ESPN College Football

ESPN 150 offensive tackle Alex Bars (Nashville, Tenn./Montgomery Bell Academy) has a brother, Blake, at Michigan. He has another brother, Brad, at Penn State.

But he has decided to follow in his father Joe's footsteps, committing to Notre Dame on Friday. Bars ranks as the Irish’s 10th commitment.

Joe Bars played linebacker for the Irish.

“It was pretty great,” Bars said of telling his father the news. “I really appreciated him not pressuring me to go to his alma mater. I think he's pretty happy, though. He's excited for me."

To read Jared Shanker's full story, click here.

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- Though league scheduling was not a major topic on the spring meetings agenda, ACC coaches unanimously support an eight-game conference slate.

And they told the athletic directors as much.

The ACC scaled back from a nine-game league slate to an eight-game league slate last October after Notre Dame entered into a football scheduling partnership with the schools as part of their membership in all other sports. Notre Dame essentially takes up one nonconference spot every three years. For those teams with long-standing rivalry games like Florida State, Clemson and Georgia Tech, playing nine league games, plus Notre Dame, plus a rivalry game is untenable.

"When you’re a school like us, when you’re playing Notre Dame, South Carolina plus nine conference games, it limits you in what you can do in our out of conference scheduling," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "We like the flexibility that comes with being able to do a Clemson-Georgia. We’re all comfortable with eight."

And if the SEC goes to nine league games? Would the philosophy change then?

"They don’t have Notre Dame," he said. "If they had a lock-in with Michigan for five games then it might be a little different. Everybody has to pave their own way. That’s the consensus of the ACC coaches. A lot of us already have really quality nonconference opponents, plus you’re adding Notre Dame in there. If we were playing Notre Dame this year and you’ve got eight conference games, Notre Dame, Georgia and South Carolina, nobody in the SEC is playing a schedule like that."

Given the strength of schedule that is going to be a component in the College Football Playoff, the Big Ten decided to move to nine league games. But there is a delicate balancing act that schools must follow.

"You can overschedule, too," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. "If your schedule’s too tough it may give you two or three losses. You may be a heck of a team but you’re not getting in at the end if you have 2 or 3 losses. There’s a balance. You want to have strength of schedule, but you don’t want your schedule so strong that throughout the course of 12 games you’re not going to win but eight or 9."

Though Georgia Tech athletic director Mike Bobinski is not in favor of a nine-game league schedule, he wants to hear more about the possibilities. And not every single AD is in favor of eight league games. Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver, for one, remains in favor of a nine-game league schedule.

Athletic directors are the ones with a final say, not the coaches. But it doesn't seem like there will be any movement for now.

"I wouldn't necessarily be in favor of the nine-game model although I’d like to hear more conversation about it, and there are several of us in that room with the same dynamic as us," he said. "We haven’t gotten together as a group and talked through that yet."

CHICAGO -- Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon didn't do the chicken dance when asked about Notre Dame's decision to stop the annual series with the Wolverines after 2014.

"I'm not sure I would have used the word chicken," Brandon told ESPN.com, referring to Michigan coach Brady Hoke's comments Monday about Notre Dame "chickening out" of the series. "That's kind of how football coaches would think about it, and that's OK. Brady's a pretty straightforward guy. I would just say Notre Dame had choices to make, and they chose to back away from a rivalry game we've had on our schedule for a long time."

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick informed Brandon in September that Notre Dame would exercise a three-year out clause in the schools' contract, meaning the teams would stop playing annually after the 2014 game in South Bend, Ind. Michigan and Notre Dame had extended their contract through the 2031 meeting but on a three-year rolling basis, which gave one side a chance to back out.

Notre Dame's agreement with the ACC, which will include five games per season, prompted the move. Michigan has games with Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Oregon State, BYU and others scheduled for future seasons.

Although many would like to see Michigan and Notre Dame resume their series, Brandon says don't hold your breath.

