ND-Purdue: The Game Before the Game

When is a game of Full Beer Flip Cup more than a game? When it's four ND grads against four Purdue grads on the morning before their alma maters square off on the football field.

Like we'd ever lose a showdown like that

Irish 2, Boilers 0

NEVER GRADUATE

GO IRISH

GAMEDAY: BOIL THIS

I'm coming to you LIVE from O'Neill Hall on gameday. The 7:47 shotgun has already taken place and I am fully prepared for the BK Era to begin.

If you're trying to temper expectations for the year then you're in for a tough day. The defense looks good, Crist looks great, and Floyd looks best. The Boilers have no shot.

Notre Dame 34

Purdon't 17

GO IRISH

The Ups and Downs of Game Week

It's Monday, work is dragging, and you're convinced that time is going 35mph in a 65mph zone. At the same time it's finally game week and you know the Irish are going to throttle the Boilers. You picture Purdue head coach Danny Hope looking at his secondary in practice and silently weeping as he thinks about what Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph are going to do. They'll never be able to stop ND--Kelly could send out O'Neill's interhall squad on the other side of the ball and still win.

That won't be necessary though because the revamped defense is salivating at the chance to shut out Purdue. Was the defense horrendous last year? Sure it was, but you've read all the analysis of how Harrison Smith has it together, heard about Kerry Neal lighting it up in practice, and listened to the interview where Manti Te'o said he won't count a tackle as a sack unless the quarterback is knocked unconscious. Notre Dame is only favored by 10.5 points? What an insult! This game is in the bag, no chance they don't win by four touchdowns.

When you wake up Tuesday it's a different story. Herbstreit is on ESPN yapping about the lack of team speed on defense and how his best guess is the Irish are 3-3 after six games. You start to realize Purdue isn't a walk-over; after all, they knocked off Ohio State last year and the only reason the Irish beat them was because of a Jimmy Clausen miracle.

You start looking at breakdowns of their team, reading about how Marve looks great and is realizing the potential that made him such a huge recruit at Miami. What makes you think all of a sudden Notre Dame's Swiss Cheese secondary will be able to stop him? You're nervous. You go to bed saying to yourself that "there's no way Notre Dame can lose this game...is there?" Your dreams are littered with Joe Tiller and Wilford Brimley interrupting Liberty Medical commercials to do that stupid "BOILER UP" cheer in unison. It's a restless night.

But the sun comes up Wednesday and the Kool-Aid is flowing again. Rudolph is back at practice and looking great. Crist is talking about how the opportunity to start is a dream come true and insists his knee feels good to go. The majority of the work day is spent plowing through old Notre Dame videos on YouTube and trading emails with friends trying to draw as many parallels between 1964 and 2010 as possible.

You also realize that you were at the first game of the both the Willingham and Weis Eras and intensely debate within your own mind whether it's your obligation to go to the game since the Irish won both of those coaches' debuts or if it's your duty to stay away since ultimately Ty and Charlie ended up failing. As you doze off that night you've thoroughly convinced yourself that the fate of Saturday's game--and perhaps Brian Kelly's entire tenure--will come down to your decision.

Thursday morning arrives and a video of a Lou Holtz speech is waiting in your inbox when you get to work. Before you know it you're on Priceline looking for a flight. The angel on your right shoulder asks, "Will you be able to make rent next month? Do you understand the devastation you're causing on your bank account?" The devil on the other shoulder (who is bedecked head-to-toe in Notre Dame apparel) screams, "ERRONEOUS! ERRONEOUS ON BOTH COUNTS! HOW COULD YOU MISS THIS MONUMENTAL EVENT?!?"

The devil wins. You're South Bend-bound. You may have just delivered a haymaker to your bank account, but you don't care. It's the dawn of the Brian Kelly Era! You're not going to miss out on watching the Irish roll to a victory in person.

But for some reason Thursday has you thinking about worst case scenarios. What if Dayne gets hurt? What if the confidence the defense seems to be exhibiting is empty and not real? What if Harrison Smith re-enters the Clifford Jefferson Zone?

