ESPN College Football

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Trevor Robinson sees it over and over again and can't help but run through number of possible ways Notre Dame could have prevented it.

"You think all we had to do was this ..."

But ...

"But when I was sitting there watching the field goal, it took me until the play was over to realize they're in a fake, because I was zoned in on them missing the field goal. I was picturing that in my mind.

"It is what it is. It's a gutsy play call and it worked out for them."

For the Fighting Irish, a matchup with Michigan State this Saturday serves as a harsh reminder of the way the Spartans utilized a play out of a video game to record a home victory last season.

The situation: Overtime, down 31-28 and facing a fourth-and-14 and from the Irish 29, MSU trotted out its field goal unit, seemingly hoping to force a second overtime.

"I was getting ready, me and Armando [Allen] were sitting right next to each other," Jonas Gray recalled, "and we were sitting and going over what we thought the defense was doing."

But not even the best-prepared unit could have predicted punter, holder and former high school quarterback Aaron Bates taking the snap, hopping to his feet and hitting tight end Charlie Gantt with a perfect throw for a game-winning touchdown, securing a 34-31 Spartans win and making the play call, "Little Giants," a smashing success.

"We were on the sideline just watching, and it was unbelievable," Braxston Cave said. "I couldn't believe it just happened. It did. It took some time. Even walking back into the tunnel I couldn't believe it just happened. I still can remember the feeling of walking off the field after that play."

Added head coach Brian Kelly: "I think the down and distance was a bit of a surprise. We know in that situation, regardless of it, we had to defend it better. But no, I thought it was a great call. It worked."

Offensive line coach and run-game coordinator Ed Warinner called the ending "devastating." Warinner coached the Spartans' linebackers and secondary from 1985-86, when he met his wife, Mary Beth.

She, of course, was working in the school's football office. And, of course, is from a family full of MSU graduates.

"I always go back there, there are so many people there that I still know that I worked with that are part of the shaping of my career and the support mechanisms," Warinner said. "Mark Dantonio and I coached together at the University of Akron, we actually lived together for six months, so we're very close and I know other guys on that staff very well as well.

"So it's one of those things."

Gray drew parallels to that loss and the one Notre Dame is currently rebounding from, a 35-31 loss to Michigan that saw three lead changes in the final 72 seconds.

But Kelly's 24-hour rule couldn't prevent Gray from running into the fake field goal while randomly turning on the television during the offseason.

"You pretty much take the reaction you had before," Gray said. "Still surprised, and realizing how close we were and just a guy here, there and they were able to get that play. You just realize how close you are and how you don't ever wanna be put in that position again."

Hours later, Dantonio, the Spartans' head coach, suffered a mild heart attack. He returned to coaching in the press box three weeks later at Michigan, then to the field two weeks after that at Northwestern.

The Spartans won that game thanks in large part to a fourth-quarter fake-punt call, appropriately titled "Mousetrap."

MSU finished the regular season 11-1 and in a three-way tie for the Big Ten title, and it now has the bull's-eye on its back against a 0-2 Irish squad all-too-familiar with last-second defeats.

"Very shocking," Cave said. "It was the last thing I expected, and it's disappointing. Definitely still got that bad taste in our mouth from that, and to see the highlight over and over when they show the top plays from last year, makes you sick to your stomach.

"And it's definitely something we haven't forgot about, and it's a little extra motivation going into this week."

In the second half of Saturday's 35-31 loss to Michigan, Notre Dame went 0-for-3 in third down situations of three yards or fewer. That problem looks manageable when compared to that of Florida Atlantic's, as the Owls managed just one first down Saturday.

In the entire game.

FAU's opponent was Michigan State, which dominated on all cylinders in winning 44-0. The 15th-ranked and defending Big Ten co-champion Spartans allowed just 44 yards of total offense, stopped the Owls on all 10 third-down plays and scored a touchdown on defense.

Not exactly what the Fighting Irish are itching to see after a pair of mistake-filled losses.