"It's going to be a long time," Brandon said. "We've both been busily scheduling out into years into the future. And as I understood it from my counterpart at Notre Dame, they're making plans to go in a different direction. So the earliest we could schedule would be sometime post-2021, 2022, and when you start talking that far out, who knows. So it's going to be a while.

"The night game we have at Michigan Stadium this September, and then our last trip down to South Bend next year are going to be really exciting because it's going to be the end of the rivalry, at least for a considerable period of time."

Brandon used the word "disappointed" several times in discussing the end of the series, but Michigan is moving forward with a schedule model he hopes will position the Wolverines for the College Football Playoff. Although Brandon doesn't sound like he'll add another neutral-site game in the immediate future -- Michigan and Alabama opened the 2012 season in Arlington, Texas -- he recognizes the need to upgrade the schedule.

"We have a lot of work to do to regain our footing in terms of playing competition that's going to be attractive to our fans, help us build our programs and help us compete at the national level," Brandon said. "I'm a big believer that we should be strengthening our schedule and working hard to go out and fill those nonconference positions with the kinds of programs that are going to excite our fans, bring a lot of attention to us as we are broadcast on television and ultimately put in a position where we're going to have better football programs."

Brandon is trying to "take a negative and turn it into a positive" regarding Notre Dame and spread Michigan's wings more with new non-league opponents.

"At Michigan," Brandon said, "we want to compete for one of those four spots at the end of the season."

In the days following Notre Dame's announcement that it would opt out of its annual series against Michigan after the 2014 season, Wolverines coach Brady Hoke took the diplomatic route when asked about the move.

"My reaction is Notre Dame made a decision, it's not our decision," Hoke said on the Big Ten coaches' teleconference last September. "It's unfortunate, it's a great rivalry, but they've got to do what they think is best."

Coaches' sentiments often change when they're speaking to their devoted fans, not media members, and Hoke had a slightly different take on Notre Dame when discussing the end of the series Monday at the Michigan Sports Commission's annual luncheon in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The Michigan coach said Notre Dame is "chickening out of" a great rivalry. Zing!

From MLive.com:

"The Notre Dame game, that rivalry, which they're chickening out of," Hoke said Monday during the West Michigan Sports Commission Annual Luncheon at the J.W. Marriott in Grand Rapids.

The remark drew thunderous applause from the crowd.

"They're still gonna play Michigan State, they're gonna play Purdue, but they don't want to play Michigan," Hoke continued. "I don't know how they made that decision ... I really do ... But anyway, that's a great national rivalry game. It's a great game."

Notre Dame nixed the Michigan series after reaching an agreement with the ACC that will include five games per season against ACC opponents. The Irish are trying to diversify their schedule as much as possible, while maintaining traditional rivalries with teams like USC and Navy. Although Notre Dame and Michigan are two big names in college football with storied traditions, the Notre Dame-Michigan rivalry doesn't stretch back nearly as far as Notre Dame's series against USC, Navy, Michigan State or Purdue.

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon made it clear in September that the decision to stop the series was Notre Dame's, not Michigan's, but neither he nor Hoke had anything inflammatory to say about the Irish.

My take: I understand why Notre Dame did what it did and the need to have a more national schedule in addition to the ACC games each season. Still, it's unfortunate to see the Michigan series go away after 2014.

Hoke on Monday also talked about Michigan's desire to bring in a graduate transfer quarterback for the 2013 season. The Wolverines have no proven depth behind Devin Gardner, and projected backup Russell Bellomy likely will miss the season following ACL surgery. Hoke said it's more likely Michigan adds a graduate transfer from another FBS program than a junior-college transfer.

Colleague Joe Schad reported last week that Arkansas quarterback Brandon Mitchell added Michigan to his list of potential transfer destinations.

After Notre Dame finalized its arrangement with the ACC last fall, it decided to suspend its annual series against Michigan. It begs the question: What will become of Notre Dame's other two Big Ten rivalries against Purdue and Michigan State?

