Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

What to watch from Notre Dame in this week's game at Pitt:

1. Charlie Weis' last stand? All of the talk this week has been about Weis' future after the Navy loss. Will that be a distraction for his team, or will the Irish come out inspired to win one for their coach? And with the BCS now off the table, how much motivation will Notre Dame bring to this road game?

2. Red zone or dead zone? Notre Dame lost to Navy because it couldn't punch the ball into the end zone (six red zone chances, two scores). The Irish have been pretty bad all year in the red zone, at least statistically speaking. Surely that's been a huge emphasis this week in practice, but tight end Kyle Rudolph -- one of the team's top red zone threats, is out with a shoulder injury. Does Weis unveil some injuries? Touchdowns, not field goals, will be needed against a Pitt team with a potent offense of its own.

3. Who gets pressure? Notre Dame's experienced offensive line has done a good job protecting Jimmy Clausen most of the year, but USC managed to get pressure with its front four. Pitt has the second best defensive line the Irish will have seen all year. The Panthers' defensive philosophy is based on getting their front four to disrupt the pocket; they do not want to let Clausen sit back and pick his spots all night. On the flip side, Notre Dame will have to get some heat on Bill Stull. But the Panthers' offensive line has been one of the best in the Big East, especially when they keep tight end Nate Byham in for blocking purposes.