness that Irish fans have not seen since Justin Tuck left town. He’s poised to make an immediate impact on pass rushing downs as a true freshman and I fully expect him to make a run at the all-time sack record during his time in blue and gold.

He’s a one-man wrecking crew that Notre Dame has been completely lacking over the past decade. The fact that he is flanked by two other potential superstars only increases the chance he’ll blossom into fulfilling his staggering potential.

Bill: Donovan Smith, OT

Big, big dude. I can see him anchoring our line at left tackle his junior and senior years. He doesn't want to redshirt, he wants to push for playing time right away. That's what I want from our guys…and from what we've seen from the O-line these last two years why not?

3. Which player that you couldn't reel in stings the most?

Mattare: I'm going to go with running back Savon Huggins.

My approach as signing day nears is that I shouldn’t be too greedy because ND has landed three huge studs on the defensive line against unbelievably stacked odds. I’m tempted to go with safety Wayne Lyons, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I was more chapped by losing out on a potential four-year starting running back to the State University of Rutgers.

I know he’s from Jersey, but really? What is the appeal other than being able to have family and friends see your games in person (which they’ll need to do unless they have ESPN’s Premium Package where they can catch Scarlet Knight games on ESPN17 in non-HD)?

Rutgers fell flat on its face last season last, stumbling to a 4-8 record in the weakest major conference in college football. After getting their head above water after years of ineptitude and futility, it appears they’ve hit a plateau on the plane of mediocrity. Greg Schiano has gone from the hottest young coach in the business to the guy who seemingly overplayed his hand.

Add on top of that the fact their fan base is without a doubt the one with the biggest gap between their perceived worth (they insist they’re on the verge of being a national power/brand) and their real value (they’re a half step above Temple…if that…and the ceiling isn’t much higher). I just don’t see a single reason an elite prospect would want to sign up to play there.

Huggins wasn’t a “must get” and missing on him doesn’t belittle just how good this class is, but it still stings to lose a major recruit to gnat in the college football world like Rutgers.

Bill: Ben Koyack, TE

Started as the #1 player in PA and finished at #2. And we never even had a chance! He committed to Notre Dame early while we signed two star TE Kyle Carter with offers from Delaware and Bucknell. Tight end is such an underrated position on offense and Penn State utilizes it quite a bit. Koyack could have filled the role Brett Brackett filled this year that netted him 39 receptions.

4. Who do you see making an immediate impact this fall?

Mattare: We’ll go right back to Mr. Aaron Lynch on this one. Many Irish fans will remember the impact that Justin Tuck had during his redshirt freshman season (the 2002 campaign). He only played on clear passing downs, but he was a terror that delivered sacks, quarterback pressures, and offensive holding calls almost every time he stepped on the field. Expect that sort of impact from Lynch this fall.

His fellow five-star recruits Ishaq Williams and Stephon Tuitt will also get some playing time albeit not as impactful as Lynch’s. Ishaq could emerge in a similar way to Lynch but I have a hard time seeing him beat out Darius Fleming for a starting nod. Tuitt is going to require a little more seasoning, is stuck behind a senior on the depth chart, and doesn’t have the pass rushing prowess that makes him completely necessary to have on the field in passing downs (Lynch does).

Bill: No one, but if pressed to make a choice Shyquawn Pullium, DB.

Why? Because he spent the year in JUCO and we seemed more willing to switch up the personnel in the secondary towards the end of last year—Malcom Willis and Andrew Dailey got reps in the Outback Bowl. For some reason we never put athletes at safety, we'd rather be three deep at the cornerback position and convert a second string linebacker to safety.

5. Give us a sleeper or two that may emerge from this class.

Mattare: He’s not necessarily a deep sleeper per se because he’s a 4-star, but I love defensive back Eliar Hardy. He’s a versatile, aggressive athlete that could end up at cornerback, but his early projection is at safety. Hardy is a ferocious hitter and a sound tackler that could be a rock in the secondary for 2-3 years—especially with the lack of depth currently on the roster past 2011.

For a little deeper sleeper I’ll go with our lowest rated offensive lineman Nick Martin. His brother has already shown to be an overachiever and by all accounts Nick is of the same ilk with better athleticism (which will only help him in a spread blocking scheme). His high school coach raved about what a dominant, physical presence he had become over the course of his high school career and he’s got a nasty streak that perfectly fits the attitude Notre Dame is trying to develop in the trenches.

Bill: Matt Zanellato, WR

He was only rated a two-star by Rivals, but he recorded over 1,700 yards and 21 touchdowns receiving his senior year. That's impressive by anyone's standards. Those numbers lead me to believe he didn't have an off game—there are only so many games in a high school season. He's 6'3" and has good hands. He'll find his way on the field.

Pennsylvania is loaded with talent next year; we can't afford this inaction on the recruiting trail that plagued us this year and the never-ending questions with the staff. We need to capitalize and start building for a title run immediately.

ON TO THE RAPID FIRE FINISH!

Bill: So let's not beat around the bush. I finally beat you in season three of our NCAA Football Dynasty in spectacular comeback fashion. How are you coping?

Mattare: Not going to lie, I'm devastated. Not because you beat me, but because you were dead in the water before the game cut out and we had to replay the final quarter. The Deacs will exact serious revenge in 2013.

Mattare: Savon Huggins chose Rutgers over ND and UNC. Give me a good reason that any elite football player would want to go to Rutgers that doesn't involve Macedonians.

Bill: They had Ray Rice, they've got a good coach, and it's close to the best city in the country.

Bill: Why would anyone go to Notre Dame?!?

Mattare: The weather, the opportunity to live in O'Neill Hall, the chance to have Carl Ackermann for finance, and four years of pasta stir-fry in the dining halls. Oh, and because they could be a part of the resurrection of college football's greatest program.

Mattare: I have a two-day work conference in of all places Ocean City, MD. This is a place I swore I'd never set foot in again when we left there 3+ years ago. What are the odds I end up at Seacrets: Jamaica, USA with co-workers and what are the odds I end up back in the bay bar?

Bill: 10-1 for Seacrets, 100:1 for the bay bar. It's only Maryland, that water is freezing and you'd be there alone. Head to the Purple Moose or The Bearded Clam.

Bill: How would you announce your college decision if you were committing to Notre Dame?

Mattare: I'd have a press conference at Yocco's, have Pat Lyons dressed as a leprechaun, and ceremoniously burn a Nittany Lion doll as I did the jig. My father would then murder me.

Mattare: Manny Pacquiao vs John "Literally Death From Above" Yackabonis in trampoline boxing. Who wins?

Bill: Whose trampoline? This matters. Yack would psyche him out during the match by trying to have a conversation.

Bill: Describe your ideal halftime show scenario in the Super Bowl this year. Careful, Fergie is polarizing.

Mattare: Multiple wardrobe malfunctions. And as a sidenote, Fergie looks TERRIBLE in that Dr. Pepper commercial.

Mattare: Some A-Towners are planning another trip to Orlando, but our buddy Tim is on the fence. Here's you chance to publicly state why he should come. GO!

Bill: I think mention in WNG is enough--he's in. But I still don't mind selling him on wearing shorts and paying $3 per beer.

Bill: Drank bourbon with pickle juice last night. You ready for that?

Mattare: I mean...if I need to be.

Mattare: We're headed down to Houston for the Final Four with Austin and Mr. Balls this April. Can you even fathom how insufferable it will be for you if ND finds a way to make it that far?

Bill: For me??? You don't want me around in that scenario. Remember, we all have to get along at your wedding.

Two Dudes, One Post: The Bowl Edition

Two Dudes, One Post returns with some bowl awards, a quick reflection on the ND-PSU bowl games, and some analysis of the coaching catastrophes in Ann Arbor and College Park, MD.

Let's get to it!

1. It's time for Bowl Awards! What was the best game you watched, best individual performance, biggest shocker, biggest disappointment (player or team), and one team that didn't play in a major bowl that you predict will emerge as a contender next year?

Mattare:
Best Game: North Carolina 30, Tennessee 27 (OT)...Poor Derek Dooley had the rug yanked out from under him twice this season. First it was the comedy of errors at LSU and now it's the terrible break against North Carolina. In both instances the clock hit zero and Tennessee had more points than the opponent, but the refs allowed for an additional play in each game and the result was ultimately an overtime loss. Exciting, ridiculous, absurd, heartbreaking finish.

Best Individual Performance: I'll give the nod to Damaris Johnson of Tulsa. On Christmas Eve in the Hawaii Bowl he was the leading rusher (98 yards and 2 TD's on just 5 carries) and receiver (101 yards and a TD on 4 catches) for the Golden Hurricane as they throttled Hawaii in paradise. He was a one man wrecking crew.

Biggest Shocker: Iowa showing up and finding a way to knock of Missouri. Kirk Ferentz is one of the most uninteresting coaches around, but man what a masterful performance keeping his team focused amongst controversy and suspension.

Biggest Disappointment: Nebraska. What began as a very, very promising season spiraled into one surrounded in controversy and turmoil and crash landed in the Holiday Bowl where they were whipped by a team they'd embarrassed back in September. Rematches are terrible in college football and the team that won the first game has everything to lose in game two, but there's no excuse for the giant turd they laid on the field against Washington.

Team on the Rise: Look no further than the Notre Dame Fighting Irish! If they can figure out the quarterback position--and Michael Floyd comes back (pleasepleasepleasepleeeeeeeeease)--then they're going to make serious noise in the fall.

Bill:
Best Game: I want to pick the National Championship because I have high hopes for that game, but I'll go with last night's Ohio State-Arkansas game. A little disappointed with the outcome though.

Best Individual Performance: Andrew Luck throwing for 4 tds in the Orange Bowl.

Biggest Shocker: Alabama's beat down of Michigan State. Just wanted more out of this one for our conference's sake. Not even a big conference proponent but a 11-1 Big Ten team losing by 40 to a 10-3 SEC doesn't look good.

Biggest Disappointment: John Clay not trucking TCU's defense

Team on the Rise: Texas!