All three schools have decisions to make. The Big Ten's move to a nine-game conference schedule beginning in 2016 makes it harder for Purdue and Michigan State to play Notre Dame annually in a home-road alternation. For example, Michigan State's 2017 slate includes a home game against Alabama, a road game against Notre Dame and five Big Ten road games, limiting the school to just six home dates, one below its stated minimum to meet the budget. Purdue also says it needs to play seven home games per season, and its Notre Dame home-road schedule doesn't match up with when it will play five Big Ten home games and five Big Ten road games. "We're off cycle," Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke told The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier.

Notre Dame has its own scheduling concerns with guaranteed ACC opponents every year and a desire to play a true national schedule.

Although Michigan-Notre Dame gained the most national attention in recent years, both Purdue and Michigan State have more historic rivalries with the Irish. Purdue and Notre Dame first met in 1896 have played every season since 1946. Michigan State and Notre Dame first met in 1897 and have played in all but two seasons since 1959.

What will happen to these two series? We gave our takes on the three teams.

Adam Rittenberg on Purdue

The buzz around much of the Big Ten is to cut ties with Notre Dame altogether. The Irish didn't want to be in the Big Ten. They got a deal from the ACC they'd NEVER get from the Big Ten. So why should Big Ten teams keep playing Notre Dame? While it seems easy to tell Notre Dame what it can do with that Shillelagh, it's not so simple for a program like Purdue. In fact, I think the Boilers should do whatever they can to keep the Irish on the annual schedule as often as possible.

Purdue fans might skewer me for this, but Purdue needs Notre Dame more than Notre Dame needs Purdue. Why? National attention. When Purdue plays Notre Dame, the Boilers get the national spotlight. When Notre Dame visits Ross-Ade Stadium, ABC/ESPN immediately chooses the game for prime time. When else does that happen for Purdue?

The Notre Dame game resonates for Purdue fans. It fills the stands at Ross-Ade Stadium, which has looked like a ghost town on fall Saturdays in recent years. When Purdue beats Notre Dame, people pay attention. Sure, Purdue can add some other strong non-league opponents. I liked the Oregon series from a few years back. But playing Notre Dame and beating Notre Dame has tremendous value for Purdue, its program and its recruiting efforts.

Burke says Purdue can't have six home games for budgetary reasons. Well, Michigan had six home games last year, so it can happen from time to time. I'm OK with Purdue taking a short break from Notre Dame here and there, but the Boilers would be foolish to completely cut ties with their in-state rival. This series is good for Purdue fans and good for the program. Purdue should fight to keep it going.

Brian Bennett on Michigan State

Much like with Purdue, there is a lot of history in the Megaphone series between Michigan State and Notre Dame. That includes 75 all-time meetings, the so-called Game of the Century in 1966 and, more recently, the Little Giants miracle of 2010. Only four years since 1949 have the two schools not played during the fall. It's a great series and one that should be kept if possible. Now here comes the but ...

... But the two schools are already scheduled to take two-year breaks after every four games between now and 2032, with the first two-year hiatus starting next season. So playing Notre Dame every single year is already a moot point. With the coming nine-game Big Ten conference schedule and the Spartans' agreements to play high-profile nonconference opponents like Oregon (2014 and '15) and Alabama (2016 and 2017), athletic director Mark Hollis has some tough decisions to make. Michigan State will face a very difficult road in the stacked East Division during Big Ten play as it stands. Does it make sense to play the Irish along with another strong program in the nonconference schedule? No, probably not.

The Spartans should try to work things out to where they can play Notre Dame in years when they don't have other marquee nonconference opponents while taking on those other high-profile teams during breaks with the Irish. Michigan State fans wouldn't really miss the Golden Domers that much when they're playing a team like Oregon or Alabama instead. The Spartans should strive to keep Notre Dame on the schedule frequently, but not so much that they handicap their own seasons in the process.