Who the hell knows what to expect this Saturday? It's the first game of the season with a new coach, new quarterback, new everything. There's a 50% chance it will be glorious and a 50% chance it'll be a disaster. Both ends of the spectrum are absolutely in play and that's an uneasy feeling.

You peruse an article on Her Loyal Sons that predicts only seven victories in 2010 for the Irish and suddenly you start to wonder...are all of your worst fears about to come to fruition? Is it really possible that the miracle season you so desperately crave could go up in smoke in week one?

The thought of losing to Purdue makes you nauseous. So many times over the past five years you walked out of Notre Dame Stadium downtrodden and disappointed. Perhaps you should lower your expectations so that the fall isn't as steep this year. Drifting off to sleep you ponder whether you'd charge the field and puncture a hole in the Purdue band's giant drum if the Boilermakers won.

Overnight something happens though. The alarm goes off and you're immediately jacked up. It's sinking in that in about 24 hours you're going to be in Notre Dame Stadium, surrounded by 80,000 of your closest friends willing the Irish to victory. You're about to be reunited with dozens of other people who share the same passion for Notre Dame Football, guys that will at one point in their life have a discussion with their wife about naming their dog Lou or Rudy, their sons Brady or Golden, and their daughters Manti or Ara.

You pack your bag, alert your manager that you've come down with a case of typhoid fever and won't be able to make it in the office, and you're off to the airport. As you wait for your flight you get on the phone with some of your boys for one last preseason conversation.

For the 584th time you break down the depth chart, voice concerns over Dayne's knee, and talk about weaknesses in Purdue's defense. Unlike the other 583 phone calls though, the majority of the conversation consists of both of you half-laughing and saying over and over again, "I can't believe it's finally here."

From the moment you arrive at your destination everything's a blur. You're back on campus, reunited with friends, reunited with Natural Light, and reunited with the South Bend bar scene. A few rounds of Rumple Minze and 32oz beers at The Backer have every person thoroughly convinced the Purdue game is the first step toward a national championship.

When you awake Saturday around 8am to the fight song blaring it's like you're transported back to your freshman year of college. You're irrationally happy, so pumped up that you'd probably be good for a special teams tackle if BK called on you. Entering Notre Dame Stadium your stomach is in knots. You're nervous, anxious, but most of all excited. You're ready to do everything in your power to will the Irish to victory.

No more preseason predictions. No more preview magazines. No more speculation. The season has arrived and though you've ridden a roller coaster of emotion leading up to it, you're fully prepared to live and die with every play for better or worse.

You're all in...because that's the only way to enter a Notre Dame Football Season.

GO IRISH...BEAT BOILERS

THE BODOGS ARE BARKIN'

As our long-time readers know, last year Mikey and I went head to head in a weekly pick'em contest over the course of the year. We felt like it got a little stale so we're going to switch it up this year.

We've added TWO new horses to the race: our fellow degenerate gambler and former Central Catholic Viking Joshua Hinkle (who will introduce himself in a bit) along with my roommate Chuck, a Clemson grad who obsesses over college football as much as the rest of us on this site. We also totally re-did the format so it's more interesting and more realistic (because really, this is how we'll be betting the games).

Here are the new rules:

* Each person can bet between $100 & $200 per week. You must pick at least 4 games, which means the max you can bet on a game is $170.
* Bets can be Spread, Moneyline, O/U, Prop Bets--doesn't matter.
* Each person also gets $100 to place on preseason long-term bets of their choice. This will turn into a wild card down the stretch.
* Each pick will have the listed spread, juice (-110, -120, etc), and what site the line came from.

Simple enough, right? We'll track all three of our results in detail each week and crown a champion when the bowl games have completed.

On to the picks! We'll start with Mr. Hinkle. I figured we needed to get him involved because I probably spend more time on the phone with him in the fall discussing the lines than I spend on the phone with my girlfriend.