Notre Dame's offense has a nation-leading 10 turnovers through two games, severely hindering an offense that is 10th among FBS schools in total yards but tied for 69th in points scored. It will face an MSU defense that ranks third against the pass, fourth in total defense and third in scoring defense.

At 2-0, the Spartans have looked like a much more complete team than the South Florida and Michigan teams that have beaten the Irish on the way to their 2-0 starts. The Spartans are sound overall on defense, efficient on offense and, as Notre Dame learned the hard way last season, well-coached.

If there is one area MSU has shown deficiencies in through two weeks this season, it might be its rushing defense. In a 28-6 Week 1 win against FCS opponent Youngstown State, the Spartans surrendered 128 rushing yards. Despite playing from behind most of the game, the Penguins finished with more yards on the ground than they did through the air (126).

That's not to say that Notre Dame should run all over Sparty, which still boasts the nation's No. 22 rush defense. But the Irish should try to establish a ground game early.

For one, Greg Jones is no longer in the green and white. Jones, now with the New York Giants, finished last season as the school's third-leading career tackler, with 465 takedowns. His 46.5 tackles for loss were tops in school history.

Notre Dame had plenty of success running the ball up the middle early Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich. Cierre Wood carried the ball four times for 29 yards on the Irish's opening drive, and both he and change-of-pace back Jonas Gray combined for 22 yards on four carries on drive No. 2. Both series ended in touchdowns.

Wood finished the evening with 134 yards on 25 carries; Gray with 66 yards on six carries. Wood, who had 104 yards in Week 1, became the first Irish back to rush for 100 yards in two straight games since Armando Allen did so against Michigan and MSU in 2009.

Unlike Allen, Wood fumbled against Michigan, with his team driving in the fourth quarter. Gray fumbled in Week 1 at the goal line, resulting in a 96-yard touchdown for USF.

The key, of course, is protecting the ball while trying to expose a potential weakness in the defense. Then again, with the Irish, that's been the problem all along in this young season.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-5) vs. Miami Hurricanes (7-5)

Dec. 31, 2 p.m. ET (CBS)

Notre Dame take by Fighting Irish blogger Brian Bennett: At the end of October, it didn't look like Notre Dame would be playing in any bowl. The Irish stood 4-5 after dispiriting losses to Navy and Tulsa. But then came the November to remember.

Almost as if Brian Kelly flipped a switch, the team suddenly came together for one of its most encouraging stretches in years. After blowout wins over Utah and Army, Notre Dame went on the road and used a fourth-quarter comeback to finally slay USC after eight years of misery.

The winning streak was all the more remarkable given the slew of injuries that struck South Bend. Starting quarterback Dayne Crist, leading rusher Armando Allen, star tight end Kyle Rudolph and standout nose tackle Ian Williams were just a few of the walking wounded unavailable to play.

But Kelly stitched the leftover parts together, and true freshman quarterback Tommy Rees won all three of his starts. The defense shockingly turned into a force, going more than 12 quarters without allowing a touchdown.

So now there's newfound enthusiasm for these Irish, and a Hyundai Sun Bowl name-brand matchup with Miami serves as a nice reward. Given that the Hurricanes limped to the finish and fired their head coach, Notre Dame should have an excellent chance to make it a December to remember, too.

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Miami take by ACC blogger Heather Dinich: Expectations for Miami were soaring in Randy Shannon’s fourth season, but an inexplicable loss at Virginia and an overtime home loss to South Florida were too much for university officials to ignore. The Hurricanes’ season came unraveled in the season finale against the Bulls and the firing of Shannon followed hours later.

That didn’t deter Hyundai Sun Bowl officials from choosing Miami against Notre Dame in a series rich with tradition. Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland has taken over as interim head coach and said the bowl practices will determine who his quarterback will be against the Irish. Both Jacory Harris, who played for the first time since suffering a concussion at Virginia on Oct. 30, and freshman Stephen Morris, threw interceptions against the Bulls. Miami finished 3-3 at home this year, its worst record since 1997, and that includes an embarrassing loss to rival Florida State. Miami’s strength has been its defense, as the Canes rank No. 2 nationally in pass defense, No. 6 in sacks and No. 1 in tackles for loss.