2. The bowl season has had plenty of exciting games (Music City Bowl) and plenty of duds (Liberty Bowl). Has the excitement of the three week bowl extravaganza had any effect on your stance of bowls vs playoffs? Are the bowls the best thing for college football because of their inclusiveness?

Mattare: I love college football so I love the bowls, but the proposal laid out by Wenzel has completely flipped me to a playoff guy. The bowls are good for college football and the legitimate ones not named after a pizza or GoDaddy.com could (and would) exist outside the proposed playoff. They're nice rewards for teams and perhaps more importantly allow for 15 extra practices in December which can pay huge dividends down the road.

Bill: "Inclusive" might not be the right word here. Bowls are great for the players and the die hard fans who aren't contending for a title. It extends the season by a month, they get to go somewhere warm and play a team they don't usually play. Once you get to the elite teams however, the bowl system is far from inclusive as we all know, that's why I want a playoff. And I like that dude's idea about incorporating the bowls into the playoff rounds (i.e. Sugar Bowl is the semi-final).

3. Pretend you're the Michigan Athletic Director. Do you fire Rich Rod? Do you risk putting all year eggs in the Jim Harbaugh basket? Who would you turn to if you fire Rodriguez and Harbaugh says no?

Mattare: You have to fire Rich Rod. He's been a terrible match since the day he stepped on campus and at this point it's more a matter of "when" than "if." Obviously target number one needs to be Jim Harbaugh. He's a former All-American, he played for Bo, and he teaches a brand of football that makes all Wolverine fans salivate. He also is holding a serious grudge against his alma mater and seems more interested in the NFL so a backup plan needs to be in place.

Popular opinion is that Brady Hoke is the next target thanks to his previous ties to Michigan, but that's not exactly a slam dunk hire. People claim that they need to go find a "Michigan Man" who has ties to the school, but I don't think that's necessarily true at all. What they need is the best coach they can find that understands and embraces all the tradition and history in Ann Arbor. Lou Holtz had no ties to Notre Dame before he arrived but he threw himself into the University and now he's more beloved than any alumnus not named Hesburgh or Parseghian.

Short List of the "Non-Michigan Man" to Call - Bobby Petrino (he's slimy enough to bail on Fayetteville), Charlie Strong (great, young defensive minded coach), and Kyle Whittingham (his teams play a hard-nosed brand of football).

Bill: I would fire Rich Rod. No encouraging signs on defense after year three? You're out. Everyone quickly forgets about Denard Robinson's staggering numbers when they start dropping conference games. Can't win without defense. Defense, defense, defense.

4. Your teams had opposite bowl experiences. What are the three big takeaways from your team's performance in terms of what the future holds?

Mattare:
1 - Our defense is really, really good and should only get better. Kudos to Bob Diaco for going back to the drawing board after the Navy debacle and getting his unit to play the best stretch of Irish defense since the 2002 campaign.

2 - Brian Kelly is not as bull-headed and inflexible as originally thought. Over the last few games he gave opponents and heavy dose of the run game because it gave ND the best chance to win. The balance the Irish began to achieve will be huge next season as the offense takes strides toward reaching its enormous potential.

3 - We're definitively headed in the right direction and for the first time in what seems like an eternity there's a palpable sense of optimism heading into the offseason. It's not only a wonderful feeling, but an enormous relief.

Bill:
1 - McGloin cannot start ever again. There's just no point. Trying really hard not to spiral into a Bolden transferring rant here...

2 - Defense played well. Setting aside MyGroin's pick 6 and the blocked punt TD Penn State only let up 23 points against a faster Florida team that had many short fields.

3 - LB Hodges saw plenty of time and looked like our most explosive linebacker while Astorino spent most of the game on the sideline despite having a year left of eligibility. I like where this is going.

5. Let's go back to the Coaching Carousel for a bit. What's your take on what happened at Maryland? The Terps fire the ACC Coach of the Year Ralph Friedgen, allegedly for the glamor hire of Mike Leach, but suddenly end up with Randy Edsall. Did they handle the situation correctly? Is Friedgen for Edsall a huge upgrade? Was passing on Leach a smart move?

Mattare: What an unbelievable display of mismanagement. I feel like the Maryland athletic director played the role of the Cleveland Indians owner in Major League all season, privately rooting for the team to fail so Friedgen could be junked for a flashier hire.

Friedgen had probably hit his ceiling at Maryland and the program had become somewhat stale, but he deserved more respect than he received from his alma mater (which, oh by the way, he resurrected from the ashes when he took over). Edsall is a fine coach (who made his own terrible decision in notifying his UConn players he was leaving via text message), but he's the polar opposite of a "glamor hire." He'll piece together a solid program that has 9-10 win peaks and some 5-6 win valleys...just like the guy he replaced (2009 notwithstanding).

Should they have hired Leach? Well, he's a hell of a football coach, but he's also a well-documented blowhard (and a borderline whackjob_ with an odd obsession with pirates. He sure would've made a splash, but there's a good chance his mouth would've made more national headlines than his team the first couple years on-campus. Why? Because no one really cares about Maryland football since they're a middle of the road team in a mediocre conference. That's their ceiling. Reality can hurt sometimes, but that's the truth.

Obviously the AD weighed the pros and cons and decided the baggage Leach brought was too much to overcome the fannies he'd put in the seats. There must have been a whole lot of baggage when all was said and done.

Bill: I'm not going to pretend to know who's the better coach here since I'm no coach myself but firing your conference's coach of the year doesn't make sense to many people. I think this move may have had something to do with the offensive coordinator jumping ship to Vandy and trying to take the staff with him.

Edsall did a great job at Connecticut and maybe Leach still carries a stigma from the Matt James incident but I do think Leach's offense would have taken the weak ACC by storm. No I don't think Maryland handled the situation correctly but time will tell with Edsall's performance and when we see where Freidgen ends up.

ON TO THE RAPID FIRE FINISH!

Mattare: Allentown Central Catholic quarterback Brandon Nosovitch was the 2010 Pennsylvania Player of the Year. Notre Dame's offensive coordinator was at 4th and Chew visiting him this week but Penn State doesn't seem interested. Are the Irish about to poach him from under JoePa's nose?

Bill: We are interested, we just don't offer early. You answer: No Way! He's a PSU lifer, I can feel it.

Bill: Why is Chuck Weis trying to go back to coaching at the college level when he clearly excels as a coordinator in the NFL?

Mattare: Because it was a package deal where his son is going to be a "student-coach" for Florida. Get ready for Gator fans to constantly bitch about Charlie Jr on the sidelines even though he does no harm being there.

Mattare: Last night Ashley Schaeffer BMW registered a big W in the Arlington Men's Basketball League to even our record at 1-1. How much do you think our mutual friend and occasional blog reader Aggon contributed to the victory?

Bill: 5 minutes played, 2 rebounds, 0-1 shooting, technical foul, ejection.

Bill: How much did he actually contribute?

Mattare: 1 assist, 1 rebound, 0-2 shooting with 2 airballs, 2 unforced falls due to a loss of balance, and a lack of athleticism that would've made a bowler shake his head.

Mattare: The unthinkable happened in our NCAA Dynasty League and MY WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS WON THE NATIONAL TITLE. Are you finally prepared after getting smacked around two years in a row that I'm just better than you? And what's your prediction for year three?

Bill: Absolutely not. I will chug that duck in 2011 and then paint it blue. My prediction is what it always is: Dukie Domination.

Bill: When am I getting paid for my contributions to the blog?

Mattare: When you start contributing. You're 7th in line to get paid behind Hinkle, Chuck, Mikey, Lord of Shots, Dip, and that dude from El Paso that threatened me in the running diary.

Mattare: Got any New Year's Resolutions?

Bill: To write less.

Bill: Remember when we were just going to open a bar instead of working 9-5's? Let's make it happen. I have like $200...

Mattare: Why didn't you ask me this before I bought an engagement ring? If we pool the $80 I've made from WNG with your $200 and Hinkle's tips from The Melting Pot we can open a bar...tab.

Two Dudes, One Post: The Return of Bill

It's been far too long, but Two Dudes, One Post is back! And you know it's a special occasion because someone we've awaken Bill from his posting slumber to chime in. This week we touch on Killah Cam, the Boise Chokejob, and whether my roommates will ever speak to me again after our holiday party.

GIDDYUP!

1. Championship Weekend has arrived in college football, but unfortunately there's a giant black cloud hanging over the SEC Championship, Heisman Trophy, and likely the National Championship as well: the Cam Newton Scandal. How do you see this playing out? Will Auburn end up vacating everything? Will they end up with nothing or maybe just a slap on the wrist? And lastly, if you were an Auburn fan would you be able to fully enjoy what's going on knowing that there's a good chance everything could be wiped from the books just a few weeks later?

Mattare: There is enough smoke in this situation that there's not only going to be a fire when it clears, there's probably going to be a volcano. There are plenty of rumors bouncing around that speculate as to how deep this corruption runs and I think how big a deal this blow up into comes down to whether the NCAA wants to sweep this under the rug a bit and hope the 24-hour news cycle moves on and people forget about it or if they want to attack and gut the real problem. The temporary declaration of eligibility leads me to believe they're leaning toward the latter.

In the end you have to think everything will be vacated--it's just a shame that the Heisman will now be vacated twice in six years. If they allow him to keep everything under the ridiculous farce that "he didn't know what his father was doing" then I will be shocked and appalled. As my buddy Brad pointed out, how dangerous a precedent will this set moving forward? Will parents be able to just shop around their kids with no real fear of repercussions as long as their kid maintains plausible deniability? It's just a terrible situation.

And if I were an Auburn fan then wouldn't have a conscious about these things and would justify it by saying Bama probably does it too. So I'm sure they'd be more than willing to enjoy the accolades in the present and deal with the consequences later.

Bill: I see Auburn vacating the wins while Cam played there. I can also see them losing scholarships and getting a bowl ban for a couple years. Sounds serious, but is it? What happens after the punishment is handed down? They'll go right back to being a middle of the pack SEC team. So they really have nothing to lose. If I was a fan I would sit back and enjoy this. I'm assuming Auburn fans never cared too much about ethics in the first place so they might as well enjoy the success.