Matt Fortuna on Notre Dame

Much like a team in a conference, Notre Dame has eight annual games from 2014 on that will be set for the foreseeable future: USC, Stanford, Navy and five against ACC opponents. The Irish have already canceled their series with Michigan from 2015 on, leaving the status of the Michigan State and Purdue series up in the air.

Both of you make fair points: The Boilermakers, frankly, need Notre Dame more than Notre Dame needs them, and the Spartans already have quite the nonconference slate on-deck in the coming years.

Where does this leave the Irish?

Some will argue that the program gets whatever it wants, whenever it wants and, like Adam alluded to, should be left alone. But there is no denying that this program moves the needle, especially when playing Big Ten teams.

Every Notre Dame game at a Big Ten stadium since its Sept. 20, 2008, tilt at MSU has been in prime time, save for a 2009 game at Michigan ... which just began playing home night games in 2011, the only two of which were scheduled against Notre Dame.

But there is history to be saved in these series, and efforts from all sides should be made to keep these two, along with the Michigan one, going on a rotating basis. Notre Dame has played Purdue 84 times, which is the same number of times it has played rival USC (which it is keeping on the schedule for West Coast exposure) and only two fewer times than it has played Navy (which it is keeping for history).

Notre Dame's cancellation of its series with the Wolverines was a matter of necessity for the Irish, who needed to create as much scheduling flexibility as possible. The program's series with MSU already has scheduled two-year breaks for 2014-15, 2020-21 and 2026-27. And if the Purdue series does not match up with when the Boilers will play five Big Ten home games and five Big Ten road games, I'm sure smart men like Burke and Jack Swarbrick can get creative, though the onus should fall primarily on Burke.

The irony should not be lost: In keeping with a true national schedule and bringing its brand to different parts of the country, Notre Dame cannot abandon its Midwestern home.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Matt Hegarty was about to put his pads on before a Nov. 8 practice when he forgot what he was going to say to fellow lineman Conor Hanratty. Perplexed, he wondered if he had gotten enough sleep the night before.

"It was just a really confusing day, honestly," Hegarty said. "You wake up, go to class, you write notes in your book just like you normally do, and then it kind of does a 180 on you."

The writing and speaking were temporarily halted, and breathing was uneasy. He approached Notre Dame head athletic trainer Rob Hunt. Stroke symptoms were detected, and Hegarty soon found himself in the hospital. Less than 24 hours later, doctors determined that Hegarty had two previously undetected holes in his heart -- adding up to roughly an inch in missing tissue -- which caused a ministroke that shelved any thoughts of contributing to a national title chase and set in motion a spring comeback and a chase at a starting job.

Six whirlwind months later, Hegarty's last hurdle to climb is the depth chart, where he chased Nick Martin this spring for a shot at the Irish's starting center job.

"It's a big event in your life," Hegarty said of the ministroke. "And as much as you try to not think about it, you want to push on and think about, 'What's the next step?' I've got to take care of this final. I've got to write this paper. I've got to go to this doctor and visit.

"It kind of creeps in a little bit on you. I think the best part is getting back to business and going out there doing practice, doing everything that I normally do and seeing that everything's back to normal. I don't have anything to worry about."

Hegarty met with an occupational speech therapist after the episode. On Dec. 14, Dr. Ronald Nelson went up his thigh with a catheter to patch the holes in Hegarty's heart. Not long after, Hunt, the trainer, had Hegarty using an elliptical machine until he could resume weight-lifting, which he was eventually cleared to do in February, a hurdle he considered among the most significant.

"You kind of find yourself in the weight room, and I was able to find myself," Hegarty said. "Get back in there, you're throwing weight around, you're like, 'All right, it's back to business.' I felt great, it's what I do. Back to normal."

The new normal for Hegarty contains a greater sense of appreciation, but doctors told him that the heart repair has also given him up to 20 percent more oxygen in his bloodstream.

"Matt likes to say, 'I am 20 percent better than before, but it was a heck of a way to get better,' " his father, Bryan, said.

