Notre Dame Football 2008Issue 3: Michigan State

Michigan State Rush Offense vs. Notre Dame Rush Defense

Irish fans are very familiar with the name 23 Javon Ringer by now. The senior has been a workhorse for the Spartans so far, with 104 carries in just three games. Ringer is averaging 34-35 carries, 166 yards, and 3 touchdowns per game. That's right - Ringer is averaging three scores per game.

Few other Michigan State players have gotten carries so far this year. 27 Andre Anderson is the backup tailback, averaging 4-5 carries and 24 yards per game. Freshman wide receiver 82 Keshawn Martin has three carries in as many games. Quarterback 7 Brian Hoyer is not a scrambler; Hoyer has just 7 rushes for -11 yards this year.

Notre Dame fans are growing concerned that safties Kyle McCarthy and David Bruton are far and away leading the team in tackles, with 24 and 20 respectively. Inside linebackers Maurice Crum and Brian Smith are the only other Irish players to reach double digits in tackles, with 11 and 10 respectively.

Justin Brown leads defensive linemen with 4 tackles, 2 for a loss. Those four tackles equal the production of fellow linemen Pat Kuntz, Ian Williams, and Morrice Richardson. After two games against spread offenses, the front seven will look to get back on track against Michigan State's more traditional pro-style look. How much the Irish can contain Ringer, however, remains to be seen.

Notre Dame Rush Offense vs. Michigan State Rush Defense

Speaking of back on track, Notre Dame was at least able to start their running game in the right direction against Michigan. Many people were surprised that Robert Hughes "only" had 79 yards in that game. Hughes is now averaging 18 carries and 66 yards per game. He also has both Irish touchdowns on the ground. Armando Allen and James Aldridge are both averaging 9 carries per game. Allen is averaging 31.5 yards per game; Aldrige, 28.

Michigan State's strength on defense has been its linebacking corps. 43 Eric Gordon leads the team with 19 tackles, while 55 Adam Decker and 53 Greg Jones are right behind with 17 each. Jones leads the team with 3.5 tackles for a loss, while Gordon and Decker have 2.5 and 1.5 respectively.

Michigan State Pass Offense vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense

Returning starter Brian Hoyer has been less than impressive so far for the Spartans. An average day for Hoyer in 2008 consists of completing only 11 of 25 passes for 186 yards. Hoyer has only one touchdown to two interceptions on the season.

Hoyer's favorite targets have been his wideouts, 2 Mark Dell and 3 BJ Cunningham. Dell is the star, averaging over 4 catches and 106 yards per game. He was on the receiving end of Hoyer's lone TD pass. Cunningham is averaging 2-3 catches and 46 yards per game.

Four other Spartans have multiple receptions on the year - wide receiver 25 Blair White, tight end 83 Charlie Gantt, Javon Ringer, and fullback 45 Andrew Hawken. So look for Hoyer to focus primarily on his top two receivers, but don't forget anyone else on the field.

It will be interesting to see how MSU plays the Irish defense. Notre Dame, thought to have a strong secondary, is giving up over 250 yards per game in the air this season. However, those numbers are tainted by San Diego State's pass-happy attack and Michigan's need to play catchup. Still, with Hoyer's inefficiency and Notre Dame's unproven front seven, the Spartans may choose to simply pound the ball over and over again with Ringer, as they have done all season to this point.

The Irish still have only one sack to their credit, recorded by Maurice Crum against the Aztecs. Kerry Neal, David Bruton, and Gary Gray each have an interception this season.

Notre Dame Pass Offense vs. Michigan State Pass Defense

Jimmy Clausen has mixed short, accurate passes with a number of fades and go routes this year. An average day for Clausen means completing 15 of 27 passes for 192 yards. Jimmy has five touchdowns and four picks on the year.

Golden Tate is developing into Clausen's favorite receiver. Tate is averaging five catches and 110 yards per game. He also leads the team with two receiving touchdowns. David Grimes is next with three catches and 19 yards per game. Robert Hughes has been the top option out of the backfield, averaging four catches and 14.5 yards per game. Michael Floyd, Armando Allen, and Duval Kamara also have multiple catches on the season.

Tackle 97 Justin Kershaw leads the Spartans with 1.5 sacks, while ends 58 Trevor Anderson and 89 Colin Neely have 1.0 and 0.5, respectively. Talented safety 21 Otis Wiley has each of the team's two interceptions.

Special Teams

14 Brett Swenson is in his third year as Michigan State's placekicker. This season he missed from 39 yards, but made from 34 and 22. For the Irish, Brandon Walker has still only had one field goal attempt this season - a miss from 47 yards.

Sophomore 18 Aaron Bates is back for his second year as MSU's punter. Bates is averaging 39.7 yards per kick with a long of 54. He's also had a punt blocked this year. For the Irish, Eric Maust is averaging a steady 42 yards per punt with a long of 52.

Javon Ringer has been Michigan State's top kick returner. He's run back 8 kicks and has a 22.2 yard average, with a long of 33 yards. Ryan Burkhart is averaging 60.8 yards per kickoff for the Irish. Couple that with an astounding 11.9 yard return average given up by Notre Dame, and opponents are getting an average start on the 21. Again, that's one more yard than a touchback, in exchange for the joy of watching Mike Anello sprint to the ballcarrier.

Armando Allen and Golden Tate are sharing kick return responsibility for Notre Dame. Allen is averaging 15.3 yards per return, and Tate 21.5. 15 Todd Boleski is in his fourth year as MSU's kickoff specialist, a job he's definitely earned. Boleksi is averaging 65.4 yards per kick, and 4 of his 17 kicks have been touchbacks. The Spartans give up 21.8 yards per kick return, starting opponents at the 25 yard line on average.

Otis Wiley is Michigan State's punt returner. He's averaging a very good 14.5 yards per return, with a 78 yard run that was somehow not a touchdown. Armando Allen returns punts for the Irish. He's averaging 14.7 yards per return with a long of 22.

Notre Dame Players to Watch

Golden Tate, Pat Kuntz, David Bruton, and Mike Anello

Prediction

Notre Dame 28, Michigan State 24

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Notre Dame Football 2008Issue 2: Michigan

Michigan Rush Offense vs. Notre Dame Rush Defense

Michigan is running the spread option, but they've yet to set the world on fire with it. With the spread, you expect to see many people running the ball, and here's how Michigan's 60 rushing attempts have broken down so far:

• 34 running back (57 percent)
• 14 quarterback non-sacks (23 percent)
• 5 wide receiver (8 percent)
• 3 sacks (5 percent)
• 3 team (5 percent)
• 1 fullback (2 percent)

Of the running back attempts, freshman 2 Sam McGuffie has been far and away the go-to guy with 25, or 12.5 per game. He's averaging 41 yards per game and 3.3 yards per carry. Returning upperclassmen 4 Brandon Minor and 24 Kevin Grady also have multiple carries. Minor is averaging 2.5 carries and 18 yards per game, and 7.2 yards per carry. In Grady's lone game he carried three times for six yards.

10 Steven Threet has seen slightly more playing time than 8 Nick Sheridan at quarterback, and Threet has a 13 to 6 advantage in yards per game, as well as a 2.6 to 1.7 edge in yards per carry. 20 Michael Shaw has made four of the five wide receiver rushing attempts. He's averaging two carries and 23 yards per game, or 11.5 yards per carry. I would assume that Shaws' carries come on end-arounds (including option plays) or plays where he is first motioned into the backfield. His 46 rushing yards make him second on the team to McGuffie in that category. McGuffie, Minor, and Threet each have one of the team's three rushing touchdowns on the year.

It will be interesting to see how the Notre Dame defense stacks up against the Michigan ground game. The four Irish safeties - Kyle McCarthy, David Bruton, Sergio Brown, and Harrison Smith all had good games against San Diego State. With Michigan's shaky passing game, any of the four can come up in run support. However, while they may have a size advantage on the smaller McGuffie and Shaw, they will need help against the larger Minor, Grady, Threet, and Sheridan.

That's where the defensive line comes in. The line was virtually nonexistent on the stat sheet last week, but that was largely due to San Diego State's playcalling - shotgun snaps, quick throws, and runs outside the tackles. This week will be the first true test of Notre Dame's defensive line.

The safeties and line will also need help from the outside linebackers and defensive ends. No doubt Michigan will be using outside runs and misdirection, and the outside men on the Irish front seven will need to stay disciplined and keep containment to counter.

