If you’ve made it to the top of the food chain at either Notre Dame or Stanford, you’re probably very good at life! But on the football field, one school is a 2010 big shooter; the other one…not so much.
On one side of the ball, it’s strength versus strength.The Cardinal bring the nation’s best pass defense (yielding just 90 yards a game) to face the 8th best passing attack in the nation.
On the other side, the Irish come in ranked 99th in run defense, 102nd in total defense and 105th in turnover margin. And they’ll try to improve those numbers against a team that hung 68 points on Wake Forest last week, despite playing their starters for just two quarters. Of course, they routed an ACC team, and that conference is to good football what Miley Cyrus is to sophisticated musical composition.
People still keep watching both, even though no one understands why.
The Irish defense stopping somebody is like a Borat skit without anti-Semitic material,ย you just don’t see it. And now they welcome in Stanford QB Andrew Luck, the likely 2011 #1 overall NFL Draft pick. Yep, sounds like a “Staturday” to me.
By Paul M. Banks
Throughout the season, Iโll be bringing you these informative yet blunt game previews of every contest I cover (and a second game that week that interests me); with a heavy focus on my three โhome teamsโ Northwestern, Illinois, Notre Dame, and the Big Ten in general.
Stanford Synopsis: Itโs hard to decide whatโs better about Stanford Quarterback Andrew Luck as a NFL prospect, possibly the #1 NFL Draft prospect,- his strong arm, excellent read-and-recognitions, quickness and mobility, poise and intelligence on the field or his excellent standing off of it.
In preparation for his match-up with Luck and his Stanford teammates this week, Notre Dame Coach Brian Kelly discussed what impresses him most about the redshirt quarterback.
โHe was hitting the wide field, go route, intermediate, and the thing that really got my attention is his ability to run. I think he had a 50 something yard run for a touchdown. So his ability, his escapability, I didnโt know what it was. I now know what it is. The guy is extremely athletic, as well, and he can run. So he brings a big dimension to the table and not just throwing the football,โ Kelly said.
The Cardinal are loaded with NFL level talent on the offensive side of the ball. If Oregon somehow sneaks into the BCS title game, and the Pac-10 gets two teams into a BCS bowl, then Stanford is looking like a Rose Bowl rep.
Notre Dame Synopsis: The Irish offense is starting to fire on all cylinders now, QB Dayne Crist has put up numbers through his first three starts more impressive than what the biggest names (Montana, Theisman, Clausen, Powlus, Quinn) in ND QB lore did in their first three games.
And with Theo Riddick’s huge game, Kelly is finally getting that much needed production out of the Z-receiver position in his spread-option. Since Golden Tate left, the Irish have had questions about who would step into that slot receiver role and get it done.
Unfortunately, they haven’t been able to stop anybody. And if they drop this one Saturday and fall to 1-3, the road to 7-5 and a bowl game looks much less attainable. The Irish still have to face two ranked teams in Utah and USC, another one receiving votes in Pittsburgh, and even beating Navy has been an issue in recent years.
Guys youโll see Saturday eventually playing on Sundays: Michael Floyd could be a first rounder, Manti Teโo looks like a 2012 first rounder, and ND tight end Kyle Rudolph, should also be in โthe shieldโ one day. DE Kapron Lewis-Moore and NG Ian Williams have potential too. Possibly Robert Hughes who for NFL teams seeking a fullback. We’ll talk about Theo Riddick in 2011.
On the Cardinal, obviously it all starts with Luck. After him, there’s WR Ryan Whalen, FB Owen Marecic, TE Konrad Reuland and C Chase Beeler.
Prediction to be taken with a grain of salt (actually make that a whole truckload of salt):
Stanford 38, Notre Dame 24 (Banksโ record 4-2)
Here we go- Luck vs. Luck of the Irish, the “Ty Willingham Bowl.” Both of my losses this season came from picking ND, lesson learned!
Written by Paul M. Banks, President and CEO of The Sports Bank.net , a Midwest focused webzine. He is also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, the Chicago Tribuneโs blog network, Walter Football.com, the Washington Times Communities, Yardbarker Network, and Fox Sports.com
You can follow him on Twitter @thesportsbank and @bigtenguru