Stoutland said he has tried to convince his players that a bowl win is worth working for because it will give them positive momentum heading into the offseason regardless of who their next coach is.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- I'm pretty sure this is not a home game for Utah, but there's an awful lot of visiting red at Notre Dame Stadium. A steady rain is falling, too.

Senior walk-on Brian Costello will serve as the No. 3 Irish quarterback in case something happens to Tommy Rees and Nate Montana. Coach Brian Kelly wants to preserve freshman Andrew Hendrix's redshirt for now.

There's a lot of talent in sweatsuits for Notre Dame: Dayne Crist, Kyle Rudolph, Ian Williams, Armando Allen, Theo Riddick and T.J. Jones, to name a few. Kelly had hoped Jones would be available for this game, but instead the Irish will be without three of their top receivers against the Utes. Robby Toma was running with the first-string offense at slot receiver during warm-ups.

If Notre Dame wins this game, it will likely be with some help from some previously unsung heroes.

What we learned from Notre Dame in the Irish's 28-27 home loss to Tulsa on Saturday:

1. Rees' pieces: This is, for better or worse, Tommy Rees' team now. The true freshman will have to take over at quarterback for Dayne Crist, who's apparently out for the year with a knee injury. Rees had good moments against Tulsa, throwing for four touchdowns in a tough spot. But he also had three interceptions and should never have thrown the final pick in the end zone in the final minute with Notre Dame already in field-goal position. Notre Dame will have to coach up Rees as much as possible during the bye week and hope for the best in the final three games.

2. Bye bye bowl?: Now at 4-5, the Irish have games left against Army, Utah and at USC, a place they haven't won since 2000. Dropping games to Navy and Tulsa erased all margin for error, and it's looking increasingly likely that the Irish will stay home for the holidays in Brian Kelly's first year. Any way you slice it, that's vastly disappointing.

3. Youth steps forward: All of a sudden, Notre Dame is a very young team. There's Rees at quarterback, of course. Armando Allen's career might be done at running back, leaving that job in the hands of Cierre Wood. True frosh T.J. Jones is the second-leading receiver, and Tyler Eifert has taken over for the injured Kyle Rudolph. Sophomore Sean Cwynar is starting for Ian Williams at nose tackle, with freshman Kona Schwenke seeing reps at defensive end. All this youth shows how little experienced depth the Irish had and makes a strong finishing kick even more unlikely. If there's any good news, it's that these guys are gaining valuable seasoning for 2011.

It's hard to imagine Brian Kelly having many worse eight-day stretches as head coach of Notre Dame. If he does, he won't be the Irish coach for long.

The string of misery began with a blowout loss to Navy. Then there was the tragic accident in which student Declan Sullivan was killed when a practice tower collapsed. And then came Saturday, when Notre Dame lost starting quarterback Dayne Crist and lost 28-27 to Tulsa at home. Yes, Tulsa. At home.

The Irish had a chance to win at the end, but Tommy Rees threw an interception in the end zone in the final minute. There was no excuse for taking a chance there, with the team down by a point and on the Tulsa 19, well within kicker David Ruffer's range. Ruffer, after all, hasn't missed a field goal try in his career.

But Notre Dame found a way to lose, giving up a punt return for a touchdown, having a PAT blocked and returned for two points and allowing Tulsa to convert a 3rd-and-26 deep in its own territory on the game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. It's always something.

Hard to blame Rees, a true freshman who threw four touchdowns but also three interceptions, including a pick-six. He had to step in for Crist, who is reportedly out for the season with a knee injury. That was the worst-case scenario for the Irish, and it looks like it's coming true. Rees may have to be the quarterback the rest of the year.