Hegarty is off the Plavax and Coumadin he was initially prescribed, now just taking a baby aspirin until June and possibly in the future before he travels long distances.

With the initial scares and most difficult obstacles now shoved to the side, Bryan Hegarty has looked at the timing of the ordeal that his son faced as a blessing.

Yes, Hegarty had to be shut down for the stretch run of a season that ended in the Discover BCS National Championship, but the recovery process allowed for a return to spring ball and a seemingly clean slate, with a first-team spot open in the middle of the line for the Aztec, N.M., native.

"Very foreign," Irish offensive line coach Harry Hiestand said of dealing with Hegarty's injury. "And I think that the scary thing is just the unknown. You understand elbow, you understand a knee, you understand an ankle, you understand shoulders -- you don't have much experience with a guy's heart and issues there.

"But when you're around him, you see his attitude about it and the smile on his face and the determination on his face. You kind of shake it off: 'Hey, let's go to work.' That's what you want, to be the best we can. The way he's handled it and his approach to things is just outstanding."

For Christmas, Bryan Hegarty gave Matt a copy of former NFL player and current ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi's book, "Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery and My Return to the NFL," a memoir that helped fast-track Hegarty mentally.

His father said that it had initially taken the 6-foot-4.5, 291-pound third-year junior about a month to get over the fact that something like this could happen to him.

"When you're young, you're invincible. What's hard about this thing is it wasn't like an MCL tear, because you don't feel it," Bryan Hegarty said, referring to a prep injury Matt had suffered. "My wife used to be a therapist, so she has a good way of talking to Matt."

Back on the Loftus Sports Center practice field this spring, Hegarty's biggest concerns were dealing with Louis Nix and the rest of Notre Dame's relentless defensive line, a different but welcome dose of anxiety that is as sure a sign as any that the converted tackle's toughest battles are behind him.

"It takes two," head coach Brian Kelly said. "His family was involved. Really from a consensus standpoint, everybody was on the same page with this kind of serious condition. He had the best doctors. He had great followup. He took care of himself. I just think it was everybody pulling in the right direction to get him back on the field, where he feels very, very confident that he can go every single day and not have to worry about his health."

In some ways, social media is often a popularity contest. And few fare better in popularity contests than Notre Dame, which attracts attention like no other on an annual basis, win or lose.

The latest example comes from the Tulsa World's Kelly Hines, who compiled a list of college football coaches by Twitter followers.

No. 2 on the list? Brian Kelly.

The fourth-year Irish coach has 91,042 Twitter followers as of the writing, trailing only LSU's Les Miles, who has 105,760.

Anyone who has seen Miles live-tweet a sporting event in the past should not be all that surprised, given the Tigers coach's seemingly unfiltered thoughts on everything.

Kelly's successor at Cincinnati, new Tennessee coach Butch Jones, checks in at No. 3 on the list, at 75,300 followers.

Other coaches of interest to Notre Dame fans are USC's Lane Kiffin (18th, 29,790), Kansas' Charlie Weis (28th, 17,460), MSU's Mark Dantonio (39th, 9,425), BYU's Bronco Mendenhall (53rd, 4,560), Nevada's Brian Polian (60th, 3,046), Temple's Matt Rhule (66th, 2,289), UMass' Charley Molnar (76th, 1,548) and Navy's Ken Niumatalolo (84th, 837).

Almost every mock draft or board looking at next season has Louisville Cardinals quarterback Teddy Bridgewater placed at No. 1 or No. 2 overall. Andrea and SEC blogger Edward Aschoff had a spirited debate about this earlier this week, with Aschoff siding with South Carolina end Jadeveon Clowney.

Scouts Inc.'s Todd McShay has chimed in this week as well, and he is going with Clowney , though the Big East is hardly overlooked on his initial 2014 draft board.

Two players from the conference make the top 32, with one just missing the cut.

Bridgewater is at No. 2, USF end Aaron Lynch is at No. 28 and Rutgers wideout Brandon Coleman is on the "10 more to monitor" list.