HINKLE

Guten Tag WNG Readers,

My Name is Joshua L. Hinkle and I am the newest contributor to this already established site. Before I lay out my winning weekend (and yours as well), let me take a few moments to introduce myself.

A. Like Al Bundy, I once scored 4 touchdowns in a game.

B. I have attended more colleges than girls you have kissed.

C. Before this post is complete, chances are I have proposed at least two trades in one of my fantasy leagues.

D. If Notre Dame went 0-12, it would give me great pleasure to watch Billy ride Mattare for the following 300+ days and watch the bar antics that would follow.

Now for the winners

GO BIG OR GO HOME!!!!

...not this weekend. Too many questions out there so it pains me to play this smart and try to feel out a few winners rather than go for a monster lead to start the year off. All spreads came from www.scoresandodds.com.

Game 1: Utah (-3) over Pitt...$27.50 to win $25

Utah has a strong defensive line which will limit the running ability of big time playmaker Dion Lewis. The "Stache" is 2-6 ATS the last 8 September games while the Utes are 27-12-1 ATS in their last 40 non-conference games. Too many questions at QB for Pitt as well in a hostile environment. I will lay the points and look for a big time home opener at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Game 2: Fresno State (-2.5) over Cincinnati...$33 to win $30

Pat Hill has never lost a home opener at Bulldog Stadium. Tons of questions for both teams. I am not sure if anyone has heard, but some guy named Brian Kelly left the helm for the Bearcats to take over the lack luster Notre Dame "Barely Put Up a Fight" Irish.

They only return 6 players on the defensive side of the ball and lose Mardy Gilyard on O. The Bulldogs have some of their own shoes to fill as they lost RB Ryan Matthews to the Orlando Super-Hurlers in the 2010 4th and Inches Dynasty Rookie Draft. Look for the Bulldogs to rise to the challenge and put on a show to start the season 1-0.

Game 3: Boise State (-2) over Virginia Tech...$22 to win $20

Boise State is my favorite team. Every since I spent a summer there I was sold it was a top 10 place to be in the US. The hot dog vendor on Wednesday nights with one arm makes the best possible dogs ever. If it had Yocco's sauce on it, I would move now.

Here is the only thing I need to say about this game. Kellen Moore is 26-1 as a starter and has thrown for over 7,000 yards and 64 TDS. Last year he had the best ratio in the country with 39 TDS to only 3 INTS. He is a coach's kid and will make smart decisions. The Broncos roll 3,000 miles away from the Smurf Turf to start the road to the National Championship!

Game 4: Purdue/Notre Dame (Under 54.5)...$33 to win $30

At first, I was going to take Purdue +11. Then when I began to write why, I decided the smarter bet was the points. We all know what the stadium will be like for the new season under the new coach. The in state rivalry. Both teams finally get to hit someone with a different jersey instead of their brothers like they have been all through camp.

With a new QB under center in South Bend and Coach Kelly looking to start of his campaign with a big W, I think that the nerves will be high which will cause a sloooowww start to the game. I would not be shocked if it was a 10-7, 13-6 kinda game at half. Both teams are going to try to feel each other out before they hit the half so they can come up with solid scheme for the second session. I see the Irish coming out with a 24-17 win.

$100 Budget of Preseason Futures Bets (all from Bodog)
1. Jerrod Johnson (EVEN) > Pass Yds than Gabbert and Jones ($50 to win $50)

2. Kirk Cousins (+150) > Pass Yds than Pryor and Tolzien ($20 to win $30)

3. Dion Lewis (+175) > Rush TDs than Martinek, Devine, Todman, Anderson ($20 to win $35)

4. Kellen Moore (10-1) for Heisman ($10 to win $100)

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CHUCK

My name is Charles Schulz and like Mike Singletary, I want winners!!! Hopefully I have four of them below, but before we get into it let me give you a few bullet points about myself:

1. I bleed Clemson orange.
2. I love college football more than 99% of husbands love their wives.
3. I have a fascination with white skill position players.