At least it might be a short year, as bowl chances are now dwindling. Notre Dame has to beat either Utah or win at USC to get to six wins, and neither seems likely. Heck, just having enough bodies is becoming a problem. Crist is out, and leading rusher Armando Allen didn't play with a hip problem. Top defensive lineman Ian Williams is out for the year, along with All-America tight end Kyle Rudolph.

The only good news for Notre Dame is that next week is a bye week. After this eight-day stretch, they really need it.

1. The good news for Ohio State fans is that when the Buckeyes have been No. 1 under coach Jim Tressel, they are 6-0 playing in road games. No. 18 Wisconsin has the most difficult place to play in the Big Ten. The Badgers have won 25 of their past 28 night games at Camp Randall Stadium. Tressel is 2-1 there. There are two conference stadiums in which he doesn’t have a winning record. Tressel is 2-2 at Purdue and 1-1 at Iowa.

2. Notre Dame’s refusal to stray too far from .500 over the past four years has left senior running back Armando Allen Jr. to enjoy relative anonymity as he climbed into fifth place on the school’s career all-purpose yardage list with 4,247 yards. Allen trails Julius Jones, Autry Denson, Allen Pinkett and Tim Brown, all of whom cut higher profiles with the Irish than Allen. That says something about the megaphone provided by winning, and about the state of Irish football.

3. My half-season analysis: The best team with a losing record? I’ll take Clemson at 2-3 with close losses to Auburn, Miami and North Carolina. Worst team with a winning record? Indiana (3-2), which has defeated three teams, including FCS Towson, with a combined record of 1-17. Worst of the 13 unbeatens? Tell me again exactly whom Oklahoma State has beaten. Best of the four winless? Western Kentucky (0-5), which already has played four road games.

Brian Kelly insists this is not a transition year for Notre Dame.

Kelly is installing a new system on both sides of the ball and hopefully a new mindset during his first year in South Bend. But he knows impatient Irish fans want him to win games, not talk about rebuilding.

Notre Dame has a record resembling that of a reclamation effort: 3-3. Yet there are positive signs if you look close enough.

The Irish are one crazy fake field goal play in overtime and one defensive stop away from possibly being 5-1. Of course, people are sick about hearing how close this program is from being better. What has improved is an overall mental toughness; Notre Dame isn't physically stout enough to hang with an imposing team like Stanford, but the Irish have dealt with adversity while making big plays on the road at Michigan State and holding Pittsburgh down defensively while clinging to a lead.

What still needs to come is an ability to step on an opponent's throat when the momentum is on their side. Dayne Crist needs to understand the complexities of the spread offense better so Kelly can let him and the offense loose to play at a higher tempo. Mistakes like careless turnovers in the red zone and drive-killing penalties have to end.

The good news for the Irish is they can work on these things while playing Western Michigan, Navy and Tulsa in the next three games. After that stretch, the record should look less like that of a team in transition.

Offensive MVP: Armando Allen, RB

While Crist has been inconsistent, Michael Floyd has had costly fumbles and Kyle Rudolph has played through an injured hamstring, Allen has been about as reliable a player as the Irish have. Notre Dame may never have a high-powered run game, but Allen runs hard every time and is on pace to approach a 900-yard season. Defenses can't just load up against the pass when Allen is in the game.

Defensive MVP: Manti Te'o, LB

Nose tackle Ian Williams and cornerback Darrin Walls have had strong seasons, but there's no doubt who the star is on the Irish defense. Te'o has taken well to the inside linebacker spot in Bob Diaco's 3-4 as just a true sophomore, leading the team with 69 tackles. He still makes the occasional mistake, but it's almost always out of aggression, and Te'o is the one guy who can totally blow up an opposing offense's best-laid plans.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- We're probably not headed for 45-44 game like the last time Brian Kelly and Dave Wannstedt met, but both Pitt and Notre Dame are moving the ball well early in this game.