Of course, this is all assuming that Bridgewater and Lynch leave school early. Coleman, too, is eligible for a fifth year in 2014. Lynch still has three years of eligibility remaining, and would jump based off just two years of college ball, as he sat out the 2012 season following his transfer from Notre Dame.

While there is no denying Lynch is a first-round talent -- his 5.5 sacks in Year 1 with the Irish demonstrated that -- maturity issues are obviously a question mark following a 2011 season that saw him get called for his six penalties (and refuse to apologize for them). Notre Dame running the regular-season table without him in 2012 is hardly a glowing endorsement, and he won't be facing the same competition this fall that he had while in South Bend, Ind., though Bulls coach Willie Taggart spoke about Lynch turning a corner this spring.

Coleman, meanwhile, has quietly crept up on a few recent draft boards after a season in which he amassed 718 yards and 10 scores. He sat out this spring while recovering from minor knee surgery, but given Rutgers' lack of experience at receiver, and the return of Gary Nova under center, he is in position to have another breakout year in 2013.

Notre Dame will examine Notre Dame Stadium's location to try to convert it into a hub for student life and academic facilities, the school announced Thursday.

“Inspired by the University’s campus master plan, we will study the possibility of accomplishing multiple objectives -- namely, preserve the campus’ pedestrian character by taking advantage of a central location for needed facilities, retain the integrity of a legendary stadium, improve the visual attractiveness of the exterior stadium wall, and enhance the game-day experience for our football fans,” Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., the University’s president, said after presenting an outline of the initiative to members of the Board of Trustees at its spring meeting.

Potential areas that will be examined for construction additions to the stadium include classroom space, a student center, media resources and a press box, hospitality function locations, and premium seating options.

Costs for the potential additions, if there are any, are unknown, though the original stadium will remain intact no matter what.

Reps from the Offices of the Provost, Student Affairs, Executive Vice President, University Relations and Architect, Notre Dame Athletics and other departments will be involved in the study, as well as outside consultants.

Notre Dame continued its building of an even deeper offensive line Wednesday night, as the Irish secured a verbal pledge from four-star offensive guard Quenton Nelson (Red Bank, N.J./Red Bank Catholic).

Officially committed to Notre Dame #GoldenArmy #Irish #BestDay #LetsGo

— Quenton Nelson (@BigQ56) May 2, 2013

Nelson is the Irish's ninth commitment from the Class of 2014, and the fourth offensive lineman among that group, giving the program nine offensive line commitments during the past two recruiting cycles.

The 6-foot-5, 285-pounder is the No. 11 prospect in the state of New Jersey and the 19th-ranked guard in the nation.

Brian Kelly secured the pledge from Nelson during the head coach's one allotted phone call to the prospect during the spring evaluation period, our Jared Shanker writes.

"He's really thrilled," Nelson's mother, Maryellen, said. "We're so happy that he committed to a great school like Notre Dame. He's wearing his Notre Dame hat and shirt right now."

Here is a list of all nine Irish commitments from this class. ESPN150 members are designated with an asterisk (*).

" Four-star RB Elijah Hood (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic)
" Four-star DE Andrew Trumbetti (Demarest, N.J./Demarest)*
" Four-star ILB Greer Martini (Woodberry Forest, Va./Woodberry Forest)
" Four-star OG Sam Mustipher (Olney, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel)
" Four-star WR Justin Brent (Speedway, Ind./Speedway)
" Four-star OT Jay Hayes (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep)
" Four-star OG Quenton Nelson (Red Bank, N.J./Red Bank Catholic)
" Three-star TE Nic Weishar (Chicago/Marist)
" Three-star OT Jimmy Byrne (Cleveland/Saint Ignatius)

You've waited for it, and the Big Ten prime-time schedule for the 2013 season is finally here. Well, at least the first part of it.

ESPN/ABC has made its six prime-time picks for the upcoming season. One game already had been announced: Notre Dame at Michigan on Sept. 7.