2. In one of the wildest games you'll ever see Boise State choked away a shot at the national title and lost to Nevada in overtime. This signaled the end of a Butler-esque Cinderella run. Did Boise State blow its only chance at a National Championship? Will they continue to knock on door or have they hit their ceiling as a program?

Mattare: Yes, I think this was Boise's best chance at a title. You had a year where they started in the preseason top five and really had only two teams with a stone-cold stronger case for a berth the national championship game. It's a shame, I would've loved to have seen David take on Goliath on the ultimate stage.

In terms of ceiling, I think they have reached it. If Peterson stays they'll continue to be very, very good but the ceiling is going to be sneaking into a BCS game and not winning a national title. I think the best way to maximize their ceiling isn't joining the Mountain West or any conference for that matter--it's going independent. Unfortunately their other sports add absolutely no value to really any conference so they wouldn't be able to arrange any sort of deal with the Mountain West so that'd be tough to pull off; but if they really want to challenge for national titles they need to take the BYU route just embarked on and barnstorm as an independent. I'd love to see it, I just don't think they can realistically make it happen.

Bill: I think they will perpetuate the non BCS school in the national title game discussion. They upgrade conferences to the very solid Mountain West, which I think will bring them slightly more recruiting success. If Peterson stays I still think they have a good shot to run the table most years.

Getting back to that horrendous loss this weekend! Is that kicker on suicide watch? Thanks to the west coast time zone we saw the end at approximately 1:45 am which led me to declare it the most amazing sporting event I had ever seen.

3. If Oregon or Auburn is upset this weekend who deserves to be the next team in line for a shot at the National Championship and why?

Mattare: It comes down to TCU and Wisconsin. The Badgers have been the most impressive team over the past month as they steamrolled through the Big Ten, but I'll give the nod to the Horned Frogs. All they've done is go 24-0 the last two regular seasons. Give them a shot--if they win the non-AQ schools will have a totally redefined place in terms of respect from their peers. Plus I'd love to see them stick it to that idiot Gordon Gee from Ohio State. Nice bow-tie you toolbox.

Bill: I think Wisconsin should get the nod. The same old strength of schedule argument knocks TCU out of the picture. Stanford lost to Oregon, so there's no way Stanford should get in ahead of the Ducks. Beyond them Wisky is the team remaining. They have an unstoppable rushing attack and Tolzien makes good decisions. Also a loss to 11-1 Michigan State looks good. I think they are the 4th best team right now but Stanford shouldnt go for the aforementioned reason.

4. TCU is now officially headed to the Big East in all sports. Is this a good move or a bad move?

Mattare: Good move if you're TCU. You pick up a chance at an auto-bid to the BCS in a league that they could roll through based on recent history. They also expand their exposure to the entire east coast and help their bottom line since they're guaranteed a bigger part of the BCS pie every year. Plus, the geography isn't as massive an issue as people think; makes as much sense for TCU to play conference games in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as it does to play them in Utah and Wyoming.

In terms of their other sports, they're doomed. Football is the ultimate cash cow though so that'll be more than enough to make up for their complete futility in every other sports arena.

Bill: Bad move. They will get crushed in basketball and they grab headlines in football now winning 11 games every season. I think they would still win at least 9 or 10 a year in the Big East but they still wouldn't get to a title and they wouldn't be able to carry the torch for all the small time programs out there.

5. Both of you have gotten to see Rich Rod face your teams for three consecutive years. First of all, if you're the AD would you can him after yet another disappointing season in Ann Arbor? Second of all, as a fan of a Michigan rival do you want to see him fired? Lastly, if Rodriguez is retained will the Wolverines turn the corner next year and become a legitimate contender in the Big 10?

Mattare: If I'm the AD could get Harbaugh and find a way to guarantee he'd be in Ann Arbor for the long-haul then I'd drop Rich Rod in a heartbeat. I don't think that's realistic though because eventually Harbaugh wants to land in the NFL (hopefully this offseason so ND doesn't have to deal with him ever again). As a Notre Dame fan I want to see Rodriguez there for another couple years because their ceiling is not nearly as high as it's historically been with him at the helm. Sure, the offense will be explosive, but the defense is broken beyond repair at this point and there's not a lot of help on the way in terms of highly-touted recruits.

I don't think the Skunkbears will be a legitimate contender as long as Rich Rod is coach--not next year, not three years from now. He's a great offensive mind and found the perfect player to make it go in Denard Robinson, but there hasn't been anything to suggest they can do anything to improve an indescribably atrocious defense. Rodriguez and Michigan have been a complete mismatch from day one and it's been a joy to witness. I can only hope that this era lasts another couple years and when it's over they hire someone not named Jim Harbaugh (Les Miles anyone?).

Bill: I think you have to fire him based on how he's handled the defense. There's just no hope for that unit and he doesn't understand that he has to take responsibility for their performance.

Personally, I really don't want to see him fired. I always enjoy Michigan games now! We're not even with them until we beat them 10 times in a row, then they can go shopping for a coach. Unless the defense gets a one year turnaround like Illinois did with Vic Koenning they will not be a legitimate contender. I think their offense gets even better but that's clearly not enough in a Big 10 that is going to have the most depth it's had in years with the addition of Nebraska.

ON TO THE RAPID FIRE FINISH!

Bill: It's basketball season! Do you like Kobe in spite of Lebron at this point?

Mattare: I'll never like Kobe, but my hatred of Lebron has definitely ratcheted up. I can't wait for the game vs Cleveland tonight. There will never be a more venomous crowd in sports history--it'll be like if Michael Vick playing a game at an animal right convention two years ago.

Mattare: Along those lines, can you think of a situation where there'd be a more hostile crowd at an American sporting event?

Bill: No, while Lebron didn't commit any violent crimes he may have done worse in the eyes of Cleveland fans. A new age diva turned his back on an old city that held all their championship hopes in him for a warm weather team with terrible fans that will never appreciate him as much as they did.

Bill: Congratulations on your engagement. Does Gaby know about this blog? Don't lie.

Mattare: Yes, she does. Does she read it? No. She says she's essentially forced to listen to everything I write on here anyway so it'd be redundant to read it...and it's not like there's any Penn State articles posted that she could learn anything from.

Mattare: My house is throwing a Christmas party on December 18th. Among the confirmed guests are Slatington's own John "Hollywood" Yackabonis and Steven Stanley Reed. Chris Marciano is on the fence. How do you see this playing out? Will I be on speaking terms with my roommates on the 19th?

Bill: I haven't seen Chris or Steve in awhile so I'm going to go ahead and not give them the benefit of the doubt. You will be asked to move out after Reed wakes up your roommates at 4am with an elbow drop.

Bill: ONCE AND FOR ALL: CHIPOTLE OR QDOBA?

Mattare: Chipotle and IT IS NOT EVEN CLOSE.

Mattare: You haven't really posted since PSU got throttled by Iowa two months ago. What do you say to the people who say you've been a coward for not coming on and taking your medicine for ass-whoopings at the hands of Iowa and Ohio State (among others)?

Bill: I'm sorry, I've been living the rockstar life ever since WNG took off. Drunk off fame. No more late nights for me--I will once again dedicate myself to writing about the most predictable program in the country and trying to make it interesting.

Two Dudes, One Post: BCS Edition

Billy is still in hiding after his Nittany Lions were dismantled by Iowa and Illinois in back-to-back contests so we went out and got Hinkle to fill in for this week's Two Dudes, One Post. Bill, man up and take your medicine. The four people that come to this site to read about Penn State are being deprived of your genius. Give them what they want, GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED!

This week's questions center around the BCS. GIDDYUP!

1. The first BCS standings of the year are out. When you took a look at the new rankings what were the two biggest surprises?

Mattare: The obvious answer is Oklahoma, but my biggest surprise is their opponent this weekend: the #11 Missouri Tigers. Sure, they're 6-0 but the only victories of note are over Illinois and Texas A&M who are not exactly lighting the world on fire. Their defensive statistics are solid (2nd in the NCAA in scoring defense), but the rankings are inflated by the fact that they've played cupcakes like McNeese State, Miami (OH), and the Fighting Dan Hawkins. I've yet to see anything that indicates they're legitimate contenders and this weekend the Sooners will expose them as Paper Tigers.

It's tough to pick a team that's surprisingly ranked a little on the low end because I think the standings are relatively accurate. There's so much parity across the board this year--with the exception of Oregon (and to a lesser extent Boise State), every team has shown serious chinks in the armor through the first seven weeks. When pressed though I'll go with Florida State at #17. The Noles haven't gotten much respect from the human voters and that plays a large role in their low placement, but they've been one of the most impressive teams in all of college football for most of the season (the Oklahoma debacle notwithstanding). They're well on their way to a berth in the ACC Championship and have a great shot at landing in the Orange Bowl.

Hinkle: This one is a no-brainer. How in the world is Oklahoma #1? In every single major poll Oregon and Boise State are #1 and #2. I know Oklahoma has been playing well but the losses by Ohio State and Nebraska can have made them the top team in the country. For the first 6 weeks of the season did you hear anyone every mention them in the National Championship picture? Texas beat Nebraska which gave them a boost but this vault was out of no where.

For the biggest surprise of a team that is ranked lower than expected, I would say take your pick between Oregon and Boise State. Oregon is a monster on the offensive side of the ball. They had a bye week and dropped? That's bull. As for Boise, people can say whatever they want about their schedule. When the Broncos suit up, they throttle teams. To open the season they go to VT and pull out the win vs the #5 team in the country at the time. Oregon State was ranked in the top 25 when they visited Boise and got rolled. Until someone else wants to put them on their schedule or the BCS gives them a chance, they will continue to get hosed. Alabama played San Jose State and won 48-13. Boise just shut them out 48-0 after scoring 41 in the first half. Its time for the Broncos to start to BCS teams and run it up since they get no respect.

