I feel bad for saying this, and know I'm jinxing it, but - I see them running through this schedule until USC. I know there are difficult games in there, but, well...
Michigan will be better than they were. That's true and I acknowledge it. Henne a year older, Hart playing, the "new wrinkles" in the playcalling. But Quinn will not play the kind of game he played against them last year. I just see that being a 14 point win, and not too dramatic.
MSU is toast. There's no way Weis is not ready for that team, after what they did and what a similar style QB did to his D in the Fiesta. I see that game being just a violent blowout, similar to many MSU had last year once they fell dead. If not that, it would be a shootout, and ND has more bullets. In a shootout, just remember what happened last year once ND woke up. And if MSU is banking on Quinn throwing a pick six again, or Schwapp being given a carry on the 1 and fumbling it, they're in for a long day.
Penn State is a mystery to me, but they lost a lot, and any team with a new QB on the road early in the season, against a top 5 team, is in trouble.
Ga Tech is somewhat schizophrenic, but I have faith that Weis knows what to do to not get the Miami treatment against their D. I'm not afraid of their offense, which, though talented, didn't put up numbers. Look at their stud wideout's stats from last year and you'll notice they can't get the ball to him. That's reassuring.
That leaves USC. I don't know. They could go either way. I'm picking 12 wins, because I think the Irish will be better than USC, even at the end of the season. It's entirely possible that USC could pull an Oklahoma, albeit w/ a slightly less precipitous fall. Or they could fire on all cylinders from right out the gate. Who knows? Either way, ND will be as good, and confident, and they'll have a shot. If the game means a lot, ie if ND is unbeaten, I think they win the game. That's the benefit of a four year starter at QB and a genius coach.