Without further ado, here you go (all lines from Sportsbook.com):

Game 1: Minnesota (-2) over MTSU...$100 to win $90.90

Usually you don’t mess with home ‘dogs, but in this case you can’t help but take the Gophers. Adam Weber has 38 starts at quarterback under his belt and it will be interested to see how many touches backup QB/converted receiver MarQueis Gray gets. This guy could be the dynamic playmaker they need to fill the void in production left by Eric Decker. With MTSU’s starting quarterback Dwight Dasher suspended for doing things that would make Doug Gottlieb proud, MTSU simply won’t score enough.

Game 2: Southern Miss/South Carolina (under 45)...$45 to win $40.91

Don’t over-think this one.

Game 3: Hawaii (+21.5) over USC...$20 to win $18.18

You have a three touchdown home underdog and 92% of the public money on USC. What’s not to like about this play? The first game of the Kiffin era will be a USC victory, but Hawaii covers.

Game 4: Navy (-6) over Maryland...$15 to win $13.64

Ricky Dobbs is one of the more underrated signal callers in the nation and should have no problem shredding a Maryland defense that gave up 31 points per game last year. Sorry Ralph, but what is most likely your farewell tour will start off on a low note.

$100 Budget of Preseason Futures Bets (all from Sportsbook)
1. Alabama (6-1) to win BCS National Championship ($50 to win $300)
2. Michael Floyd (-10.5) over Ryan Broyles in Rec Yds ($50 to win $43.48)

- - - - - - - - - -

MIKEY

You know who I am. I crushed Mattare last year and I'll crush him (and Hinkle) again. All lines are from Covers.com.

Game 1: Ohio St. (-28) over Marshall...$55 to win $50

As much as I hate the Buckeyes it's easy to see that they're one of the elite teams in the nation entering the new season. Marshall will be a nice showcase for them to open the season with and display their speed at home before hitting Miami (FL) and the Big Ten schedule. Look for them to shutout the Herd tonight in Columbus.

Game 2: Kentucky (-3) over Louisville...$55 to win $50

I absolutely love opening the season with one of your biggest rivals, it gets your fans going for the season right from Week 1. Kentucky and Louisville will battle it out on the field while their fans compete against each other in beer pong, flip cup, boat races and, as the evening progresses, ro-sham-bo. I know plenty of UK fans and if they're any indication the Wildcats will be victorious in the parking lot and might even win the football game too.

Game 3: Temple (-6) over Villanova...$22 to win $20

I picked this game because I wish college basketball was starting too. Does the Big 5 rivalry transfer to football in Philly? I doubt it but Temple football has a ton of pride and will squash the Wildcats, HOOOOOOT!

Game 4: Boise St. vs. Va Tech (Under 50)...$22 to win $20

This is definitely the best game of opening weekend so it's hard to ignore from a gambling standpoint. Couldn't decide on which side to pick so I'm taking the easy way out and picking the under of the total. I'm hoping both teams will be a little nervous with their high preseason expectations and come out playing conservatively for most of the game. Either way I can't wait to watch it, should be a good one.

$100 Budget of Preseason Futures Bets

1. North Carolina (+500) to win ACC $25 to win $125

2. Andrew Luck (+1800) to win the Heisman $25 to win $450

3. Iowa under 8.5 wins (+170) $25 to win $42.50

4. USC under 9.5 wins (+110) $25 to win $27.50

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MATTARE

No introduction needed--other than a declaration that I'm planning on paying for my football expenditures with my gambling winnings this fall. No pressure or anything. Like Hinkle I don't see a reason to go crazy this weekend. There aren't many appealing games so we'll stick with a conservative approach.

Game 1: Utah (-3) over Pitt...$27.50 to win $25 (ScoresandOdds)

Schools like Utah LIVE for opportunities like this. Rarely do they get to host any major non-conference games so each time a team like Pitt--who many think are a legitimate BCS contender--comes to town it's like the "Game of the Century" (ex: how Boise State saw their game against Oregon last season). Utah has hosted four BCS conference schools since Whittingham took over in '05: Arizona ('05), UCLA ('07), Oregon St ('08), Louisville ('09). They're 4-0 in those games--including a 44-6 thumping of then #11 UCLA. Combine that with the fact that the Utes are 25-5 under Whittingham at home and my belief that Wannstadt is a fraud and you get the Utes covering.