Here's the full Big Ten prime-time schedule on ESPN/ABC:

Sept. 7: Notre Dame at Michigan, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Sept. 14: Notre Dame at Purdue, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Sept. 28: Wisconsin at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Oct. 5: Ohio State at Northwestern, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Oct. 12: Michigan at Penn State, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2

Oct. 26: Penn State at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Final TV designations will be made in the fall.

The Big Ten Network soon will announce its prime-time schedule for the fall, most likely next Monday. The Big Ten had 14 prime-time games last season, and you can expect about the same total this year.

Some thoughts on the list:

• Although the Big Ten is now open to night games in November, none appear on this list. ESPN/ABC was able to fill its six-game allotment before the end of October, featuring two games involving Notre Dame and four Big Ten matchups. An ESPN platform will televise a Big Ten matchup in prime time five of six straight Saturdays from Sept. 7 to Oct. 12. There are certainly some appealing games in November that could be played at night, but the networks chose to pass this time around. So if you're upset, blame TV.
• Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith has been vocal about the fact the Buckeyes typically play two road games at night and just one at home. Smith wants more night games at The Shoe -- so does coach Urban Meyer -- and he gets his wish as Leaders Division foes Wisconsin and Penn State both visit Ohio Stadium at night. Not surprisingly, the Buckeyes make more ABC/ESPN prime-time appearances (3) than any other Big Ten team, as they also visit Northwestern.
• Speaking of Northwestern, the Wildcats have to be thrilled with an ABC/ESPN prime-time game at Ryan Field. Pat Fitzgerald's crew could/should be 4-0 and coming off of a open week when Ohio State comes to town for Northwestern's Big Ten opener. It will be the most anticipated Northwestern home game in recent memory.
• I really liked the late-afternoon/early evening kickoff for Ohio State-Penn State last year at Beaver Stadium. Penn State gets another of these as Michigan comes to town on Oct. 12. Could a whiteout be on tap? Let's hope so.
• The ABC/ESPN prime-time slate features most of the Big Ten teams projected to contend for a championship -- except one. Nebraska has to be a little disappointed to be left out, although the Huskers' schedule in September and October -- when Big Ten prime-time games are typically played -- is very dull. A Week 3 matchup against UCLA likely will be a late-afternoon kickoff.
• Love 'em or hate 'em, Notre Dame remains a major national TV draw. The Irish will play a night game at a Big Ten stadium for the fifth consecutive season and two road night games against the Big Ten for the second time in three years.

What do you think of the ABC/ESPN prime-time schedule?

The NFL does not wait for everyone, and so what was an otherwise 10 a.m. ET call out of Baltimore turned into an early-morning wake-up for the latest former Notre Dame player to take his talents to the next level.

Blessed to get a wake up call at 4 am from the Ravens. Got a lot to prove this weekend!! Thank you Lord for this opportunity!

— Robby Toma (@RobJob293) April 29, 2013

Toma will join fellow Irish player Kapron Lewis-Moore with the Ravens. The often-overlooked 5-foot-9, 185-pound receiver is now the 13th former Irish player who will get a shot at the NFL in one form or another.

The official Notre Dame football page has a nice graphic of most of the players here.

To recap:

• Tyler Eifert, TE, Cincinnati Bengals (first round, 21st overall)
• Manti Te'o, LB, San Diego Chargers (second round, 38th overall)
• Jamoris Slaughter, S, Cleveland Browns (sixth round, 175h overall)
• Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit Lions (sixth round, 199th overall)
• Kapron Lewis-Moore, DE, Baltimore Ravens (sixth round, 200th overall)
• Zeke Motta, S, Atlanta Falcons (seventh round, 224th overall)
• Cierre Wood, RB, Houston Texans (as undrafted free agent)
• Mike Golic Jr., OL, Pittsburgh Steelers (as undrafted free agent)
• Braxston Cave, C, Cleveland Browns (as undrafted free agent)
• John Goodman, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (as undrafted free agent)
• Jordan Cowart, LS, Washington Redskins (as undrafted free agent)
• Robby Toma, WR, Baltimore Ravens (as undrafted free agent)
• Dayne Crist, QB, Kansas City Chiefs (as undrafted free agent)

Notre Dame's Oct. 26 game at Air Force will kick off at 3 p.m. MDT (5 p.m. EDT), the Mountain West Conference announced Friday.