2. If you were a voter what would your top five be at this point? (give a quick blurb on each)

Mattare
1. Oregon - They've been a juggernaut on offense and whipped a really, REALLY good Stanford team.

2. Boise St - They're going about their business doing exactly what they should. Trust me, that Va Tech win will look good at the end of the season.

3. Oklahoma - They've been Jekyll and Hyde all year. When they show up they roll teams, when they don't they still find ways to win.

4. Auburn - I don't think it'll last but as of right now they deserve the ranking. Cam Newton has catapulted to the top of the Heisman race.

5. Stanford - This spot comes down to Bama and Stanford. I've watched an entire game for every team ranked from #5 to #12 and I think those two are far and away the best teams. I'll give the nod to Stanford because their loss was on the road against the #1team in the country and the Tide should have two losses already (Arkansas and South Carolina).

Hinkle

1. Oregon - Superb offensive with weapons all around. They are dominating the Pac-10 and until someone shows me they are better, the Ducks are my #1.

2. Boise State - They score at will. Their QB should be the Heisman front runner at this point in the season. All they do is win big games. If the BCS thinks they are not for real then give them a shot at the National Championship and see what happens.

3. Auburn - This team is starting to click on all cylinders. Cam Newton is averaging 6 yards per carry and completing 66% of his passes. With only 4 games on the road this year, I see game #12 @ Alabama as their only real threat to not go undefeated as I see them giving it to LSU this weekend.

4. Oklahoma - Two quality wins on their schedule vs Texas and FSU, but look at who else they played. How much more difficult is it than Boise? Beat Air Force by only 3. Were REALLY close to losing to UTAH STATE! Last, Cincy by 2. Overall not that impressive to be #1. This week vs Mizzou and ending vs. OKST. are the Sooners only threats to running the table.

5. LSU - They have 3 wins vs. Top 25 competition. They have been fairly consistent throughout their 7 victories this season. Wins 8 and 9 could be very tough as they are at Auburn this week then home vs Alabama.

3. What top ten teams are pretenders that will ultimately not land in a BCS game (not championship game, just any BCS bowl)? What's a team ranked outside the Top 12 right now that will end up securing a berth?

Mattare
Pretenders: LSU, Auburn, Michigan State

LSU's dumb luck will run out...Auburn eventually is going to run into a team that will stop Cam Newton (the team's name is Alabama) and they don't have the defense to overcome it...I've watched Michigan State. Notre Dame was a failed trick play away from beating them in East Lansing, they aren't that good. Expect two losses down the stretch in games they'll be favored in.

Party Crashers: Virginia Tech, Nebraska

There isn't an ACC school ranked in the Top 12 so obviously someone is guaranteed to find their way into the BCS. I think the #25 Hokies are rolling now after their inauspicious start which has no bearing on their BCS qualification hopes since both losses were non-conference. They'll take down the Seminoles in the ACC Championship and complete an Oregon '09-esque comeback. I also think #16 Big Red will rise back up after the letdown against Texas. Their stifling defense should lead them to the Big 12 Title game for a showdown with Oklahoma and even if they can't beat the Sooners (I think they can) their huge traveling fan base will be more than enough to seduce a BCS bowl to burn an at-large berth on them.

Hinkle

Those that will not land in the BCS

LSU - These next 2 weeks will be brutal to say the least.

Utah - Won't survive the Air Force-TCU-ND stretch unscathed.

TCU - Not impressed with them this year. They will lose at Utah.

Those that will land in the BCS

Wisconsin - If they can win at Iowa this week, they have a great shot to finish 11-1 and grab a BCS bid.

Stanford - They only have Arizona standing in their way of 11-1.

Nebraska - They will learn from Texas and finish strong.

4. Pretend all the major conference teams end up with at least one loss and the national championship game ends up being Boise State and TCU. Would you be excited? Would that matchup be good or bad for college football?

Mattare: Unfortunately no, I would not be excited and it would not be good for college football. There are two reasons for both no's. First of all, we saw this matchup last year so it's not fresh or new. Second--and more importantly--is the fact that the intriguing David vs Goliath dynamic would not exist. Watching Boise or TCU take on the big boys is fun and interesting because it's a fascinating chess match where two worlds collide. On one side is size, speed, and talent; the other has scheme, smarts, and will. That's lost when the two "Davids" match up; there isn't an underdog bandwagon for the casual fan to hitch his wagon to because a true underdog doesn't exist.

If that matchup comes to fruition ratings will plummet (just look at how many viewers a really great MWC showdown like TCU-BYU or TCU-Utah draws against major conference games) and we'd have to hear every major analyst gnashing their teeth over the wretched event for a month straight--and probably the entire offseason. I don't want that. Hell, nobody should want that. Boise State or TCU in the championship game? Fine by me. Both? Absolutely not.

Hinkle: As a Boise fan I would be thrilled for the Broncos to be in the BCS game, but this matchup would be HORRIBLE for college football. Whichever team wins would prove nothing to the nation. People will say they both play soft schedules and should not be there. If Boise won 48-17, people would say yeah yeah but could they play a SEC schedule week in and week out.

On the other hand, if either of these teams gets in vs an Oregon, Oklahoma, or Auburn and steamrolls them, then people would have to sit back and finally give them some credit. Maybe then a playoff would take place. Boise has beaten VT, Oregon, Oregon State, and Oklahoma in recent years. Utah embarrassed Alabama two years ago but people played it off by saying the Tide were not fired up to play the Utes. Until Boise or TCU gets a shot vs a "Big Boy" nothing will be good for college football.

5. Both the Irish and the Nittany Lions are saddled with three losses at this point and miles outside the hunt for a BCS berth. That being said both are huge draws and the major bowls tend to lean toward spending their At-Large selections on eligible teams with fan bases that pack the stands. Take a look at both of their schedules going forward--if each team wins out is there a shot they could sneak into a BCS game? What would you put the odds of your team running the table (a % chance) and if they do what would be the odds they actually get selected?

Mattare: I don't see either team finding a way into the BCS. If we're operating off the assumption that they actually do run the table I still think they'd be too far back to justify a selection, especially because there are equal huge draws that will be available for at-large berths and ranked higher (see: Nebraska, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma). The odds of ND being selected if they run the table are about 10%--and the reason they're that high is Utah and Southern Cal could conceivably be big wins that springboard them into the Top 15.

The odds of PSU being selected are even slimmer: 5%. They still have potential W's over Ohio State and Michigan State to climb the polls, but they already have one terrible loss on their resume (a shellacking at the hands of Illinois at home) which will be too much to overcome when you compare them to the other aforementioned candidates.

What are the odds my Irish find a way to run the table? I place them at 33%. The two biggest obstacles are Utah and Southern Cal. I think it's reasonable to believe ND can find a way to beat the Utes in South Bend, but it's tough to predict a team as inconsistent as Notre Dame to upset the Trojans in Los Angeles. The odds Penn State finishes 9-3 are 10%. They're a mediocre Big 10 team that still has two quality opponents to deal with (Ohio State and Michigan State) along with Michigan (how are they going to stop Denard?). I could see them pulling an upset over Sparty on Senior Day, but there's no chance in hell that they'll beat the Buckeyes in the 'Shoe.

Hinkle: I always wanted to play Oddsmakers on PTI with Kornheiser so thank you for giving me the opportunity.

I give the Irish a 9% chance of running the table. I will give them victories vs Tulsa and Army and that is it for the "gimmie" category. Navy is a rivalry game and anything can happen when those two meet. The upset just took place and the Middies almost came back when I laid $300 on them 2 years ago at -4 after being down big. Utah will be a fight for sure. It is possible the Utes will be worn out after facing off with the Zoomies and TCCU. Finally, they travel to USC and the only way they pull off that upset is if...ummm...thinking...all of USC becomes ineligible in the 3rd quarter.

I give the Nittany Lions a 0% chance of running the table. They get Northwestern at home where Dan Persa will put on a show and say FU for not signing him out of Bethlehem and making him travel to the Midwest. Ohio State will be a massacre. Michigan State will be ugly. Denard Robinson will put up 350 yards of offense by himself.

Even if both run the table they have 0% chance of making it to the BCS. Both teams do have promise for the future so it is not out of the question for the 2011-2012 season. Just ask Mattare and Lou Holtz in August...they will both see ND going 12-0...11-1 at worst!

These 5 questions are 100% over. Goodnight Canada.

ON TO THE RAPID FIRE FINISH!

Hinkle: There was a lot of talk from the IBG'ers last week about the disrespect they felt about ND having to play such low lifes in Tulsa and Western Michigan in sacred Notre Dame Stadium. My question to you is how would you feel if a WAC team named Boise State wound up on your schedule next year at home. Tell me how the game goes and the final score.

Mattare: Boise St would get much more respect a la Gonzaga in basketball. BSU loses 10 starters, ND returns all but 3. ND will take a big step forward next year: Irish 34, Broncos 31.

Mattare: You spent some time as a walk-on in the Pitt Football program. Do you ever see Dave Wannstedt finding any sustained success during his time there?

Hinkle: No. He recruits Florida heavily which means if you are coming to Pitt from Florida you are passing up UF, FSU, and the U. He gets solid talent from this area of the country as well but he seems to never be able to fully put it together. Maybe it's not meant to be.

Hinkle: We met many years ago playing basketball for Coach Jay Radio at East Side Youth Center. Give me your top two memories we had playing hoops for the Huskies and 2 random moments as well.

Mattare: Personally for me one was probably when I hit like ten 3's in the game vs the parents and the second would be the fact that I drew about 1 or 2 over the backs per game because I was 5'1" yet still playing on the bottom of our 2-3 Matchup Zone. I can still hear Mr. Fritchmann bellowing, "GOOD JOOOOB MAAATTT MAAAATTTTAAAARREEEE." Top two random moments would be the moment we were introduced to the J.R. Triple Threat--a life-changing moment for both of us--and when Mr. Barlow got tossed from the stands by that hobbit of a ref. I'm pretty sure the hobbit disappeared forever when he met Mr. B in the parking lot.