Game 2: UConn (+130 - Moneyline) over Michigan...$23.10 to win $30 (Sports Interaction)

Michigan is a house of cards ready to fall. UConn is an experienced team (16 returning starters) that has proved it could win against a big name on the road when it knocked off ND last November (hold on while I throw my desk lamp across the room).

The Huskies have a hard-nosed running game led by Jordan Todman (1188yds, 14 TD's) and while QB Zach Frazer isn't a superstar, he can exploit a shaky secondary--which is exactly what Michigan has. This is a bit of a risky pick, but I have a feeling we're about to witness the (official) beginning of the end of Rich Rod's tenure in Ann Arbor.

Game 3: South Carolina/Southern Miss (Under 45.5)...$27.50 to win $25 (Mirage Casino)

The terrible, terrible, terrible game that the Gamecocks played on opening night against NC State is still fresh in my mind. South Carolina could be a sneaky team this year--they've got seven starters back from a stingy defense, nine starters back on offense (including an experienced quarterback--though he may be Chris Rix: Volume II), and a new stud freshman running back (Marcus Lattimore).

Southern Miss returns nine starters on defense but must replace eight on offense. The 'Cocks smother the Golden Eagles and don't score enough to push it to the over (and here's a fun bonus fact: there haven't been 46 combined points scored in any of Spurrier's openers at SC).

Game 4: Ohio State (-28) over Marshall...$27.50 to win $25 (Mirage Casino)

I hate picking games with big spreads like this, but the Bucks are going to absolutely squash Marshall. It's a night game in Columbus which will have the team jacked up and focused. The Herd is going to have no answer for Pryor, whose Heisman campaign officially launches in full force Thursday night.

$100 Budget of Preseason Futures Bets (all from Bodog)
1. Pryor (4-1) for Heisman ($25 to win $100)
2. Toddman (+200) > rush yds than Lewis, Devine, Martinek, and Anderson ($25 to win $50)
3. Devine (12-1) for Heisman ($10 to win $120)
4. Oklahoma (15-2) for National Champ ($20 to win $150)
5. UConn (7-2) for Big East Champ ($10 to win $35)
6. Arizona (7-1) for Pac-10 Champ ($10 to win $70)

Big 10 Divisions Announced

The Big Ten conference revealed their division alignments today. You can watch the Big Ten Networks coverage of it above. Here are the things you need to know about the decision:

Conference Layout
--------------

Division A (no names yet)
Illinois
Indiana
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Wisconsin

Division B
Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Nebraska
Minnesota
Northwestern

No real knee-jerk reactions to this set up. They did the right thing in making sure Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan and Nebraska were split two and two. Putting three of those programs in one division would upset the competitive balance (Michigan has to be good again eventually, right?) The next "tier" in the conference has always been Wisky and Iowa, both are strong programs but not quite as nationally recognized as the top four, and I liked to see that they were separated as well. At first glance one would have to say that Division A is going to be stronger in the immediate future as Wisconsin is primed for a conference championship run and Michigan is still sitting on the Rod. Delany also confirmed that the name of the conference will remain the "Big Ten" despite having 12 teams and that they will reveal a new logo in the near future.

Scheduling
--------------

*8 conference games per season, with one bye week.

*Each team plays everyone in their division every season

*Each team has one protected crossover from the other division that they will play every year

*Two teams from the other division will be on your schedule for two years at a time, and then rotate out. This is the only inconsistent aspect of the scheduling. After accounting for the protected crossover game, there are five conference opponents in the opposite division that need to rotate in and out of the schedule. Meaning that after a team is on your schedule for two years, they will be off the schedule for two or FOUR years depending on how the rotation is set up. More on this later.