Notre Dame Rush Offense vs. Michigan Rush Defense

Many Notre Dame fans were upset that the first attempt at a new "pound the ball" offense meant a 50/50 run/pass mix and barely over 100 yards rushing against a poor run defense. The Irish had a pretty vanilla game plan on the ground, with no runs by any position other than tailback. Armando Allen had 17 carries for 59 yards, or 3.5 yards per carry. Robert Hughes had 16 for 58, or 3.4 per. Some things to watch this weekend: Will James Aldridge work his way back into the rotation? Who gets the ball on short yardage, Hughes, Aldridge, or even Asaph Schwapp or Jimmy Clausen? Will Notre Dame pull a page from Michigan's playbook and run Golden Tate or another receiver on an end-around?

Michigan returns a majority of their defense from last year, and once again they are stout against the run. It's a small sample size, but the Wolverines are giving up only 41 yards per game on the ground this year. Defensive end 55 Brandon Graham leads the team with 5.5 tackles for a loss, and fellow linemen 90 Tim Jamison (end), 97 Will Johnson, and 67 Terrance Taylor have combined for five more.

Michigan Pass Offense vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense

Despite running what most consider a run-oriented offense, Michigan has passed (56 times) almost as much as it has run (60 times) this year. Plus, those rushing numbers include three sacks and three "team" rushes, which I assume were fumbled snaps. However, despite the balanced attack, Michigan hasn't had much success with the pass. Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan have shared time at quarterback so far. Sheridan has been the more accurate passer, completing 62.5 percent of his attempts. Threet has completed only 43.8 percent of his passes, but all indications say that he will begin to get the edge in playing time.

To this point, Threet's average day consisted of completing 7 of 16 passes for 66 yards. Sheridan's average is 7-8 completions on 12 attempts for 69 yards. Both have a touchdown pass on the season, and Sheridan has one interception while Threet has none.

Notre Dame's vaunted new blitz attack only netted one sack last week, but there are a variety of possible reasons for that. Maybe it was San Diego State's gameplan to get the pass of quickly. Maybe it was the Irish not wanting to show their hand to Michigan. Or maybe they just haven't gotten the hang of things yet. Despite playing a soft zone to begin the game, however, Notre Dame did end up with eight pass breakups, two along the line (both by John Ryan) six in the secondary.

Notre Dame Pass Offense vs. Michigan Pass Defense

Jimmy Clausen played like a sophomore last week - he still made plenty of freshman mistakes, but he also showed the confidence of someone with a few starts already under his belt. One thing's for sure, though - scrambling 20 yards back, video game-style sure won't work against Michigan's defense.

When all was said and done, Clausen completed 21 of 34 passes (62 percent) to eight different receivers. Golden Tate and David Grimes were the top targets. Tate had six catches for 93 yards and a touchdown, while Grimes had five for 35 and a score. Robert Hughes and Armando Allen were each used three times out of the backfield, and tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Will Yeatman each had a catch. Michael Floyd made a splashing debut with a 22-yard touchdown catch.

Duval Kamara had a day to forget. Balls thrown to him resulted in one catch for the Irish and two for the opposition. To add injury to insult, Kamara also left for part of the game with what appeared to be leg cramps. That allowed Tate to step up and make his mark on the game.

Michigan likes to get pressure from their front four. The four linemen mentioned above - Graham, Jamison, Johnson, and Taylor - lead the team with two sacks each. Linebacker 45 Obi Ezeh has the team's loan interception, while safety 27 Brandon Harrison leads the club with three pass breakups.

Special Teams

84 KC Lopata returns as Michigan's place kicker this year. So far he's made 2 of 3 field goal attempts. All his attempts have been from 40+ yards, and his longest make is from 50. Brandon Walker was only able to get one field goal attempt off last week. It was wide right from 47 yards, but at least it had enough leg on it.

Strong-legged punter 41 Zoltan Mesko is back for the Wolverines. So far he is averaging 41.6 yards per kick with a long if 56. Three of his 14 punts have been fair caught. Eric Maust averaged 39.5 yards per punt last week, with a long of 50.

Michigan's kick return duties have been shared by Brandon Harrison, Michael Shaw, cornerback 33 Boubacar Cissoko, and wide receiver 22 Darryl Stonum. Cissoko and Harrison are the only two with multiple returns, and each are averaging 27 yards per runback. Ryan Burkhart is averaging 60.5 yards per kickoff for the Irish. Couple that with a spectacular 12.5 return average given up by Notre Dame, and opponents are getting an average start on the 22. That's basically the same as a touchback, plus we get the joy of watching Mike Anello sprint down the field and drag a guy to the ground like his life depended on it.

Armando Allen and Golden Tate again will be back deep for the Irish on kickoffs. Allen is averaging 29 yards per return. Tate had one return last week for 28 yards. 43 Bryan Wright is Michigan's kickoff specialist. He is averaging 66.5 yards per kick, but surprisingly has yet to get a touchback. Michigan's kick coverage team is surrendering 20.1 yards per return, giving opponents an average start on the 23 or 24 yard line.

Starting cornerback 6 Donovan Warren is Michigan's punt returner. He's averaging a pedestrian 3.7 yards per return with a long of 17. Armando Allen returns punts for the Irish. He's averaging 17.5 yards per return with a long of 22. Allen does seem to let balls drop that he possibly should fair catch, but I'm sure most Irish fans would prefer that to an attempted fair catch that turned into a fumble.

Notre Dame Players to Watch

Jimmy Clausen, Duval Kamara, Kyle McCarthy, and Mike Anello

Prediction

Notre Dame 18, Michigan 16

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That's... Oddly Appropriate

Editor's Note: To see my wrapup of the San Diego State game, click here.

Weekly Cleveland Indians Lineup Analysis

Once again, this is the weekly series where I plan take the top 9 Indians in terms of OPS and feed them into Dave Pinto's Lineup Analysis Tool to determine the theoretical ideal batting lineup.

This Week's Results
Click Here

This Week's Ideal Lineup
Fasano
Choo
Martinez
Shoppach
Sizemore
Peralta
Francisco
Dellucci
Carroll

Changes From Last Week
Victor Martinez replaces Ryan Garko. Shin-Soo Choo has passed Grady Sizemore in both on base and slugging percentage and moves into the second spot in the lineup (normally reserved for the best overall hitter in this formula).

Theoretical Runs Per Game
5.358, down 0.009 from last week. That's basically a push, but continues a slight downward trend over the past few weeks.

Theoretical Improvement
The Indians are currently scoring 4.851 runs per game. That's an improvement of 0.507 runs per game, which in turn leads to 82 runs over the course of the season, or 8.2 more wins. That's theoretically enough to be tied with the Twins right now, looking up at Chicago in the division and Boston in the wild card.

Defensive Plausibility
Once again Sal Fasano mans the hot corner, and Martinez comes in to play first.

Fan Believability
Nope, none at all.

My Take
The lineup makes good sense in terms of Dave Pinto's formula. Fasano and Jamey Carroll have a good OBP but little else. Choo is the best overall hitter right now, followed by Sizemore. That's what the two and five spots are for. Kelly Shoppach is a masher who doesn't hit for high average, and therefore is hitting leadoff. Six and seven are you best remaining hitters, Jhonny Peralta and Ben Francisco. Three and eight are your weakest hitters (to space out your outs), Martinez and David Dellucci. Of course, Martinez' numbers are obviously tainted by his early-season performance.

Random Indians Thought of the Week
College football has started, and I'm starting to put most of my blogging time and attention into that. Let me know if you'd like me to continue doing the Indians lineup analysis for the rest of the season.

Notre Dame 21, San Diego State 13

Quarterback: Jimmy Clausen is still only a sophomore, and one whose development was stunted last year by injury and lack of protection. Early in the game, Clausen looked more like a backyard quarterback than a college quarterback, locking in on one receiver and directing him into space while himself scrambling farther and farther back. But when it counted, Clausen stepped up and figured things out. The quarterback had completed only 50 percent of his passes at halftime. But due to a solid second half performance, Clausen finished with a completion rate just under 62 percent (21 of 34). Clausen did have two interceptions. But the first bounced off of Duval Kamara's shoulder pads and the second off of his fingertips. Clausen deserves most of the blame for the latter, but not the former.