Mattare: You have never met Dip though thanks to our dynasty fantasy football league you probably text him more than both your parents combined. Re-open oddsmakers: what are the odds you're at his wedding and the odds he's at your wedding?

Hinkle: I would say I average 17.8 texts to Dip per week in the offseason and 32.6 in season. If he is smart and wants a sure to be memorable moment, he will have me sit at your table at his wedding and Irish Carbombs would be available. Imagine the possibilities. I would say there is a 47% chance I get the invite to his wedding. There is a 100% chance he is allowed to come to mine so my wife can put a face to who I am texting 24/7.

Hinkle: When you win the Mid-Am and we go to Augusta, what five things are you going to tell Phil and Tiger?

Mattare: Tiger, you could've done better than that Perkins waitress...Phil, stop fist pumping when you make five-foot putts...Tiger, stop eyeing up my girlfriend...Phil, you'd have 10 majors by now if you weren't such an idiot...Both of you, I don't accept checks--straight cash homie.

Mattare: Speaking of golf, you were my main caddy for the 2010 tournament season. What were the top two shots of the year and to two random memories of the year?

Hinkle: First let's set the record straight...I AM YOUR ONLY CADDY/CONDITIONING COACH. If someone else is on your bag they are just a fill in (Yeah I am talking to you Big Gene!).

Most Memorable Shots:

#2 - Making birdie on # 6 in the downpour right before we got taken off of the course at RiverCrest during the Patterson Cup. Talk about momentum.

#1 - Philly Am at Saucon Valley hole #4 at a crucial part of the match. Old man put it about 2 feet from the cup and it looked like your tourney hopes were done. Then POW, you put it one inch away. Unreal.

Random Moments

#2 Watching hole #14 I believe at RiverCrest just beat you to death every time we came across it (+5 in two rounds, -3 the other 34 holes of the tournament). It was not fun at the time but looking back how can you not shake your head and laugh.

#1 This is not even close. Can we talk about the snack bar at RiverCrest. Does that place do weddings? Not the main hall there...the snack bar. The pizza was unreal, the wraps were superb. If that place sold a Yocco's dog I would move next door. FANTASTIC!

It's been real . Let's do it again soon.

Two Dudes, One Post: What We Know Edition

1. You both had the chance to sit down and digest a full day of college football on television last weekend. There were some surprising blowouts (Nebraska) and some ridiculous finishes (ND-MSU, Arizona-Iowa). What was the thing that stuck out the most about last week's slate of games?

Mattare: Everything about the Nebraska-Washington game. First of all, wow Nebraska, welcome back to the upper echelon of college football! For all the dramatics about Notre Dame dropping off the map and Alabama going through a drought early in the decade there didn't seem to be much noise about the Cornhuskers Bill Callahan led descent. It's great to see the return of the Blackshirts and a brutally effective running game. They've got Texas at home in the middle of October and I think Bevo is in some serious trouble. Not as much trouble as the Big 10 is going to be when the Huskers arrive next year, but still some pretty substantial trouble.

The other thing we got to witness Jake Locker do an Andre Woodson-esque swan dive off the top of Mel Kiper's Big Board. A lot of players insure themselves for injuries when they return for their senior year...I hope he got some sort of insurance that will cover the negative financial impact last Saturday had on his life.

Bill: For me it had to be Iowa finally getting caught in their lies - sorry, super dramatic, comeback, movie-with-no-camera style wins. I'm not saying they aren't good--they are--but they caught breaks last year and I don't know if I could keep getting out of bed in the morning if it continued. My absolute favorite part of this: the excuses Iowa fans have been dishing out after this one. One attributed it to the two time zone difference! Penn State crosses time zones 4x a season and I've never heard a PSU fan whine about it once.

2. Take a look back at your preseason predictions--what's one thing you were right on the money about and one thing you couldn't have gotten more wrong.

Mattare:
Good Call: My predictions for Dayne in the article I wrote for Bleacher Report have been pretty spot-on - "a handful of questionable decisions, some flashes of greatness, but on the whole enough evidence to lead fans to believe this team has a bright future with Dayne Crist at the helm."

Bad Call: My preseason sleeper pick of Shaq Evans...tough to emerge as a sleeper when you're enrolled at UCLA.

Bill:
Right on the money: Secondary. They have not looked good. They offered up little resistance against the first two passing attacks they faced. They aided in shutting down Kent State but it was Kent State. They just aren't looking fast enough. They don't look instinctive enough. I still feel any competent passing attack will shred us. On a positive note the coaches played Andrew Dailey over Drew Astorino at SS during a few series last game!

Pretttty Wrong: Defensive Line. Where is the push!? I've harped over and over about how we always reload along the defensive line, but this year's new guys aren't comparing to last year's new guys. Jack Crawford and Latimore have shown little improvement and Devon Still has been good but we were absolutely spoiled last year with Jared Odrick. Another positive note however, I saw Pete Massaro and Sean Stanley getting the start! They still split time though.

3. What's the most pleasant surprise and the biggest disappointment thus far in regards to your team's season?

Mattare:
Surprise: There are a few pleasant surprises but none bigger than the play of the offensive line. I thought was a good amount of potential but I expected more growing pains. Through three games they've performed better than last year's veteran line--better push on the run, better pass protection, and (perhaps most importantly) no crippling penalties or untimely sacks allowed. Brian Kelly had raved about the offensive line and I thought he was just trying to boost their confidence. Can't tell you how happy I am that he was telling the truth; we're going to have a VERY good line for the next three years and beyond.

Disappointment: No question that it's Michael Floyd's performance. During the preseason he was considered a lock for the All-American squad and in the discussion of best receiver in the country--hell, Mark May named Floyd his darkhorse for the Heisman. Unfortunately the Michael Floyd we saw his first two seasons hasn't shown up yet. Dropped balls, sloppy routes, fumbles--who is this guy? He has the ability to be dominant if he just focuses, it just doesn't seem like he's all there right now. If Notre Dame wants to turn it around it needs Floyd to step up and spearhead the resurgence.

Bill:
Surprise: Devon Smith. He's getting tons of touches for a sophomore and he hasn't disappointed. He's the fastest guy on the team and we're effectively getting him the ball in space. Last year he was benched early for fumbling and then he couldn't stay healthy, but this year the play action drag to Devon Smith seems to be a Galen Hall favorite.

Disappointment: I have to say recruiting. Before the season we heard all about our lack of commitments because there was nothing else to talk about. We are in week 4 and we still only have 4 commits. I know this is a small class, but recruiting is all about momentum and we're building none. Furthermore, the week 2 dismantling at the hands of Alabama reconfirmed the reality that you need elite athletes to compete for a title.

4. Third-ranked Boise State is favored by 17.5 points over #24 Oregon State. What do you make of that spread? Does the fact that Vegas is showing the Broncos so much respect mean the haters should follow suit?

Mattare: Vegas is giving the Smurf Turf a boatload of love. Typically teams are given a 3-5 point boost for homefield advantage but history shows Boise deserves closer to ten. That being said I'm still surprised the spread is so large. Oregon State had the ball late in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie TCU before their center snapped one over the quarterback's head John Sullivan Style, costing them a safety and ultimately the game. Mike Riley's boys are certainly good enough to hang close with the Broncos if not pull the upset.

It's been amazing watching Boise State transform from America's Darling Underdog to a vilified team who doesn't deserve a shot at the title should they run the table. What have they done wrong?!? Is it their fault that they've outgrown their conference? Is it their fault that no one wants to play them? All they do is quietly roll through their conference schedule, try to schedule some good out of conference games (something that's extremely difficult since 90% of major conference teams want no part of heading to Boise to play a road game), and win those games too.

I get it, Boise wouldn't stand a chance of even being a top 4 SEC if they were beaten up week in and week out by the likes of Alabama and Arkansas, but frankly neither would Ohio State, Iowa, or anyone in the pu pu platter of mediocrity in the ACC. Boise State head coach Chris Peterson does a great job of keeping his team's head down and focused despite the swell of negative sentiment crashing down on his squad.

Also, if there's one thing that we know it's that Vegas knows more than the general public. If Vegas is showing the Broncos so much respect then everyone should follow suit.

Bill: Well the haters don't set the lines. Soooo I say no. I think the line is fair because Boise looks really good so far. If by haters following suit you mean people buying into their "national championship hopes" I say no. With the bowl system being what it is, everyone always talks about the importance of the college football regular season, how there's nothing else like it in sports. Well, why should we reward them for winning 2-3 tough games a year with a shot at the national title when another team may have won 4-5 tough games but finished with 1 loss?

I understand they may truly be the 3rd best team in the country right now and the WAC is undoubtedly better than the Big East, but at this moment, the regular season is how we qualify teams as national contenders and I still think a 1 loss SEC or Big Ten team is more impressive than Boise beating VT (who has been exposed) and Oregon St.

5. Take a look at the undefeated teams to this point. Pick one you think is for real and one that is a total fraud.

Mattare:
Fraud: It's Michigan. Denard Robinson is an unbelievable talent that has single-handedly resurrected the Wolverines this year, but if anything happens to him the Skunkbears will be dead in the water. Their defense isn't any good and their offense would be dead in the water if Denard wasn't there. Denard is for real--his team is not. It's just a matter of time before it bites them and when it does it'll be interesting to see if Rich Rod can shake it off or whether things will snow ball the wrong direction like they did last season.

For Real: I know we touched on this in the first question but I need to reiterate that Nebraska is 100% for real. Their dismantling of Washington in one of the most hostile environments in college football was a shocking announcement to the college football world that the Huskers are back and ready to legitimately contend for a title. Their quarterback Tyler Martinez needs to improve his passing but his legs combined with Bo Pelini's defense should be enough to earn them a spot in the Big 12 title game.

Bill:
Fraud: Has to be Michigan State right? If you deprived me of TV for all of September I would've predicted Michigan St to start 4-0 and finish 8-4. Like every other year. Their halfbacks look great this year, but for some reason they struggle with maintaining a high level of play all season.