The best news for Pittsburgh is that Tino Sunseri is putting together his best game of the season thus far. He started 8 for 8 and his first incompletion was wisely thrown out of bounds as Jon Baldwin was well covered. Speaking of Baldwin, he and Sunseri have formed a connection finally, including a 32-yard hookup over the middle. That kind of play has been sorely lacking ths year.

Ray Graham also came in and gave an immediate spark late in the first quarter, which ended with Notre Dame leading 7-3 but Pitt at the 10-yard line. Graham needs to play more than Dion Lewis today.

The Irish, after a opening three-and-out, marched down the field on an impressive drive for the game's lone touchdown. Armando Allen and the offensive line moved the pile on the ground, and Dayne Crist exploited the Pitt defense for quick, short throws, including a touchdown to Michael Floyd.

Neither defense is distinguishing itself yet, but both offenses are playing at a fast pace and with confidence.

It's not as if all that ails Notre Dame has suddenly been cured. But the Irish got exactly what they needed against Boston College.

Already reeling at 1-3 after a blowout loss to Stanford, the Domers could not have afforded another loss. They instead offered reasons for optimism with a commanding road performance in a 31-13 win.

After racing to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, the Irish basically held serve the rest of the game. Still, they showed they could dominate an opponent from start to finish, even if Boston College has a shaky résumé and some serious questions on offense.

Armando Allen rushed for 82 yards against the nation's No. 6 run defense, and Dayne Crist completed 24 of 44 passes for 200 yards and two scores. If those stats don't seem all that intimidating, that's the point; this game was never in doubt despite a lack of standout individual performances. There's still a lot of room for progress here, and with the schedule starting to lighten now, Notre Dame can really start to get better and rack up some wins if it continues to improve.

The defense shut down Boston College, but again, this is a bad offensive team with serious quarterback issues. Notre Dame had to win this game because a 1-4 start would have been unbearable for all involved. That the Irish won it in relatively easy fashion is a breath of fresh air for a program that has seemingly been life or death every week when it's not getting hammered by good teams like Stanford.

Now, the three-game losing streak has been erased and replaced with some positive feelings just as Notre Dame has a chance to get on a little bit of a roll.

What to watch from Notre Dame in Saturday night's game at Boston College:

1. Can the Irish run the ball?: Notre Dame is by no means a great running team, but it has looked competent at times this season with Armando Allen. Boston College owns the nation's sixth-best rushing defense, allowing just 71 yards per game, and has stuffed the Irish backs over the years. There was a depth chart change this week, with Robert Hughes moving ahead of Cierre Wood as Allen's backup. Hughes is the biggest back Notre Dame has and may offer some a physical style. But the Irish offense could become one dimensional if they can't move it on the ground.

2. Is stopping the run enough?: The Eagles' Montel Harris is the leading rusher in the ACC, and the Irish are sure to see healthy helpings of handoffs to him. But Boston College is making a quarterback change, and all indications are that true freshman Chase Rettig will get the call. Notre Dame went back and studied some high school film of Rettig this week just in case. Unless Rettig is a natural, this should be an advantage for the visiting team. Look for defensive coordinator Bob Diaco to stuff the box and make Rettig prove he can beat the Irish.

3. Charting Crist: It seems like every week we're talking about the development of Dayne Crist, but that's because the quarterback is so important to this offense. Last week, Stanford often dropped eight men into pass coverage, and Crist and the offense did not respond well. He also got knocked around quite a bit. Boston College could try similar tactics, though that's not really their style. Either way, Crist has to make better decisions, and if the defense is going to drop that many in coverage, he may have to run the ball more himself, too.

The first half between Michigan State and Notre Dame sure hasn't been a thing of beauty. The teams are tied 7-7, and there are as many mistakes as there are points.

Notre Dame has fumbled and thrown an interception inside the Michigan State 20. The Spartans returned the favor by tossing a pick in the end zone and bumbling a promising drive just before the half ended.