Running Back: Armando Allen and Robert Hughes each had over 50 yards rushing and about a 3.5 yards per carry average. That's nice against a tough defense, but not against a poor rushing defense with three linemen out. Maybe the Aztecs were just flooding the box and forcing Clausen to beat them. Hughes and Allen each had three catches, Hughes for 32 yards and Allen for 18. James Aldridge did not see the field in this one. According to Coach Weis, the offense wasn't on the field enough in the first half for Aldridge to get his reps, and in the second half the Irish went into their hurry-up offense, which does not include Aldridge. That could be an indicator of things to come for the running back rotation.

Receiver: Golden Tate has added at least three new patterns to his repertoire - the comeback, the slant, and the "scramble around while Jimmy Clausen does the same." While Tate didn't have much success with that last route, he did do well with the first two. Filling in for a cramped and struggling Duval Kamara, Tate became the offensive star for the Irish, picking up 93 yards and a touchdown on six catches. Tate caught the ball in space, in traffic, you name it. Kamara didn't fare nearly as well, dropping more passes than he caught (one). David Grimes added five catches for 35 yards and a touchdown. Interestingly enough, it was the 5'10" Grimes, not the 6'5" Kamara, 6'3" Michael Floyd, or even the 6'2" Robby Parris who was called on to catch a fade pass in the end zone late in the game. Floyd did start his Irish career off with a bang, catching a 22-yard touchdown for the first score of the season. Parris, meanwhile, didn't see the field in this game.

Tight End: Kyle Rudolph caught a pass for five yards in his Notre Dame debut. Will Yeatman, primarily used as the blocking tight end, added a catch for four yards. With the lack of depth at tight end, the passing game is turning its attention to the backs and receivers.

Offensive Line: Jimmy Clausen was never sacked, but it took a few ill-advised Houdini acts for that to happen. And against a poor rushing defense, the Irish were only able to gain 122 yards, 3.1 per carry.

Defensive Line: The defensive line combined for three tackles in this one, and that's only if you count John Ryan as a defensive end instead of an outside linebacker, as he's listed on the depth chart. Ryan, Ethan Johnson, and Morrice Richardson had one tackle each, and Ryan had a mitt on two passes - one that went to Kerry Neal as an interception. Johnson was making his Notre Dame debut. Hopefully the poor output by this unit was due to the fact that San Diego State didn't run the ball much.

Linebacker: Let's hope that John Tenuta was playing his cards close to his chest in preparation for the upcoming Michigan game. The much-anticipated blitzing schemes accounted for only four quarterback hits (QBH) and one sack, recorded by an untouched Maurice Crum. Crum also had six tackles, while Brian Smith contributed four tackles and a QBH from his new inside position. Harrison Smith and Kerry Neal each had three tackles, while Neal added a QBH and an interception. Darius Fleming debuted with a single tackle. Also, mild kudos to the coaching staff for making the halftime adjustment to actually cover the Aztecs running back out of the backfield on pass plays.

Safety: If you count Harrison Smith and Sergio Brown - who played a majority of the game as the nickel back - as safeties, the unit recorded 33 of the team's 56 tackles. Kyle McCarthy flew under the radar in this game, recording 14 tackles, twice as much as the next Notre Dame defender - David Bruton with seven. Bruton also had a pass breakup and the key forced fumble and recovery. Sergio Brown may have played his way into another start with six tackles, one for a loss, two pass breakups, and a quarterback hit.

Cornerback: San Diego State passed for 274 yards, and that number would have been well over 300 if it wasn't for a number of drops. Notre Dame played a maddeningly soft zone to start the game, and while their man coverage wasn't spectacular later in the game, it was an improvement. Terrail Lambert had six tackles and two pass breakups. Raeshon McNeil, somewhat surprisingly, had one pass breakup but no tackles.

Kicker: Brandon Walker missed a 47-yard field goal wide right, but on a positive note he had more than enough distance on it. A second field goal attempt was thwarted by a botched hold. Ryan Burkhart averaged 60.5 yards per kickoff, giving the Aztecs returner an average start of the 9.5 yard line. But some of those kicks were intentionally short directional line drives meant to prevent long returns.

Punter: Eric Maust may not win any awards, but he had a decent day. Maust averaged 39.8 yards per punt with a long of 50 yards.

Kick Returner: Armando Allen had two returns for 46 yards, with a long of 29. Golden Tate had one 28-yard return.

Punt Returner: Armando Allen had two punt returns, one of 13 yards and one of 22. The second one had a few nice cutbacks, but not every team will be beat by those kinds of tricks.

Special Teams: Mike Anello was playing with a new number (37), but the same heart. Anello was almost always the first man down the field on kicks and punts, and as often as his name was called, it's amazing that he only had two tackles on the day.

Notre Dame Football 2008Issue 1: San Diego State

San Diego State Rush Offense vs. Notre Dame Rush Defense

SDSU lost their top passer and rusher when QB Kevin O'Connell graduated. Against Cal Poly in week one, the Aztecs passed twice as much as they ran, with only 23 recorded rushes - two of those being sacks. Running back and new starter 23 Brandon Sullivan had the bulk of the carries - 15 - and finished with 43 yards, for a 2.9 average. Small (5'9", 180 lb) freshman 30 Davon Brown added one carry for 2 yards. WR 3 Mekell Wesley had one rush for -2 yards, but without seeing the game I couldn't tell you wether that was an end-around or a backwards pass. Quarterback 14 Ryan Lindley had four non-sack rushing attempts for -2 yards.

Notre Dame will have a variety of looks along their front seven this year. Their biggest set features 94 Justin Brown, 95 Ian Williams, and 96 Pat Kuntz along the line and 41 Scott Smith and 90 John Ryan at outside linebacker, although most expect the Irish to shift to a 4-3 look with Ryan in. Notre Dame has lost their top two tacklers from last year (Trevor Laws and Joe Brockington). But the above front seven, including inside linebackers 40 Maurice Crum and 59 Brian Smith, did combine for 21 tackles for a loss last year. Safety 27 David Bruton was also a force in run support, picking up 4.5 TFL in 2007.

Notre Dame Rush Offense vs. San Diego State Rush Defense

Notre Dame had a very poor 2.1 yard per carry average last year. But that number was brought down by numerous sacks and poor years from players who won't be back in 2008. The three main returners - 34 James Aldridge, 5 Armando Allen, and 33 Robert Hughes, all put up solid numbers. Aldridge averaged 3.8 yards per carry, Allen 4.0, and Hughes 5.5. Notre Dame plans to run the ball more this year, and they have the horses to do it. One thing to watch this season is Aldridge's quest for his first rushing touchdown. Aldridge and Hughes are both considered power backs, but who will be the goal line back? Aldridge has the experience, which is always a plus, but Hughes had four of the team's 11 rushing scores last year. Armando Allen is also looking for his first career rushing touchdown; he did have one receiving TD last year.

Cal Poly ran all over the Aztecs in week one, netting 263 yards on 51 carries - a 5.2 average. Defensive end 90 BJ Williams led Aztec tacklers with 9 against Poly. Williams had 45 tackles, 4.0 for a loss, in 2007. 56 Jonathan Soto, who plays next to Williams on the line, had 8 tackles against Cal Poly, 2.0 for a loss. Linebacker 35 Luke Laolagi and lineman/Ohio State transfer 98 Ryan WIlliams added 7 tackles apiece.

San Diego State Pass Offense vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense

Ryan Lindley threw up 45 passes in his college debut, completing 27 (60%) with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Brandon Sullivan was his team's leading receiver in week one, with 9 catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. WR 80 Vincent Brown added 7 catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. 20 Matthew Kawulok, at 6'2", is on the shorter side for a tight end, but caught 3 passes last week. Wide receivers 18 Robert Wallace and 4 Darren Mougey are big targets for the Aztecs, at 6'4" and 6'6" respectively. TE 86 Waika Spencer is also a contributor in the passing game, as SDSU often uses dual tight end sets. Backup tailback Davon Brown had a 36-yard reception against Cal Poly last week.