For Real: Oregon. I don't think Masoli was what made this team go last year, Darron Thomas looks just fine. They look like the top dawg of the PAC-10 now that USC found itself in trouble. As long as Chip Kelly is coaching the ducks I expect them to be explosive every year. LeMichael James is averaging 12 yards per carry and the team has 1200 yds rushing through 3 games! Two games were cupcakes but they did run through Tennessee. If the Ducks, Buckeyes, and Tide win out there could be trouble at the top of the BCS.

ON TO THE RAPID FIRE FINISH!

Mattare: What are your thoughts on the guy who became Ohio's mascot just so he could attack Brutus Buckeye at The Horseshoe? Hilarious, creepy, or somewhere in between?

Bill: Only hilarious. No one got hurt. I wouldn't mind if it happened every game instead of the lame pranks mascots pull on each other.

Bill: Ok, Donovan McNabb is of interest to both of us at this point--you as a Skins fan and me as a person wondering why we traded him if we weren't committed to Kolb. Where do you see the Skins ended up this year?

Mattare: The NFC East is shockingly mediocre this year which leaves the door open for a playoff run, but our offense is so inept that I have a hard time seeing it happen.

Mattare: I'm all that stands between Mooney's NC State Wolfpack and the national championship game in our NCAA Football 2011 Dynasty. You giving me and Wake any chance of pulling the upset? What needs to happen for my boys to play spoiler?

Bill: I'm setting the line on this game at 17. I think you have to win the turnover battle and slow the game down. Classic upset formula.

Bill: I heard JWoww got offered $500,000 to pose nude for Playboy. Who would've been your pick and for how much?

Mattare: JWoww is basically 80% naked in every article of clothing she wears out, why wouldn't she do Playboy? I'd pay Snooki 500k not to pose naked.

Mattare: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has limped out of the gate this season, but on Sunday KENNY POWERS IS BACK! On a scale of 1-10 how excited are you for the return of Eastbound and Down?

Bill: 8. He's my favorite tragic hero since Hamlet. Only reason for the low grade is his tweets have been disappointing. He's built for books on tape.

Bill: Single Ross is coming to Orlando next week. Issue a warning to the women of the O.

Mattare: If you thought Hurricane Andrew did damage to the Sunshine State just wait until Ross shows up. Prepare for a pimp game rooted in hyperbole.

Mattare: My sister found the nutritional facts for a Yocco's hot dog online. I told her if she ever told me what they were I'd kill her. Are you somewhat curious to know the truth about the dogs we used to down five at a time or are you like me, wishing to remain blissfully ignorant forever?

Bill: What are nutritional facts? Mail me a Doggie Pack next time you're home.

Two Dudes, One Post: Week #2 Hangover Edition

The die-hards bounce back from watching tough losses for both their teams in person last weekend with a little Two Dudes, One Post.

1. You both traveled to watch your teams lose in person this weekend. What was your impression of how the Irish/Nittany Lions played? Why couldn't they get over the hump and snatch a W?

Mattare: The Irish outscored Michigan 24-7 when Dayne Crist was at quarterback and piled up 535 yards of total offense on the day. When the backups were in we had no prayer of doing anything so I'm going to pretend for the sake of evaluating things moving forward that the nearly two quarters quarterbacked by Rees and Montana don't exist. Like Reggie Bush's Heisman.

We're not quite to the point where the offense is running like clockwork (1 out of 3 trips to the redzone resulted in a touchdown), but there's some definite progress and we got a taste of just how explosive the team can be with two touchdowns from 50+ yards.

The defense was forced to deal with the reincarnation of Michael Vick and honestly I thought they did an admirable job--especially in the second half--even though he rolled up an absurd 502 yards. We forced the Wolverines to punt 10 times, repeatedly bending but not breaking once the Skunkbears got over midfield.

Is this a glass half full view? Of course it is. The fact remains we gave up 502 to one player, couldn't stop the opponent on a game-winning drive with three minutes left, and once again lost...but this was not the type of shredding we became accustomed to last year where the defense looked totally clueless. They ran into a great player having the game of his life and he won, in large part because we essentially forfeited two quarters when Crist went out.

You could argue the defense let the team down by not stopping Michigan on their final drive, but Crist's extended absence was the main reason we lost. If he's in there for the entire contest we do more than snatch a W--we blow the Wolverines' doors off.

Bill: I'll start with the second part. We didn't snatch a W because Nick Saban didn't get struck by lightning before the game. As far as impressions I got from this game, surprising but not all bad. Offensively I came away from the game feeling pretty good. Three times we were in the red zone before turning it over - a trend I'm hoping doesn't continue. We actually moved the ball fairly well, we had 17 first downs and only punted four times.

The turnovers and missed opportunities prevented us from gaining any momentum. If we don't turn it over on our first two red zone attempts and come away with only six points, it's a 14-6 game at halftime and we got the ball back. Then if Graham Zug doesn't drop a pass over the middle for 20 yards we're in field goal range again. A lot of ifs but I'm only assuming field goals and it could've been 14-9! I was happy with the play calling actually, the game plan was not timid.

The defense shocked me. Somewhat. The game plan was familiar, the tackling was not. Game plan first--Nick Saban came right out and said it in the post-game press conference: they game planned against Penn State's history of staying in the base defense against the spread defense. That's what they did on their second drive, scoring in I think 6 plays? All passes.

Which coaches on our staff think its a good idea to match up an Alabama receiver with Nate Stupar? I would've hoped none, I guess I'm wrong. Maybe that's why we're 2 deep at linebacker and 1 deep at every position in the secondary. They don't feel that it's good defense to match speed with speed? Really wish they would've kept Powell on defense and played him at nickel in that game. The changes have come on offense I just have to hope that they'll come on defense too. Or maybe Tom Bradley knows more about defense than me, I'm just frustrated.

2. No doubt the long trips home on Sunday were miserable, but dig deep and try to find some silver linings. What are three positives you can take from your squad's loss?

Mattare:
1. The Maturation of the Offensive Line...The line cleared the way for 535 yards of total offense, a yard per carry average approach five (4.8), and gave Dayne all the time in the world down the stretch. A big question mark is morphing into a strength.
2. Armando Allen...He's finally coming of age in his senior season. Everyone was raving about Cierre Wood after Purdue, but Michigan showed why he's the best, most complete, and arguably hardest running tailback on the roster.
3. Dayne Crist...He's progressed quicker than I thought. He has plenty of things he needs to work on (like accuracy on his deep ball), but if we can keep him healthy he can take us very far.

Bill:
1. Silas Redd...The true freshman saw time in the 4th quarter and proved to be the only back we have capable of making the first guy
miss. He looked like he belonged on the field with the Bama players. I'm hoping he splits time with Green next year.
2. Offensive play calling...We moved the ball, what more can you say. The players turned it over a couple times. Otherwise I feel we would've hung 13 points on them! Penn State has always shaped their play calling around what the coaches think the QB can handle. And at this point in Bolden's career it is clear that the coaches are going to continue opening the playbook for him.
3. Offensive Line...Hey for how low the expectations were, they kept Bolden upright and we still managed 4 yards per carry. 1's jersey wasn't clean at the end of the game, but you expected Bama's line to get pressure. Pannell was pulled for Troutman early in the game and he played a little better. I think Troutman will hold onto the starting job for the rest of the season.

3. Turn your attention to the opponent who beat you. What's your impression of the teams fielded by Bama/Michigan? Are they legit or bound to trip up?

Mattare: Denard Robinson is unbelievable, his team is thoroughly unimpressive. If he stays healthy for the length of the season then there's no telling what the Wolverines are capable of against normally lead-footed Big Ten defenses. Make no mistake though, Michigan will go only as far as Denard takes them. I will concede that their offensive line was pretty effective. There's no one on the perimeter that scares you like Manningham or Terrell used to, the running backs didn't do anything (30 yards on 13 carries), and the defense surrendered 535 yards in essentially 2.5 quarters (since we barely did anything when Dayne wasn't in the game).

Robinson is so good that he can single-handedly take them to a New Years Day Bowl, but he's not going to carry them into the championship hunt. I can see them locking down a lower-level New Years Day bowl but not much else more. Eventually Denard is going to have a bad game or get hurt and they don't have enough in other places to overcome that.

Bill: Bama is legit. I don't think anyone doubts that. The entire team is fast and strong, and at the moment no one has cracked Saban's defensive schemes. Trent Richardson is a Heisman candidate as long as Ingram doesn't play, and maybe after he comes back. He bounced off tacklers like a high school highlight tape. They are going to punish every defense they play, no one wants to tackle those guys.

McElroy just doesn't lose. The run game is their bread and butter but they are still able to put the ball in McEroy's hands if they need to. He doesn't turn it over and he's faster than people think. I think they land in the national championship game.

4. Virginia Tech laid an egg at home and lost to James Madison. This affects Boise State probably more than it affects the Hokies and the result has been talking heads on ESPN ranting and raving about how Boise shouldn't be in the championship game even though we're barely two games into the season. Do you think it's a little ridiculous to be having these heated discussions on the topic this early in the year and where do you stand on the debate as of right now?

Mattare: Yes, it's completely ridiculous but the TV shows on ESPN thrive on these sort of debates whether it makes sense to argue them at the time or not. Does anyone remember Steve Young getting on TV last year after BYU beat #3 Oklahoma in the season's first week and proclaiming he'd "boycott college football forever" if his alma mater ran the table and was left out of the championship? He was genuinely heated about it.

As it turns out if he would've just waited until the end of September he would've known Oklahoma was a fraud (and en route to the Sun Bowl) and the BYU didn't have a prayer of going to the championship because they had their doors blown off at home by an unranked Florida State squad.

Virginia Tech could pull a Lazarus act along the lines of Oregon last season and run the table to land in the BCS. Future Boise State opponent Oregon State could win the Pac-10. The Broncos could lose to Fresno State. No one knows, especially not after two weeks. This is equally as absurd as debating whether Notre Dame deserves an at-large BCS berth at this point. Let things play out and as approach the finish line you can debate the validity of teams and their rankings.