The game will be played at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo. CBS Sports Network will broadcast the contest.

The Irish now have start times for eight of their 12 contests, as the program announced earlier this week that its Oct. 19 home game against USC will start at 7:30 p.m. EDT, while its other five games at Notre Dame Stadium will air at 3:30 p.m. EDT.

The Oct. 5 Shamrock Series tilt with Arizona State at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT.

That contest, and all six Notre Dame home games, will air on NBC. Start times have yet to be announced for Irish road dates at Michigan, Purdue, Pitt and Stanford. The Stanford game will air on Fox, while the other three will air on an ABC or ESPN affiliate.

USC will be playing a prime time game at Notre Dame Stadium once again.

Notre Dame announced Wednesday that its Oct. 19 home tilt with the rival Trojans will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, marking the third straight season that the Irish will host a night game.

Notre Dame beat visiting Michigan, 13-6, last season in prime time and lost to USC, 31-17, in 2011 in the school's first home night contest in 21 years.

As for the rest of the home start times, it's business as usual: The other five games at Notre Dame Stadium are airing at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

The Oct. 5 Shamrock Series contest against Arizona State in Arlington, Texas, will kick at 6:30 p.m. CT and air on NBC.

Road games at Michigan (Sept. 7), Purdue (Sept. 14) and Pitt (Nov. 9) will all air on an ABC or ESPN affiliate, while the Oct. 26 tilt at Air Force will air on CBS Sports Network.

The Nov. 30 season finale at Stanford will air on Fox, which was announced in March.

Start times for Notre Dame's five true road contests have yet to be announced.

Another list, another debate — though this one should again have Notre Dame fans pleased following the Irish's 2012 campaign.

The Sporting News' Matt Hayes released his list of college football coach rankings this week, one week after AthlonSports delivered a list of its own. Athlon had Brian Kelly ranked fourth. Hayes has Kelly fifth.

His reasoning:

5. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame: How impressive has Kelly been at ND? The weight of the program hasn’t crushed him like it did every other coach since Lou Holtz retired. The Alabama loss in last year’s BCS National Championship Game was brutal, but he somehow managed to get a team with significant flaws (freshman quarterback, tight-end-oriented passing game) all the way to the big game. He won championships at the NCAA lower divisions, won conference championships at the non-BCS and BCS levels, and will win a national title at Notre Dame.

The usual suspects top this list: Alabama's Nick Saban and Ohio State's Urban Meyer. After that? The debate really begins.

Boise State's Chris Petersen is No. 3, followed by Oklahoma's Bob Stoops.

Athlon's list, meanwhile, had Kansas State's Bill Snyder at No. 3.

There really are no right or wrong answers with any of these, depending on your view. Program-builder? Hard to argue with Snyder, Petersen or Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald, who comes in at No. 8 on Hayes' list. Length of success? Few can doubt Stoops' mark in Norman, though consecutive BCS-bowl-less campaigns have not made him the most popular guy among the die-hards lately.

Then there are the real head-scratchers, guys like Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer, who comes in at No. 34 on Hayes' list but is No. 9 on Athlon's. Les Miles is another one who seems to draw opposing reactions, as the LSU coach is ninth on Hayes' list but 24th on Athlon's.

Most can agree with Saban and Meyer at the top. After proving this past season that Notre Dame can succeed at the highest level, Kelly is making a case for himself to be right up there, too.

Former Notre Dame coaches Charlie Weis and Bob Davie check in at Nos. 57 and 87, respectively.