Notre Dame's secondary is supposed to be the strength of this defense. That secondary will be tested early and often by this San Diego State team. San Diego State likes two tight end sets, and has a young quarterback who will be looking to dump the ball off to his running back often. That puts pressure on the linebackers and safeties. Safety 22 Harrison Smith is slated to play outside linebacker against multiple receiver sets. Will he be called on to cover the larger tight ends? Or will outside linebackers Scott Smith and 56 Kerry Neal be trusted to cover them? Or will that task fall to safeties 27 David Bruton and 28 Kyle McCarthy? The other position to watch is nickel corner. With Darrin Walls out for the year, 8 Raeshon McNeil has moved into the starting lineup. Will his nickel position go to sophomore 4 Gary Gray, or freshman 12 Robert Blanton? Both have come in highly praised, and surely will be up to the task.

Notre Dame Pass Offense vs. San Diego State Pass Defense

Sophomore 7 Jimmy Clausen and his receivers are all a year older and wiser. But the latest depth chart has revealed some surprises. TE Mike Ragone is out for the season, but that wasn't enough for 84 Will Yeatman to reacquire his starting job. Instead, freshman 9 Kyle Rudolph has taken that job. 18 Duval Kamara and senior 11 David Grimes are the starters, as they were coming out of spring. But 82 Robby Parris and 19 George West, who each started several games last year, were not listed on the latest two-deep. They have been passed by speedster 23 Golden Tate and freshman super-talent 3 Michael Floyd.

San Diego State gave up a respectable 220 yards passing last week. Corners 7 Vonnie Moore and 21 Aaron Moore each had three pass breakups, but no Aztec recorded an interception. Defensive tackle Jonathan Soto recorded 1.5 sacks.

Special Teams

88 Lane Yoshida, a junior college transfer, is the new place kicker for SDSU. He did not attempt a field goal last week, but was perfect on three PAT attempts. 14 Brandon Walker returns for his second year as Notre Dame's kicker. Walker was 6-12 on field goals last year, but only 1-7 from 30 yards or more.

Freshman 14 Brian Stahovich made his San Diego State debut last week with 4 punts. He averaged 39.5 yards per, with a long of 49 and two kicks inside the 20. 43 Eric Maust will be Notre Dame's full-time punter this year. Last season, Maust averaged 42.1 yards per punt with a long of 53.

Mekell Wesley and defensive back 10 Davion Mauldin return kicks for the Aztecs. Wesley averaged 21.8 yards per return with an 89-yard touchdown in 2007. Mauldin is a new returner who had 49 yards on two tries last week. 39 Ryan Burkhart is the Irish kickoff specialist this year, a position he did not play last season.

Armando Allen and Golden Tate again will be back deep for the Irish on kickoffs. Allen averaged 21.3 yards per return in 2007; Tate, 21.7. Lane Yoshida also handles kickoffs for San Diego State. Last week he averaged just over 60 yards per kick. Add to that 16.5 yards per return given up, and SDSU's opponent had an average start on the 27 yard line.

Davion Mauldin also returns punts for the Aztecs. He had a rough go in his debut, gaining only 4 yards on 2 returns. Armando Allen will be the new Notre Dame punt returner this season.

Notre Dame Players to Watch

Jimmy Clausen, James Aldridge, Kyle Rudolph, Brian Smith, and David Bruton

Prediction

Notre Dame 27, San Diego State 13

Traveling to the BC Game?

Just received this email. (Actually, I received it weeks ago, but I only just read it now.)

Hello,

As the moderator of a popular sports blog catering in part to Notre Dame fans, and with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish visiting the BC Eagles on November 8, I thought you should be made aware of a fantastic opportunity being offered to patrons of the Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers.

The ACC Package for overnight guests includes an overnight stay in an elegant Standard guest room at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, as well as special football-themed welcome amenities for each guest - a seat cushion, bottled water and football snacks.

The package, priced competitively at $349.00, will be available September 6 - November 29, 2008. Those interested can call to make a reservation at 800.225.2008.

With many college football fans preparing for the upcoming season, I encourage you spread the word! Please feel free to post the flyer below in your blog, or notify your readers by any means you see fit.

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Sam

Know Thy Enemy

I plan on posting each team's "Know Thy Enemy Links" on the Monday or Tuesday before that week's game - so good luck getting any work done this fall. If I have left you off this list, screwed up your link, or grossly misinterpreted your blog title, please send an email to kanka@kankasports.zzn.com, or stop by our message board.

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Weekly Cleveland Indians Lineup Analysis

Once again, this is the weekly series where I plan take the top 9 Indians in terms of OPS and feed them into Dave Pinto's Lineup Analysis Tool to determine the theoretical ideal batting lineup.

This Week's Ideal Lineup
Fasano
Sizemore
Garko
Shoppach
Choo
Peralta
Francisco
Dellucci
Carroll

Changes From Last Week
Jamey Carroll replaces Andy Gonzalez, and there is some slight shuffling in the middle.

Theoretical Runs Per Game
5.367, down 0.012 from last week. That's basically a push.

Theoretical Improvement
The Indians are currently scoring 4.858 runs per game. That's an improvement of 0.509 runs per game, which in turn leads to 82 runs over the course of the season, or 8.4 more wins. It's enough to make a push for the division, but again this is all theoretical.

Defensive Plausibility
Once again Sal Fasano mans the hot corner, and Jamey Carroll comes in to play second.

Fan Believability
Nope, none at all.

My Take
Shoppach moves up to cleanup, meaning he's hitting for power again. Note that even though Victor Martinez has returned, he still didn't crack this lineup. It looks like he's healthy again, though, so he should be back soon.

Random Indians Thought of the Week
Some fans may see Cleveland's recent performance as too little, too late. That may be the case, but I also see it as a sign that this team will one again be successful in 2009.

Notre Dame Football Position Preview: Kicker and Punter

Previously Covered
Quarterback
Running Back
Fullback
Wide Receiver
Tight End
Offensive Line
Defensive Line
Linebacker
Safety
Cornerback

Spotlight: Brandon Walker

	G	FG	PAT	Points
2007	12	6-12	22-23	40

Also Returning: Ryan Burkhart, Eric Maust

Lost: Geoff Price (graduation), Xavier Burton, Nate Whitaker

Gained: Joe Bizjak (walk-on)

On a team run by an offensive-minded coach, you'd expect placekicker to be a position of strength - converting all those extra points, or kicking field goals on the rare ocassions when the offense can't find the end zone. Or perhaps kickoff specialist - following each score with a booming touchback.

Oddly enough, though, the most consistent special teams play Charlie Weis has gotten during his tenure has been from his punters. Geoff Price is gone, but he leaves the position in capable hands. Two-sport athlete Eric Maust has seen playing time in each of the last three seasons, and has already proven his worth. This year, he starts the season as the team's top punter.

With little reason to question Maust's ability, the spotlight falls on placekicker Brandon Walker. Nate Whitaker is no longer on the roster, so Walker will be the man at placekicker no matter how long the kick.

Ryan Burkhart starts the year as the Irish kickoff specialist. Burkhart came into Notre Dame with a decent amount of praise, but has been plagued by inconsistency. Interestingly enough, while Brandon Walker was a very good punter in high school, Burkhart is listed as the backup punter on the latest depth chart.

Weekly Cleveland Indians Lineup Analysis

Once again, this is the weekly series where I plan take the top 9 Indians in terms of OPS and feed them into Dave Pinto's Lineup Analysis Tool to determine the theoretical ideal batting lineup.

This Week's Results
Click here

This Week's Ideal Lineup
Fasano
Sizemore
Francisco
Shoppach
Choo
Peralta
Dellucci
Garko
Gonzalez

Changes From Last Week
The players remain the same, but outside of Grady Sizemore, almost no one is in the same spot in the lineup.

Theoretical Runs Per Game
5.355, down 0.183 from last week. Yet the team has still been winning.

Theoretical Improvement
The Indians are currently scoring 4.836 runs per game. That's an improvement of 0.519 runs per game, which in turn leads to 84 runs over the course of the season, or 84 more wins. Theoretically, they'd move into third place, but still wouldn't be close to the division leaders.

Defensive Plausibility
Once again Sal Fasano mans the hot corner.

Fan Believability
As before, Fasano playing third and batting leadoff is a good way to get a manager fired.

My Take
The first thing that jumped out at me is that Jhonny Peralta is cooling off again, and this lineup reflects it. Even if you ignore Fasano in the leadoff spot, though, this isn't a bad nine.