Dayne Crist looked sharp early and threw a touchdown pass to Michael Floyd, but the Irish offense had trouble late in the half. The running game ground to a halt, and it looked as if Armando Allen hurt his hand.

Michigan State was picking on the Notre Dame safeties and linebackers in the passing game, but not cleanly enough to take full advantage.

Games between these two are always close. They're usually a little prettier than this. Whoever makes fewer mistakes in the second half might take this one home.

Michigan defensive end Ryan Van Bergen enjoyed the Denard Robinson Show as much as anyone.

Watching Robinson and the Wolverines offense go up and down the field last week against Connecticut also served as motivation for Van Bergen and the defense.

"Definitely feel like we're strides behind the offense in getting everything down," Van Bergen told ESPN.com this week. "We had some glimpses Saturday, and I think we'll be able to seal some things up and hopefully keep improving.

"We'll get to that level eventually."

Led by Robinson's record-setting performance, the Michigan offense overshadowed a pretty solid defensive effort against Connecticut.

The Wolverines allowed only one touchdown and held UConn scoreless in the second half. Take away a juggling 47-yard reception by Michael Smith, and Connecticut had only 296 yards in the game.

To be fair, the Huskies missed several opportunities to attack Michigan's young secondary, particularly in the first half. Connecticut had its moments, but so did Michigan's defense, none bigger than J.T. Floyd's forced fumble and Obi Ezeh's recovery near the Wolverines' goal line late in the third quarter.

"We're certainly still a work in progress, but I was really pleased to be able to limit UConn to 10 points," coach Rich Rodriguez said. "We played pretty well assignment-wise, we tackled pretty solidly. We gave up a couple big plays, but we also made a couple big plays defensively."

And the defense could have made more.

"We had two interceptions hit guys right in the hands," Van Bergen said. "There were some plays Saturday that if we sealed up, our numbers on defense would have spoken even bigger."

The challenge for Michigan's defense should get tougher Saturday at Notre Dame (NBC, 3:30 p.m. ET). Although Michigan beat the Irish last year 38-34, the defense had little to do with it.

Jimmy Clausen, Golden Tate, Michael Floyd and Armando Allen pretty much had their way with Michigan, piling up 490 yards and 27 first downs.

Clausen and Tate are gone to the NFL, but Floyd and Allen are back, along with tight end Kyle Rudolph, one of the frontrunners for the Mackey Award. They're operating in a new spread offense under first-year coach Brian Kelly, and a new quarterback, Dayne Crist, will be calling the signals.

"I would call this team significantly different," Van Bergen said. "Notre Dame did a lot more drop-back, seven-man protection for Clausen with two guys in routes. This is a bit more of a spread attack, using more receivers.

"They have a developed quick game, and it’s something we’ll have to prepare for."

Both Van Bergen and Rodriguez identified tackling as an area Michigan must improve after Week 1. With so many young players, especially in the secondary, Michigan allowed "some leaky yardage," Van Bergen said.

That can't happen against Notre Dame, which operates at a rapid pace and makes it tough to reach Crist.

"They like to up-tempo you," Rodriguez said. "They’re going to put it out in space, whether it's to their tight end or their backs or their receivers, and we've got to get them on the ground quickly. Because if not, they'll go up and down the field on you.

"We had a hard time stopping them last year, and even though it's a different scheme, this scheme may be even more difficult to stop."

One way to do it is control the line of scrimmage. Michigan failed to record a sack last week, but end-linebacker Craig Roh and others applied pressure to quarterback Zach Frazer.

Notre Dame's offensive line is supposedly better, but Michigan boasts more experience up front with Van Bergen, Mike Martin and others.

"Having our experience won't hurt us," Van Bergen said, "and their youth, they might be more inclined to get frustrated if things start not going their way. It'll be interesting to see how that develops."