*Michigan vs. Ohio State will still be the last regular season game for the next two years.

Protected Crossovers
--------------

"Protected crossover" meaning each team has one team from the opposite division that they play every year.

Ohio State - Michigan
Everyone knew this was going to happen, this a move they had to make otherwise Michigan and Ohio State fans might have actually united to protest the move. Gross, no one wants to see that. For now, Ohio State is in a great position because they get to keep their coveted rivalry on their coveted weekend, but they also get to keep winning it.

Penn State - Nebraska
This is what I wanted. Penn State really doesn't have a true rival in the conference, and this one won't feel like a rivalry at first but if it proves to be competitive maybe we can drum up the "two newest members" angle? If not, there's always this, or this. Either way it's bound to be a good game more often than not and I'm already looking for an excuse to get out to Lincoln one year...

Wisconsin - Minnesota
This was another must have. The oldest and most played rivalry in college football and Minnesota actually seems to be turning their program around. We know it as the "Battle for Paul Bunyon's Axe" but they used to play for the "Slab of Bacon" which was actually a piece of wood with a carved "W" or "M" on it, depending on how you hung it. It was lost in the 1940s and found in a Wisconsin storage room in the 1990s. Wisconsin now has it in a glass case despite losing the series to Minny 11-3. Barry, put away the Axe and bring back the Bacon, fantastic trophy.

Illinois - Northwestern
No more "Sweet Sioux Tomahawk", as of last year they are playing for the "Land of Lincoln" trophy after the NCAA banned all Native American imagery from college athletics. Unless Illinois gets rid of Ron Zook I see this matchup heavily favoring Northwestern. Pat Fitzgerald is really starting something up there. Interesting side note: I recently read that if Penn State were to go outside the program for Joe's replacement, Fitzgerald is someone they would consider. Go Tom Bradley.

Indiana - Michigan State
Did anyone know this was a trophy game. No? Well here it is:

Now go ahead and forget all over again...

Purdue - Iowa
Attention Iowans! Let's let bygones be bygones, you have my sympathy. While this is a matchup you should be able to win consistently, you were part of a solid three way rivalry between Wisconsin and Minnesota that has just been disrupted. As the extreme northwest of the old Big 10, these three border rivals were able to maintain a competitive balance for over 100 years, and that is something that I am sad to see go. Not to mention with Minnesota's new TCF Bank stadium we were poised for some outstanding cold weather in future Novembers. There will be periods of four years when the Hawkeyes will not play Wisconsin. To me that's the biggest injustice with the new divisions.

--------------

I like the divisions and I think that Penn State landed in the right spot. If there was one team I wanted to play every year it was the Buckeyes because although we'll never enter Michigan's circle of hell in their eyes, they are our only border state and now they won't be able to share conference championships with us after we beat them head to head. The conference has definitely gotten stronger with the addition of Nebraska and we should be hearing less Big Ten bashing now that the road to a Big Ten championship becomes much more difficult with the addition of a conference championship game. Anytime you have to see less of this you know it's been a successful offseason:

ROBERT BOLDEN NAMED STARTER

Look at how he leads with that elbow! Penn State, we have ourselves a quarterback. Robert Bolden will take the first snap on opening day, which actually makes my prediction last week a little conservative. The rumors built and built surrounding Bolden but I think most Nittany Lion fans were like myself: cautiously hopeful. Joe wouldn't really start a true freshman right off the bat would he? The circumstances were just right this time, and yes he f'in did. I think this is a decision that Joe was actively involved with. His biggest role these days is making personnel decisions, he has infinite knowledge of the position, and he played quarterback at Brown and although the position has evolved since he did play, it's nothing he hasn't witnessed while roaming the sidelines.

My buddy Ross - lifetime Penn State fan - just called to ask if I had read the news, "He's gonna start against Alabama and we're going to win 67-0, and he's going to throw for 25 touchdowns this year and only 7 interceptions."

Mark it.

ROCKNE

THREE DAYS