Random Indians Thought of the Week
It's hard to say whether or not baseball should be in the Olympics. I say this even as a person who loves baseball. In many ways, the Olympics should be the pinnacle of sports competition, as it is for swimming and track. Countries like Cuba treat Olympic baseball as that pinnacle, as Fidel Castro wants to prove to the world that his country is the best at his favorite sport. But for countries like the USA, the pinnacle of baseball is the World Series, and it shows too, as teams debate even sending their AA talent to the Olympics. So should baseball come back to the Olympics in 2016? That remains to be seen.

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

Michael Phelps won an amazing eight gold medals. So if you have him on your fantasy swim team, you're still a loser with a fantasy swim team.

A Chinese news service has reported that gold medalist He Kexin is just 13, three years under the age of Olympic eligibility. It's hard to say what's more shameful: the fact that she could cost her country a medal or the fact that 20-year-olds have been hitting on her all week.

Georgia football is now ranked number one. How far they've come. Just last week, they were being invaded by the Russian army.

Brett Favre admitted that he feels a little fatigue. He must be tired of reading all the stories about Brett Favre.

And Olympic officials are distributing 100,000 condoms to athletes living in the Olympic Village. The condoms are just for the foreign athletes since most of the Chinese team members are still under the age of consent.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

The Kansas City Royals plan to close off several seating sections for the remainder of the season as Kauffman Stadium continues to undergo renovations. That's too bad because those seats totally sell out.

Cincinnati is considering signing free-agent cornerback Ty Law. It's a surprising turn of events since the Bengals generally run away from the Law.

The Red Sox recently won a game 19-16. Wait, it was 19-17. 19-16 was the score of David Ortiz and Prince Fielder's hot dog eating contest.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis says he's finished talking about the Irish's disastrous 2007 season. And this time next year, he'll be finished talking about the Irish's disastrous 2008 season.

And Falcons wide receiver Joe Horn said he wants to be traded or cut so badly that he has contemplated restructuring or forfeiting part of his $2.5 million salary. If the Falcons don't deal him soon, Horn will begin running dog fights.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

Adam "Pacman" Jones sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell asking to be allowed to play this season. The letter took Jones a full week to write since he couldn't decide what color crayon to use. To get the league to read it, he signed it "Brett Favre."

Troubled forward Ron Artest has said that he's psyched about his opportunity with the Rockets. We can only hope he's referring to the team and not the assault weapons.

Major League Baseball could implement instant replay in a matter of days. Yankee fans look forward to watching their season implode over and over again.

And Barack Obama told reporters that he plans to go body surfing while in Hawaii. Meanwhile, John McCain told reporters that he plans to get out of the tub by himself.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

Shawn Johnson won gold on the balance beam. Afterwards, Bob Costas stood on it to interview Johnson eye to eye.

Stephon Marbury plans to play in Milan next season. The veteran point guard can barely wait to be booed in a whole new language. But unfortunately for Marbury, wearing cheap shoes in Italy is a felony.

The Chicago Bears have announced that Rex Grossman backup Kyle Orton will be their starting quarterback. Orton got the job when coaches realized that Rex Grossman had a backup.

And Red Sox manager Terry Francona recently phoned New England's entry at the Little League World Series. It's uncertain whether he was calling to wish them luck or to find a fifth starter.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

A 13-year-old Mexican pitcher threw a perfect game at the Little League World Series just three minutes before being signed by the Yankees.

Texas Ranger Ian Kinsler is probably done for the year. So are the other 24.

Greg Maddux is adjusting well to being in Los Angeles. He's used to playing on shaky ground - he's been pitching for the Padres.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have unveiled a new set of uniforms that pay homage to the franchise's first jerseys by reading "Wolves" on the front instead of "Timberwolves." Given the team's current roster, it might be the only big "W" they see all season.

And Alex Rodriguez was spotted in two cities squiring two different women last week. Or as Steve Garvey called it, "a slow night".

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

he National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen is marrying the woman he's been dating for the last 12 years. It took her that long to forgive him for "He Got Game."

The Bengals are close to bringing back Chris Henry. In fact, they've already put up a down payment on his bail money.

The president of the Washington Mystics delivered a blistering assessment of her franchise, declaring that the team hasn't "moved one ounce" in its history. What a coincidence - that's exactly the measurement of how much we care about the Washington Mystics.

The White Sox overtook the Twins to get back in first place. Hopefully "first" the only F word Ozzie Guillen will use this week.

And a guest at Andre Agassi's annual benefit auction plunked down $60,000 for a private lesson with the former champ. Unfortunately for the guest, the lesson was in fashion.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

Notre Dame Football Position Preview: Cornerback

Previously Covered
Quarterback
Running Back
Fullback
Wide Receiver
Tight End
Offensive Line
Defensive Line
Linebacker
Safety

Spotlight: Raeshon McNeil

	G	Tackles	INT	PBU
2007	11	9	0	3

Also Returning: Mike Anello, Terrail Lambert, John Leonis, Raeshon McNeil

Lost: Leo Ferrine, Wade Iams, William David Williams, Ambrose Wooden (graduation), Darrin Walls (personal), Munir Prince (transfer)

Gained: Leonard Gordon (position change), Gary Gray (injury), Robert Blanton, Jamoris Slaughter (freshmen)

Coming into the spring, everyone was raving about Notre Dame's secondary as the strength of their defense. That strength took a hit with the news that Darrin Walls would not be playing this season. The loss of Walls slides everyone up a spot on the depth chart.

Walls' best friend, Raeshon McNeil, takes over the starting spot opposite Terrail Lambert. Walls and McNeil came in together, but it always looked like Walls was the better of the two. This year is McNeil's chance to prove himself.

The loss of Walls and the transfer of Munir Prince hurt the depth of this unit. Gary Gray, Robert Blanton, and Jamoris Slaughter are talented, but have a combined zero minutes of experience at the college level (although, as a sophomore who was injured last year, Gray has at least been with the team for a while).

Leonard Gordon is a former safety who has been moved to second string cornerback. Special teams ace Mike Anello is the number five corner. That means he's one injury away from seeing the playing field in dime packages, unless one of the freshman pass him on the depth chart.

Notre Dame Position Preview: Safety

Spotlight: Kyle McCarthy

	G	Tackles	INT	FF
2007	12	20	1	1

Also Returning: Sergio Brown, David Bruton, Jashaad Gaines, Leonard Gordon, Ray Herring, Harrison Smith

Lost: Tom Zbikowski (graduation)

Gained: Chris Bathon (walk-on), Dan McCarthy (freshman)

Both safeties are players to watch this fall, but for different reasons. David Bruton is getting the preseason hype from those who know, and he may be the most talented player on the Irish defense. Dan McCarthy, meanwhile, has been tasked with replacing Tom Zbikowski. McCarthy had a decent share of playing time at strong safety in 2007, thanks to Zbikowski's injuries and packages that had Tommy Z sliding down to a linebacker spot. McCarthy didn't look like a star, but he did prove himself to be a solid alternative.

Speaking of the three safety package, Harrison Smith will slide down to SAM linebacker on spread and passing downs. Smith is also the backup free safety. Leonard Gordon too finds himself on the depth chart in multiple positions. Gordon is listed behind Terrail Lambert at right cornerback, and is also in the mix as a backup strong safety.

Ray Herring may be undersized for a safety (5'10", 198), but he is the backup to Kyle McCarthy. Kyle's brother Dan joins Notre Dame this year wearing the number 15 jersey. Here's hoping that Dan's play reminds people of Pat Terell more than Clifford Jefferson.

Weekly Cleveland Indians Lineup Analysis

Once again, this is the weekly series where I plan take the top 9 Indians in terms of OPS and feed them into Dave Pinto's Lineup Analysis Tool to determine the theoretical ideal batting lineup.

This Week's Results
Click here

This Week's Ideal Lineup
Gonzalez
Sizemore
Choo
Peralta
Francisco
Dellucci
Shoppach
Garko
Fasano

Changes From Last Week
Andy Gonzalez has become eligible (passing my arbitrary threshold of 10 plate appearances), and he replaces Jamey Carroll. Gonzalez also replaces Fasano in the leadoff spot. Meanwhile, Dellucci and Shoppach flip-flop, which makes sense as the former has been hot and the latter has cooled off.

Theoretical Runs Per Game
5.538, up 0.425 from last week. Gonzalez' performance is a shot in the arm, and overall the team has been hitting a little better as of late.

Theoretical Improvement
The Indians are currently scoring 4.697 runs per game. That's an improvement of 0.841 runs per game, which in turn leads to 136 runs over the course of the season, or 13-14 more wins. In theory, that's enough to put the team into a tie for first place in the division. Of course, it also relies on the small sample sizes of Andy Gonzalez and Sal Fasano.