Bill: I think they have to talk about something on TV. These debates are going to carry on every week. As long as there are preseason rankings, week 1 rankings, there will be banter. Personally, I can't hate on it because I watch. So go right ahead!

I don't think Boise is being punished, the pollsters must take into account these things. It's unfortunate for the Broncos, but sympathy isn't a criteria when you vote on the top 25. They already sit at #3, so if they win out they stand their best chance to get into the BCS game so I think that's what they need to worry about. Not what VT isn't doing.

5. Other than the Virginia Tech debacle, what was the thing that shocked you most about this weekend that was dubbed "Monster Saturday?" What's one team you'd label legit contender and one that's already been exposed in your eyes as a pretender?

Mattare: Oregon, come on down! The Ducks return 9 starters on offense and 8 on defense from the squad that went to Pasadena last season. This is a team built on speed, speed, and more speed. Last weekend it waltzed into Rocky Top and laid the smackdown on the Volunteers, scoring 45 unanswered points after falling behind 13-3. The Pac 10 race is just as wide open as it was last year and I'll hitch my wagon to the Ducks not only to head to the Rose Bowl, but also make a serious run at the national title. Jeremiah Who? They of the ridiculous uniforms are for real.

In terms of a pretender it's easy to give that title to the entire ACC Conference. In an epic fail of a weekend, its top teams took the gas on grand stages (Miami in the Horseshoe, Florida State at Oklahoma) and tiny ones (Va Tech at JMU, Georgia Tech at Kansas). Miami has the best chance to bounce back from their slip-up, but people once again were roped into the hype of Florida State despite the fact their secondary was two steps beyond terrible last season.

We're two weeks into the season and there's only one team (Miami) in either poll. Looks like another year of pillow fighting and placing a mediocre squad in the Orange Bowl for the ACC...

Bill: Well I'll be honest. I didn't watch a single other game because I was too busy sweating and getting exhausted from having back to back to back stop and chats with friendly Bama fans.

A team that's been exposed already goes to Florida. Brantley is not Tebow. Uh oh! Why was he dubbed a good quarterback before he started the season? Why can't they snap the ball? No one knows.

Ohio State looks to be for real, sadly. The whole rest of the nation will get mad when they play for another national title, but I'd like to see your team beat them.

RAPID FIRE FINISH!

Mattare: Are you as appalled as I am by Vinny on Jersey Shore lowering himself to sleeping with that gremlin Snooki despite his declaration in episode one that this season was about "quality of girl, not quantity"?

Bill: Less appalled, more encouraged. He's really coming into his own now. MVP could prove to be a real force now that Vinny has gone from shy guy to bottom feeder. It completes the group dynamic.

Bill: Do you think Randy Moss' comments are reminiscent of his old way or do you think this is a vet lighting a fire under his organization's ass?

Mattare: I'll lean toward the latter. He wants to be treated fairly but the Pats are notoriously cheap. He's been setting this stage for months. Unfortunately he can't fall back on the Lehigh Valley Valley Dogs anymore if things go wrong.

Mattare: Our friend is trying to come up with a name for his new charity/drinking club. The best he has is "The Civic Cobblers Guild." First, grade that name on a scale of 1-10 and then tell us what this group SHOULD be named.

Bill: I support this idea, but I have no idea what that name means. Do we make shoes? Am I too dumb to be in this club? I give it a 4. What's wrong with "New World Order"?

Bill: I had "nachos" in Tuscaloosa at 3am that were tortilla chips, pulled pork, and jalapenos. Holy cow. What's the best drunk food you ever had?

Mattare: Jumbo Slice in DC. You stumble out of Adams Morgan bars at 3am and are greeted with pizza slices that are literally the size of a steering wheel.

Mattare: I face Aggon this week in our PS3 NCAA Football Dynasty. My #22 ranked Demon Deacons against the Terps. You've already played both teams--what's your prediction?

Bill: Wake Forest 27, Maryland 14. That doesn't mean you're good though. Wait until I start a defense that doesn't include 5th year seniors tipping 65 in the player ratings.

Bill: Did you see Clausen's interview on SportsCenter? He told us "backups are one play away from starting" nine times. Did you know he was a terrible interview? Does Matt Moore hate him for being so excited?

Mattare: He's the most coached, robotic interviewee ever. He never had one interesting or revealing thing to say in his four years at ND. And Matt Moore is atrocious--even high school quarterbacks would be excited to be backing him up.

Two Dudes, One Post: Preview Edition

We're less than four weeks away from kickoff. It's time for We Never Graduate's Notre Dame and Penn State diehards to start taking a deep look at what's to come this fall. It took a little Two Dudes, One Post, but we've lured Bill out of his hiatus to get his thoughts.

1. Take a look at your team's schedule. As a whole do you see it as tough, easy, or somewhere in the middle? Pick three games that will make or break your season. (Don't make specific predictions--that'll be a later post)

Mattare: This is the third year in a row that we've had a very manageable schedule. We have only three true road games (Michigan State, Boston College, and Southern Cal), Michigan is still down, and a few of our "toss-up games" will be played at home (Stanford, Pitt, Utah). This is a soft schedule by Notre Dame standards, the type dreamed up by Kevin White when he thought ND football had no chance to be relevant again unless we scheduled ourselves to winning seasons. Let us pause for a moment to thank God that he's no longer our athletic director.

Thank you.

Every week of the last two years has seemed as if it was the most important game in school history, which helped push many ND fans (including myself) to age an extra 4-5 years with each heart-stopping finish. A lot of that had to do with the toxic environment that enveloped the Charlie Weis regime after the 3-9 debacle of '07; a win every week became almost an absolute necessity to maintain any semblance of stability within the program. At the very least, year one of the Kelly Era will have a different feel than that which is a welcome change.

The three games I'll identify are Michigan, Boston College, and Southern Cal (with Stanford being a close 4th). Michigan's program is in disarray. The marriage of Rich Rod and the Skunkbears has been a terrible fit from day one and the ice Rodriguez is skating on right now is as thin as it gets. If Notre Dame can throttle them right out of the gate it might send their season into a tailspin that their embattled head coach won't survive. I touched on this last September--any time you have the opportunity to put the nail in the coffin of a rival you need to take advantage of it. We failed to do that last year, we need to do it this year.

The second game is little brother Boston College. The Eagles are a legitimate ACC Atlantic Division contender if they find someone better than Dave Shinskie (the worst QB we saw all of last year...who of course threw for almost 300 yards against us) to lead the offense. Alumni Stadium is an extremely hostile environment and it'll be Dayne's second true road game. There's a reasonable chance the Irish will be undefeated going into that game and if we clear that hurdle we can start talking about something really special.

The final one is of course the Trojans of Southern Cal. Just when you thought they couldn't become any less likable they go and hire Lane Kiffin. By the end of November their depleted roster should be banged up and who knows, there could be a full-throttle mutiny going on after players realize what a weasel Lane is. Their program is hurting right now with the sanctions handed down this spring, but their roster is still stocked with more talent than ND. Whether the Irish enter this game 7-4 or 11-0, if Kelly wins his first showdown with Southern Cal then it will clearly show the Irish are headed in the right direction going into the offseason.

Bill: Our schedule is very tough this year. We play 3 preseason top 10 teams on the road in Alabama, Ohio State and Iowa. The Alabama game could obviously make the season, but it couldn't break it because no one is expecting us to win (including me).

The game against Northwestern on November 6th is an obvious trap game as we should be coming off 3 straight wins and looking ahead to Ohio State, but Northwestern has moved up into the middle of the pack in the Big Ten and they have upset potential. Finally I'll go with Iowa as a season-breaker because this is an opportunity for us to play spoiler and crush their hopes early, man do they deserve it.

2. Both of your teams are replacing a multi-year starter at quarterback. How are you feeling about his potential replacement? How significant will be the drop-off with a new man at the helm of the offense?

Mattare: In the latest IBG I went over my feelings on Dayne Crist at length so jump over there for a full breakdown, but here's a quick synopsis: I feel very good about him being our team leader, but I'm very nervous about his knee and how that will affect him both mentally and physically. There's going to be a drop-off in terms of production with Crist because frankly there's nobody that could step in and totally fill the shoes Clausen left (32 TD's, 4 INT's, pinpoint accuracy, great decision-making, clutch performances).

If Dayne is healthy--and that's a BIG if--then we'll still have a very good offense even without Clausen and Tate. I don't think it has the ridiculously high ceiling that last year's unit had, but if they're more efficient in the red zone then they could actually turn out to be better. Dayne has plenty of toys to play with so if his knee holds up the offense will be dangerous.

Bill: I'm feeling good because the kid (I'm assuming Newsome here, although there have been no hints up to this point) has serious wheels and we have athleticism behind him in the depth chart. I think we need to take a very aggressive ground approach this year and run a lot of QB option. That's the only way I see us being dangerous offensively.

The drop off from Clark will be significant. Say what you want about #17, but he was able to complete routine passes with ease and we almost always beat teams we were supposed to beat with him under center. That's not to be taken for granted, I'm preparing myself for a lot of telepathed interceptions and overthrows. At least they have no game film on Newsome!

3. Sticking with the offensive side of the ball--what do you think is your team's biggest strength and biggest question mark going into the season? Identify an MVP of the offense, a sleeper that will emerge, and an X-Factor (someone who you have serious questions about that could make or break your squad).

Mattare: The biggest strength is our depth, size, and speed at the skill positions. Dayne Crist's acclimation to big-time college football will be made infinitely easier because when he drops back to pass he's going to have big targets (potential All-Americans Kyle Rudolph and Michael Floyd, Duval Kamara, John Goodman) and fast targets (Shaq Evans, TJ Jones, Theo Riddick). When he hands the ball off it'll be to both burners (Armando Allen, Cierre Wood) and bulls (Jonas Gray, Robert Hughes). I mean look at that collection of talent. It's probably the most loaded we've been since the '92 squad.