Defensive Plausibility
Gonzalez moves in to play second, where he does have experience, and once again Sal Fasano mans the hot corner.

Fan Believability
The batting order is a believable one, especially with Gonzalez replacing Fasano at the top of the order. Fans may wonder why Shoppach is hitting so low in this order, but he has cooled off sense moving into the #3 spot in Eric Wedge's lineup. The defense still leaves a little to be desired.

My Take
Not much has changed from last week. Sizemore and Peralta work well where they are, and Gonzalez is a more realistic leadoff option.

Random Indians Thought of the Week
The Indians representatives on Team USA have struggled in this Olympics. Matt LaPorta is only 1-for-14 with seven strikeouts, but that one hit was a three-run homer. Closer Jeff Stevens has been charged with both American losses, giving up four runs (but only one earned) in 1 2/3 innings of work. But in his defense, the second loss came as a result of the new Olympic extra inning rules.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Indians are playing well. Nick Weglarz has been the star of Team Canada, going 7-for-15 with 2 HR so far. Reliever Tim Burton has made three appearances and has two scoreless innings to his credit.

Notre Dame Football Position Preview: Linebacker

Previously Covered
Quarterback
Running Back
Fullback
Wide Receiver
Tight End
Offensive Line
Defensive Line

Spotlight: Brian Smith

	G	Tackles	TFL	Sacks
2007	11	25	4.0	1.5

Also Returning: Maurice Crum, Jr., Aaron Nagel, Kerry Neal, Steve Quinn, Brian Smith, Kevin Smith, Scott Smith, Toryan Smith, Kevin Washington

Lost: Joe Brockington, Alex Lough, Anthony Vernaglia (graduation), Steve Paskorz, John Ryan, Morrice Richardson (position changes)

Gained: Harrison Smith, Kallen Wade (position changes), Tom Burke, Martin Quintana (walk-ons), Steve Filer, Anthony McDonald, Darius Fleming, David Posluszny (freshmen)

The first thing I should note is that all position changes, except for Steve Paskorz', should be taken with a grain of salt. Paskorz has definitely moved to fullback. But all of the others are either playing a hybrid role or are bouncing back and forth between outside linebacker and defensive end.

Brian Smith gets the spotlight this year after he worked his way into the starting lineup last season at outside linebacker. Right now he's penciled in at inside linebacker alongside Mo Crum, so he can use his athleticism from sideline to sideline. But he may still see some snaps at outside linebacker. The inside spot Brian Smith took originally belonged to Toryan Smith, making this the third straight season that Toryan has had a starting job (this time only in the spring) then lost it.

Taking Brian Smith's spot on the outside, essentially, is Harrison Smith. Harrison will probably play more of a hybrid role, as he is simultaneously listed as starting SAM linebacker and backup free safety. Tom Zbikowski played a similar role on passing downs last year. Harrison's "backup" is Scott Smith, one of five Irish linebackers named Smith.

Speaking of taking position changes with a grain of salt, John Ryan is back on the depth chart as a backup outside linebacker. Ryan came in as a defensive end, then started at outside linebacker last year, then moved back to defensive end last spring. Assumedly, he can and will play both roles this fall.

The freshman look to be an exciting group, headlined by Steve Filer, who Phil Steele lists as the number one linebacker in the country. Interestingly enough, the four freshman are each listed at a different position on the latest depth chart. For those looking to the future, that could potentially mean that all will be starting together someday. But speaking to the depth at this position, no freshman is currently higher than third string right now.

New Notre Dame Links

Cleaning out my inbox, I added two new links to the sidebar.

The first is for Domer Sports Report, run by Mark, who is a regular over at Bleacher Report.

The second is for Blue Gold Nation, an up and coming message board community. They've started a collection of recruiting videos and other ND-related videos, so be sure to check those out.


Finally, I got an email from a reader who, like me, is a fan of both Notre Dame and Cleveland sports. He was wondering if there were any desktop wallpaper images that combined the two. Anyone?

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

The rivalry between the Brewers and Cubs is creating heated debate between fans in Wisconsin and Chicago. So much so, some were heard taunting, "Our subpar quarterback is not nearly as bad as yours."

Jorge Posada will have season-ending surgery. His arm is so weak, it's starting to resemble Isaiah Thomas' resume.

Nets center Nenad Krstic is trying to decide between playing in Russia or New Jersey. The choice is between playing in a socially backwards, culturally depraved wasteland and playing in Russia.

The Philadelphia Soul won the Arena Bowl. As if you didn’t already know the results of the Arena Bowl!

And Bills' running back Marshawn Lynch won't be punished by the NFL for his involvement in a hit-and-run accident. In the end, the league felt that spending six months in Buffalo was punishment enough.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

A 5.4 earthquake shook Los Angeles on Tuesday. The earthquake was so big, Kobe Bryant had it traded.

Brett Favre has filed for reinstatement. Favre plans to return to the NFL after completing summer classes at the Roger Clemens School of Retirement.

The Sacramento Kings have agreed to send Ron Artest to the Rockets for Bobby Jackson, Donte Greene and a first-round pick. The Kings wanted help at the guard position, and the Rockets wanted help being crazy.

And Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison, which is surprising, since the over/under was actually 20 months. On the positive side, Donaghy's referee uniform should provide him with the perfect camouflage for surviving behind bars.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

British basketball fans have bought up all the tickets for the London preseason match up between the Miami Heat and the New Jersey Nets three months before the game. American basketball fans are hoping the two teams stay there.

Shawn Kemp is on the verge of joining a professional team in Italy. Kemp is brushing up on his Italian by learning key phrases like 'restaurant', 'train station' and 'paternity suit'.

Beijing's air quality has shown drastic improvement. The air is now clear enough that we will be able to see the American athletes getting hosed.

And since 2002, 46 Penn State football players have been charged with 163 criminal complaints. The team has violated so many laws, Penn State will now change it's name to State Pen. The criminal athletes will also not be allowed into the NFL Draft, since they're all going to sign with the Bengals anyway.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

Manny Ramirez says he plans on being a Dodger until he retires. Or complains and gets traded again, one of the two.

Roger Goodell has re-instated Brett Favre. The Packers' bench has re-instated Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay reportedly offered Brett Favre $25 million to stay retired. Favre refused the offer, because ESPN offered him $30 million to keep his never ending decision in the news. $25 million to stay retired might seem like a lot from the Packers, but $24 million of it was from Aaron Rodgers.

And Willie Randolph received extra loud applause at Yankee Stadium's Old Timer's Day. Ironically, Randolph was the only Old Timer young enough to hear it.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

Brett Favre is being called a diva by many members of the press. And while some might think it's uncalled for, he is starring in the sequel to Glitter.

The US basketball team is backing off political speech while in China. Too bad. We bet that Tayshaun Prince and Carlos Boozer have so much insight into world affairs. In related news, the United States government will stop playing basketball.

Ron Artest's new contract with the Rockets is so lucrative, he can hire people to go into the stands and fight for him.

And Carolina Panther Steve Smith started a brawl with a teammate. The fight was so pointless, it's going to be featured in the next Rocky film.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

Joba Chamberlain has suffered a shoulder injury. The Yankees are so beat up and hurt, they're starting to look like Mets fans.

The San Francisco Giants invited Barry Bonds to their celebration of their past outfielders. Unfortunately Bonds already had plans to attend a future outfielders celebration for the California Penal League.

David Ortiz said he heard a click in his wrist during an at bat. It was not his wrist – just the frustrated Red Sox nation changing the channel.

Turns out Brett Favre is returning in a quest to get a second ring. And then a third, to complete the three-ring circus.

And as the Olympic torch was run by earthquake victims in China, they stood and applauded. Witness said the applause was so loud, the ground shook.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

Thousands of protesters are showing up for the Olympics in China. The U.S. Basketball team said seeing that many angry critics didn't faze them at all, because it is just like playing the Knicks.

Kansas City catcher Miguel Olivo was suspended for five games after brawling, but the punishment could have been much worse. He could have had to spend those five days playing for the Royals. The rest of the team plans on brawling shortly.

The Norweigans defeated the US women's soccer team. And allegedly, we’re supposed to care.

And Prince Fielder apologized for pushing teammate Manny Parra. Right before he ate him.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

New York Jets fans are welcoming Brett Favre by maintaining the cheese heads he’s used to. Not with with styrofoam swiss hats, but with big cheesy Bon Jovi hair.

Yao Ming will carry the Chinese flag during the opening ceremonies at the Olympics. The team is hoping that his height combined with the giant flag can shield them from some of the smog.

Gymnasts Morgan and Paul Hamm are now both out for the Olympics. There goes my gymnastics office pool.

And former University of Toledo basketball player Sammy Villegas has been charged with fixing games. Authorities became suspicious when he told his guidance counselor that we wanted to be an NBA ref. The University of Toledo basketball program is hoping to bounceback - to complete obscurity.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

While admitting that the 2008 season is over, Hank Steinbrenner predicted that the Yankees will win it all in 2009. He also predicted that he's crazy.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have acquired major league homerun leader Adam Dunn from the Cincinnati Reds for minor-league pitcher Dallas Buck. It's the most an American Buck has bought in years.

The U.S. won bronze in men's gymnastics. The only thing worse than finishing third is admitting you're a male gymnast.

And the U.S. Women's gymnastics team faltered down the stretch to lose the gold to China. It was so disappointing and ugly, Olympic officials subpoenaed Tonya Harding. The Chinese team is now looking forward to their next challenge - puberty.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

Weekly Cleveland Indians Lineup Analysis

Once again, this is the weekly series where I plan take the top 9 Indians in terms of OPS and feed them into Dave Pinto's Lineup Analysis Tool to determine the theoretical ideal batting lineup.

This Week's Results
Click here

This Week's Ideal Lineup
Fasano
Sizemore
Choo
Shoppach
Francisco
Peralta
Dellucci
Garko
Carroll

Changes From Last Week
For the first time in this series, the players and order remains exactly the same.

Theoretical Runs Per Game
5.113, down 0.198 from last week. Since the players are the same from last week, their overall performance has decreased slightly.

Theoretical Improvement
The Indians are currently scoring 4.661 runs per game. That's an improvement of 0.452 runs per game, which in turn leads to 73 runs over the course of the season, or 7 more wins. Coincidentally, the team is exactly seven games below their pythagorean win-loss record right now.

Defensive Plausibility
In this theoretical world, Sal Fasano probably has enough third base experience to qualify for that position on your fantasy team.

Fan Believability
Fasano seemed to handle first base well, so why not third?

My Take
This is the same lineup as last week, so I'll say the same thing. I like Sizemore in the two hole, but I'd probably move Peralta to cleanup and bat Shoppach fifth.

Random Indians Thought of the Week
It's a case of small sample size, but Michael Aubrey's season OPS with the Indians is currently higher than Ryan Garko's - and Aubrey was only hitting .181 with the Tribe.

Notre Dame Football Position Preview: Offensive Line

Previously Covered
Quarterback
Running Back
Fullback
Wide Receiver
Tight End
Defensive Line

Spotlight: Paul Duncan

	G
2007	12

Also Returning: Thomas Bemenderfer, Taylor Dever, Eric Olsen, Matt Romine, Chris Stewart, Jeff Tisak, Michael Turkovich, Dan Wenger, Sam Young

Lost: John Sullivan (graduation), Bartley Webb (injuries), Matt Carufel (transfer)

Gained: Andrew Nuss (position change), Braxton Cave, Lane Clelland, Mike Golic, Jr., Trevor Robinson (freshman)

Left tackle is perhaps the most important position on the field. Coming out of the spring, Paul Duncan was named the starting left tackle with Michael Turkovich the starting left guard. But on the depth chart released last Friday, Duncan and Turkovich were given the "or" designation at left tackle, while Eric Olsen was promoted to starting left guard. I hate to speculate on why this change was made, so I won't. But I will say that the passing game's success will hinge on how well the left tackle (whomever it is) can guard the quarterback.

The much-maligned offensive line of 2007 is, if nothing else, a year older and wiser. Of the six potential starters - Duncan, Turkovich, Olsen, Dan Wenger at center, Chris Stewart at right guard, and Sam Young at right tackle - all but Stewart have starting experience from last year.

Yes, this unit is starting to get it together, both in terms of depth and experience. In fact, the only freshman on the two-deep is Trevor Robinson, and he was an early admission who practiced with the team in the spring. High school linemen need time to grow into college linemen, and fortunately not many of the freshman should be thrust into action before they're ready this year.

Notre Dame's AJ Pollock Named Cape Cod League MVP

Notre Dame outfielder AJ Pollock was named MVP of this summer's Cape Cod League season. After the school year, top college players will keep their skills sharp by playing in wooden bat summer leagues. The Cape Cod is the preeminent summer wooden bat league. The full writeup on Pollock can be found on UND.com.

Notre Dame Football Position Preview: Tight End

Previously Covered
Quarterback
Running Back
Fullback
Wide Receiver
Defensive Line

Spotlight: Will Yeatman

	G	Rec	Yds	TD
2007	12	6	37	0

Also Returning: Kevin Brooks, Mike Ragone

Lost: John Carlson, Mike Talerico (graduation), Konrad Reuland (transfer)

Gained: Luke Schmidt (semi-position change), Paul Kuppich (walk on), Joseph Fauria, Kyle Rudolph (freshmen)

Charlie Weis has had two starting tight ends in his Notre Dame tenure, and both are expected to be NFL starters this year. Still, for all that success, the position is arguably thin this year. Konrad Reuland found himself behind the younger Mike Ragone on the depth chart and decided to return closer to home. Will Yeatman almost made the ranks thinner due to an off the field incident in the spring, but he is expected back this fall.

Yeatman, who I would not want to run into on a lacrosse field, hopes to be the next ND tight end-come-NFL starter. If he struggles, Mike Ragone is said to be an even more talented pass catcher. Last year John Carlson's numbers suffered when he had to stay in to block so often. But in the spring Luke Schmidt practiced at H-back/tight end, so presumably Schmidt can stay in to block and let Yeatman and Ragone run patterns.

The newcomers are a talented group, lead by Kyle Rudolph. Walk-on Paul Kuppich is also up for long snapping duties.

Notre Dame Football Position Preview: Fullback

Previously Covered
Quarterback
Running Back
Wide Receiver
Defensive Line

Spotlight: Luke Schmidt

	G	Att	Yds	TD
2007	11	2	6	0

Also Returning: Asaph Schwapp

Lost: Dex Cure, Mike Narvaez (graduation)

Gained: Steve Paskorz (position change), Joe Vittoria (walk-on)

Now I'm just all over the place. I skipped the fullback position in my personal position order, so now I need to backtrack.

Luke Schmidt has not seen much action in his Notre Dame career. He's seen so little action, in fact, that a Google image search doesn't return any shots of him playing in an Irish uniform. Schmidt spent time as both a fullback and a tight end in the spring, and that versatility will only help him to get on the field more. One would assume he'll take on a H-back type role, blocking in both run and pass formations. Perhaps he'll be the designated blocking tight end on passing plays, freeing the other tight ends to run routes.

Or perhaps Schmidt will take on the role of "offensive" fullback, a la Rashon Powers-Neal in 2005. Notre Dame hasn't seen an offensive threat from the fullback position since RPN, and perhaps Schmidt is the the guy. Asaph Schwapp certainly isn't much of an offensive threat. Of course, some would argue that he isn't much of a blocking threat either. But for better or for worse, Schwapp is once again the team's starter.

Finally, Steve Paskorz comes over from linebacker. Paskorz played both linebacker and running back in high school, so it will be interesting to see if he gets any touches. Or if he, like Junior Jabbie last year, becomes the blocking back on third down passing situations. Then again, Jabbie was an experienced senior at that point, and Paskorz is just a sophomore.

Notre Dame Football Position Preview: Wide Receiver

Spotlight: David Grimes

	G	Rec	Yds	TD
2007	10	27	224	2

Also Returning: Richard Jackson, Duval Kamara, Robby Parris, Kris Patterson, Golden Tate, Sam Vos, George West

Lost: Brandon Erickson, Nick Possley, Jake Richardville (graduation), DJ Hord (transfer), Barry Gallup, Jr. (position change)

Gained: Brian Coughlin, Dan Franco, Michael Garcia, Christopher Gurries (walk-ons), Michael Floyd, John Goodman, Deion Walker

David Grimes, Papa Smurf himself, is back in the spotlight. Grimes may not have the height or the speed to be an split end. But he does have the athleticism to be a reliable third option in the slot and occasional deep threat, at least at the college level. The best thing Grimes can be this year is a reliable pair of hands, as young starters Duval Kamara and Robby Parris' dropsies from last season were apparently still there in the spring. For this offense to be good, Kamara and Parris will have to become consistent and reliable pass catchers.