The biggest question mark is Dayne's knee. I have driven this into the ground and will continue to do so. Runner-up is the tackle position and who will emerge from the trio of Zach Martin, Matt Romine, and Taylor Dever.

My offensive MVP is Michael Floyd. He's been a man among boys since the first day he stepped on campus and in his third season he's primed to dominate. When he was healthy last year he was absolutely unstoppable. Mark May says Floyd is his sleeper Heisman candidate--tell me if that doesn't say something.

My sleeper is Shaq Evans. He's so fast, so strong, and such a good route runner that he can't help but excel in the spread. With so much attention focused on Floyd and Rudolph don't be surprised to see Shaq emerge as a force. My deep sleeper is Tyler Eifert. His reps may be limited but he's tall with great hands and great body control. He's another player who is lurking under the radar that could be a surprise contributor.

The X-Factor is Dayne Crist. Have I made this point clear yet? The entire season hinges on him and more specifically the health of his knee.

Bill: Our strength is at RB where we're returning two guys that have two seasons of game day experience. Evan Royster is poised to become our all time leading rusher, and while its time to admit that maybe Stephfon Green was overhyped because of a couple nice runs, I'll take him as my back-up any day.

Evan Royster has to be the offensive MVP. Every time the coaching staff switches into "don't lose" mode (every other quarter or so) I see five runs off-tackle in a row coming his way...so yeah, we need him to make us go.

The sleeper is going to be one of our young WRs because we have so much talent there and someone is going to be a first year starter. Justin Brown? The big man has moves and I've been reading that his work ethic is outstanding which is the only way to get on the field at Penn State.

The X-Factor: Quinn Barham, who might be our left tackle again (he took over after the Iowa game last year). We just need him to play better, a good pocket would do wonders for these young quarterbacks' psyche. Keep them upright against Youngstown State at least...please?

4. Penn State tends to field a great defensive squad year in and year out but must replace six starters this season. Notre Dame has nine starters returning but they were all a part of the worst defense in school history last season. How do you see your defensive unit performing this year? Throw out an MVP, someone who is under the radar that will emerge as a major contributor, and a player who will be the X-Factor.

Mattare: We're going to be good. I mean, really good. Far better than 90% of experts and even ND fans think. There are two keys that will determine how high the unit's ceiling will be: whether the thin defensive line holds up and if Harrison Smith re-emerges from the Clifford Jefferson Zone to fulfill the promise he had shown earlier in his career.

Our front three is going to be Ethan Johnson, Ian Williams, and Kapron Lewis-Moore. I feel very good about the ends but Ian worries me a bit. To me he fits in that Pat Kuntz mold of "productive, likable, but doesn't have the chops to be effective against the most elite competition." If Williams can hold up and occupy blockers effectively that will free up a host of playmakers to tee off on opponents.

The linebackers have speed, strength, and more speed. We don't know who's going to emerge from the middle linebacker battle, but we know Darius Fleming, Manti Te'o, and Brian Smith will be out there on opening day while athletic freak of nature Steve Filer will be unleashed 2002 Justin Tuck-style on passing downs. Bob Diaco said recently that the speed and athleticism at every position is phenomenal and that if they can slow down the run on 1st down, creating 2nd and 3rd and long situations, that they're capable of being a truly special outfit.

My vote for MVP of the defense is Manti Te'o. This guy is truly a special talent and already one of the clear-cut team leaders despite the fact he's only entering his sophomore season. It's been a long time since the Irish have fielded such an impressive physical specimen equipped with top-level instincts. My darkhorse is Ethan Johnson, who should really come into his own this season.

An under the radar contributor that I zeroed in on the spring is Jamoris Slaughter. I think he locks down one of the starting safety spots during camp and doesn't let go. He's a "you better think again about coming over the middle if you want to leave in one piece" element that's been missing in our secondary since the days of Deke Cooper and A'Jani Sanders. That style of play combined with the fact that he has already locked down a spot on the all-time Irish defensive name team (others include Michael Stonebreaker, Grant Irons) means he's going to become a fan favorite very quickly.

Lastly, we have the X-Factor: Harrison Smith. I never in a million years thought someone was capable of upsetting me to the degree that Clifford Jefferson used to infuriate me. Hayseed was abysmal in coverage and missed more tackles than anyone I've ever seen in major college football--and that isn't hyperbole or exaggeration, it was literally 3-4 tackles per game.. Smith has been shuttled between safety and linebacker over the course of his time at ND and last year his lack of a true position helped contribute to his confidence spiraling somewhere between 0% and -10,000% of where it needed to be.

Smith is extremely athletic and he had shown flashes of being a good player prior to last season's abomination, but if he can't pull himself out of the deepest of funks then there will be a gaping hole in a potentially rock solid secondary. Should Harrison tap into the potential that many people think is there it should go a long way in solidifying the entire defense.

Bill: Our defense will be stubborn. Pressure applied by the defensive line should keep the secondary from having to cover for too long. Our rotation at linebacker doesn't seem to be determined yet but we have enough depth there that I'm confident the coaches will get the right guys in there.

My pick for MVP goes to defensive tackle Ollie Ogbu. He has been underappreciated for two years now and I expect him to have his best season yet as a senior. He won't put up big numbers but he'll attract attention every day and he is a known commodity on a relatively young defense.

Under the radar is Stephon Morris. He's already earned the #1 CB spot as a sophomore and performed well in the 13 games he played last season. I don't expect him to be shutdown just yet because he is still young, but Tom Bradley obviously loves the kid, and he doesn't miss on corners often.

The X-Factor has to be Gerald Hodges. Everything I read has him "making his way onto the field at some point" but he hasn't earned a starting spot yet. This is a kid who has more athleticism and size than any of our linebackers and I think he could have a huge impact if he makes the leap during training camp. If he doesn't, Chris Colasanti, Nate Stupar, and Michael Mauti will be happy to take his minutes.

5. Most publications have both of your squads pegged as top 25-ish teams that will finish with 8-10 wins and land in mid-level bowls...But what the hell do they know? Their opinions are worthless; right now the facts say your team's record is 0-0 and controls its own destiny. We wrap up with a three part question:

A. Layout a best case scenario--what needs to happen for your team's stars to align and land in the championship game?

B. Try to put into words what the six weeks from the end of the season to the championship would be like if Notre Dame and Penn State were playing for the title.

C. What would you do if your team ran the table and won the title?

Mattare:
A - Dayne's knee needs to be healthy and needs to not miss a snap, Dayne needs to get comfortable with the offense, the offensive line needs to keep Dayne upright, the defense needs to fulfill its potential, and both units need to inflicting themselves with killer, momentum-swinging penalties. Piece of cake, right?

B - Every single day I'd be sending a package to Bill's house. One day it may be the head of the Nittany Lion, one day it may be the head of Joe Paterno, one day it may be the mug shot of whatever starting Penn State defensive end I'd just framed for some crime.

To say our friendship would be riding on the game wouldn't be an enormous stretch. It would be borderline intolerable for the loser to be around the winner probably for the rest of our lives. Frankly, I'd be willing to risk it for a chance to knock off the Nittanys and hoist the BCS Championship Trophy.

C - It'd be the greatest moment of my life. I'd take weeks off of work. When I returned I'd wear a different ND jersey every day until I was eventually fired. My first child would be named Brian Kelly Dayne Floyd Manti Mattare whether it was a boy or girl. I'd construct a Grace Hall-esque #1 to put atop my house and have it lit with Christmas lights for the entire year.

I can barely wrap my mind around how unbelievable it would be. I'm becoming vaclempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic: Joe Paterno is neither living nor dead. Discuss.

Bill:
A. Oh, not much. We just have to trot out a 19 year old quarterback making his first road start against the defending national champions who return everyone, beat them, and then focus on Kent State. Oh I forgot--we also have to beat two conference opponents who whooped us last year on the road too. Both of said opponents snapped our offensive line in half so its good that we have... the same exact guys back?

B. Running this situation through my head again and again and there's no way we're friends after that game. The weeks leading up to that game would be long, sleepless, and surreal. Trying to put a word to it: consuming.

C. Run my phone bill up, STRUT, antagonize every Gator fan, and name my kid Joe.

ON TO THE RAPID FIRE FINISH!

Mattare: Lebron handled "The Decision" about as poorly as humanly possible. What's a situation in your life you've handled equally as poorly?

Bill: My first job interview. I asked the interviewer to "hold on" so I could leave and take a 10 minute dump.

Bill: You recently played golf with Mark May and acknowledged that he's not a Notre Dame hater. If he gets on TV and bashes them again this year does that opinion go right out the window?

Mattare: Just because he's a straight-shooter and not an ND hater doesn't mean I won't unleash expletives/pillows/remote controls at the TV screen when he criticizes ND.

Mattare: You're going to have to do a variety of on-demand yoga poses at bars the next time we see each other...have you been working on your flexibility? Are you ready for the downward-facing dog?

Bill: I can't even sit Indian style, but that's not going to stop me from absolutely killing every pose put forth. Get ready girls.

Bill: How much football is too much football? I'm in a video game dynasty, three fantasy leagues, flag football, have the Eagles and Penn State, and recently found time for the Orlando arena team...and I still feel FRESH. Are you going to reach the tipping point this year?

Mattare: How fresh you'll stay is 100% dependent on how PSU and the Birds do. If they take the gas early then you'll burn out quicker than PSU basketball's NCAA tourney hopes.

Mattare: We're a few episodes into the new season of Jersey Shore and the reigning titleholder of "most terrible human being walking this earth," Angelina, has reappeared. What would you say to her if you had five minutes on national TV to just unload?

Bill: "Don't listen to those other guys, you're beautiful and smart and not psychotic at all..." (slowly backing away, very slowly)...

Bill: If you could ice anyone who would it be and how would you do it?

Mattare: After defeating PSU in the national championship game I'd ice you by FedEx-ing a 40 oz Smirnoff that was outfitted in an ND national championship koozy and a bottle-opener that played the Victory March to your place of work.