The depth at this position is starting to become evident, if nowhere else than from the transfer of DJ Hord and Barry Gallup's move to running back. It will be interesting to see how often George West plays, or perhaps more accurately how many times a pass will come his way. Golden Tate will fight West for the number four receiver role. Tate showed great speed and leaping ability in his freshman year, but he needs to develop as a route runner to be truly successful as a wide receiver.

The Irish add three talented freshman this season. John Goodman, who played quarterback in high school, is expected to sit out this season. Conversely, it will be difficult to keep Michael Floyd off the field this year. Floyd is a talented, developed receiver who according to some may be starting by mid-season.

Notre Dame Football Position Preview: Defensive Line

Editor's Note: I'm temporarily changing up the order on my position previews, but for a good reason.

Previously Covered
Quarterback
Running Back

Spotlight: Justin Brown

	G	Tackles	TFL	Sacks
2007	10	30	3.5	1

Also Returning: Pat Kuntz, Paddy Mullen, Ian Williams
Lost: Neil Kennedy, Trevor Laws, Dwight Stephenson, Jr. (graduation), Kallen Wade (position change), Derrell Hand (injuries)
Gained: Morrice Richardson, John Ryan (position change), Dorian Inzunza, Martin Quintana (walk-ons), Andrew Nuss, Emeka Nwankwo (DNP as freshmen), Sean Cwynar, Ethan Johnson, Kapron Lewis-Moore, Brandon Newman, Hafis Williams (freshmen)

Really, the spotlight is on whomever starts alongside Pat Kuntz and Ian Williams. Right now, that's career backup Justin Brown, an unheralded player who looks to break out in 2008. Kuntz and Williams are the known quantities. Kuntz started last year as a Derek Landri-type nose tackle; this year he'll make a Trevor Laws-like move to defensive end in an attempt to make more plays (and hopefully establish a name for himself so writers don't continue to compare him to Landri and Laws). Williams burst onto the scene when Kuntz was injured last year, and played well enough to earn Freshman All-America honors.

John Ryan and Mo Richardson move back to defensive end after spending a year (or in Richardson's case, years) in outside linebacker/tweener purgatory. Athletically, both are more suited to be down lineman, even if they aren't nearly beefy enough to do so in the ideal 3-4. (Ryan was listed at 260 lbs in the spring, Richardson a few pounds lighter.) That's where the young reinforcements come in. Andrew Nuss, Emeka Nwanwko, and Sean Cwynar are all over 290 lbs, but are listed as defensive ends, not tackles, on the depth chart. That's a sign that Notre Dame is committed to the 3-4 defense and is recruiting the type of people who can play in it.

Notre Dame Football Position Preview: Running Back

Previously Covered
Quarterback

Spotlight: James Aldridge

	G	Att	Yds	TD
2007	11	121	463	0

Also Returning: Armando Allen, Robert Hughes, Nikolas Rodriguez
Lost: Junior Jabbie, Travis Thomas (graduation)
Gained: Barry Gallup, Jr. (position change), Eras Noel (walk-on), Jonas Gray (freshman)

With all the attention given to the talent of Armando Allen and Robert Hughes, it's easy to forget that James Aldridge was Notre Dame's leading rusher last year, and is the likely starter going into this year. Aldridge is once again the elder statesman among Irish halfbacks, and one would think that that experience would give him the leg up as a blocking back in passing situations. That is, of course, unless linebacker-come-fullback Steve Paskorz or perhaps converted wideout Barry Gallup don't take those blocking responsibilities. One storyline to watch this year is Aldridge looking for his first career touchdown. Aldridge has over 160 career touches, but the offense deferred to Travis Thomas and Robert Hughes on goal line situations.

Speaking of Hughes, the hard-nosed big back rumbled his way into Irish fans' hearts last year, and it will be difficult to keep him off the field this season. The lightning to Hughes' proverbial thunder is Armando Allen, a talented speedster who hopes to break out as both a runner and a pass catcher out of the backfield. But Allen will have to trust that speed if he wants to succeed in 2008, by running around defenders instead of running into them.

The wildcards are Barry Gallup and freshman Jonas Gray. Gallup had trouble getting on the field as a wideout, mostly appearing on special teams last year. Gallup and Gray will really have to impress in practice, though, if they want to beat out the top trio of Aldridge, Allen, and Hughes.

Weekly Cleveland Indians Lineup Analysis

Once again, this is the weekly series where I plan take the top 9 Indians in terms of OPS and feed them into Dave Pinto's Lineup Analysis Tool to determine the theoretical ideal batting lineup.

This Week's Ideal Lineup
Fasano
Sizemore
Choo
Shoppach
Francisco
Peralta
Dellucci
Garko
Carroll

Changes From Last Week
The players remain the same, but other than Grady Sizemore hitting second, the order is entirely different.

Theoretical Runs Per Game
5.311, up 4.964, up 0.347 runs from last week. This lineup has the same players as last week's, which essentially means they had a good week at the plate.

Theoretical Improvement
The Indians are currently scoring 4.670 runs per game. That's an improvement of 0.641 runs per game, which in turn leads to 104 runs over the course of the season, or 10 more wins. Of course, this team isn't playing anywhere near their pythagorean expectations, so who knows how well they'd do.

Defensive Plausibility
As with last week, Sal Fasano would have to be your everyday third baseman.

Fan Believability
I'm sure Nino over at Bleacher Report would get a laugh out of Mighty Sal Fasano leading off and playing third, but I don't think anyone else would buy this lineup.

My Take
I'm actually surprised how this lineup turned out. The second spot is your best overall hitter, and Sizemore remains there. But cleanup is your big slugger and the five spot is your second best overall hitter. So I was expecting to see Jhonny Peralta fourth and Kelly Shoppach (now second on the team in OPS) fifth.

Random Indians Thought of the Week
If you look at offense alone, it's hard to justify moving Jhonny Peralta to third base. Peralta is currently first among AL shortstops in OPS. But if Peralta was a third baseman, his OPS would be league-average at best at that position. Presumably, it would be much easier to keep Peralta at short and go get a league-average third baseman than move Peralta to third and go get an above-average shortstop.

A similar thing happens when you consider Victor Martinez. Martinez' career 0.833 OPS would be second in the AL this year among catchers. But among AL first basemen, he'd be about average. Meanwhile, Kelly Shoppach and Ryan Garko's career OPSs are bad for first basemen but above-average for catchers. Since their OPSs are similar (assuming Shoppach regresses and Garko progresses next season), they are virtually interchangeable in the lineup. Assuming Martinez and Garko's first base defense is also interchangeable, that leaves the Tribe with two options: keep Martinez at catcher and get a league-average first baseman to improve their offense, or move Martinez to first and make Shoppach the everyday catcher to improve team defense.

Notre Dame Football Position Preview: Quarterback

This is the first in a series of previews of this year's Fighting Irish football team. Unlike past years, this season I will be looking at each position individually.

Spotlight: Jimmy Clausen

	G	Att-Comp-Int	Yds	TD
2007	12	245-138-6	1254	7

Also Returning: Evan Sharpley
Lost: Demetrius Jones (transfer), Darrin Bragg, Justin Gillett (graduation)
Gained: Brian Castello, Nick Lezynski (walk-ons), Dayne Crist (freshman)

As a fan of Notre Dame and the Cleveland Browns in 2007, I'm well accustomed to the platitude about the backup quarterback being the most popular guy in town. But Jimmy Clausen is the starter, and that's very unlikely to change this year. As will be a common theme with these position previews, Clausen is a year older and a year wiser, and that will hopefully translate to better success on the field.

Much has been made of Clausen and Dayne Crist being only a year apart. But I don't see that as too much of an issue. If Crist sits out this year, he'll have four years of eligibility from 2009-2012. He can then serve as Clausen's backup for two years (Clausen's third and fourth year of eligibility), then start for two years. That's the way things are supposed to work. Quarterbacks should have a few years to learn the system while their predecessor is the star. College powerhouses aren't supposed to start from scratch with a freshman starter every four years.