Two of college football's storied programs meet Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium, but the only thing historic about these teams are their helmets. Two spread offenses and two coaches known for their offensive creativity match wits. Both Michigan and Notre Dame recorded critical wins in their season openers, and bloggers Brian Bennett and Adam Rittenberg take a closer look at this week's matchup.

Adam Rittenberg: So, Bennett, we meet again. Good starts for both the Irish and the Wolverines on Saturday, and it should be a great one in South Bend. Let's talk offense. What do you think Knute Rockne and Fielding Yost would say about these two systems matching up?

Brian Bennett: I think both coaches would have spit in a leather helmet in disgust. What's the over/under on total number of snaps under center on Saturday? Five?

Yet, for all the talk of the spread offense, Notre Dame stuck to an old staple to beat Purdue: the running game. Running backs Armando Allen and Cierre Wood together averaged better than six yards per carry, and the Irish were happy to hand off and stick to the short passing game as the Boilermakers defense played Cover 2 and protected against the deep ball. I don't think Michigan will attack Notre Dame the same way, and the bubble wrap will have to come off quarterback Dayne Crist in Week 2.

As for the Wolverines, Denard Robinson was incredible. But I didn't see a whole lot out of the backs and receivers, and now it looks like Roy Roundtree won't play. Is Michigan a one-man offense, and can it win on Saturday that way?

AR: Good point about the Irish run game, and I think the matchup between Michigan's defensive line and Notre Dame's offensive front could decide the game. Despite the loss of Brandon Graham, Michigan boasts good experience and talent up front with Mike Martin, Greg Banks, Ryan Van Bergan and dynamic sophomore Craig Roh. They'll try to take advantage of a young Notre Dame line that, despite all the talk about weight room progress, remains unproven in my eyes.

Robinson was ridiculous against Connecticut, and you can't expect him to duplicate the performance in South Bend. Then again, the guy only needs about a foot of daylight to break through the line, and then, good luck trying to bring him down. Vincent Smith and Michael Shaw both scored touchdowns in the opener, but they'll need to be more effective out of the backfield against the Irish. Roundtree would be a big loss, but wideouts Darryl Stonum and Kelvin Grady, and tight end Kevin Koger all are good targets for Robinson, who also hooked up with Terrence Robinson for a 43-yard gain.

In many ways, Michigan won the UConn game at the line of scrimmage. How do you see the two groups matching up on Saturday?

BB: The Irish played well in the trenches against Purdue, but Michigan presents a tougher challenge. With the way Brian Kelly runs the spread, the ball is out of the quarterback's hand quickly, so that neutralizes the pass rush to some degree. The key in my mind is whether the Notre Dame line can open running lanes when the Wolverines drop men into coverage.

Defensively, the front three for Notre Dame proved stout against Purdue, and surprisingly the backups gave them a solid rotation. Ian Williams looks like a perfect fit as nose tackle in a 3-4, and Kapron Lewis-Moore and Ethan Johnson can make plays off the edge. I think the pressure is on the Irish linebackers to make plays in this game. Manti Te'o should be a stud and the perfect antidote to Robinson, but he missed a lot of tackles in Week 1. Darius Fleming is their hybrid guy, and he was stuck on the sidelines with cramps for most of the Purdue game. Once Robinson gets through the first line of defense, can the Irish contain him in the open field?

How about the Michigan pass defense? Connecticut missed some opportunities there, but the Huskies don't have guys like Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph at their disposal.

AR: Totally agree about Connecticut missing some major opportunities to attack downfield, especially in the first two and a half quarters. Michigan is extremely young in the secondary and likely will be down another starter, as linebacker-safety Carvin Johnson sprained his knee in the opener. Michael Floyd absolutely shredded this defense a year ago, so you can bet Notre Dame will try to get him the ball a lot on Saturday. We'll likely see a lot of Floyd vs. Floyd, as Michigan's J.T. Floyd as emerged as the team's top cornerback and forced a big fumble against UConn. Cue the Pink Floyd music.

I'm interested to see how Michigan approaches Rudolph, a matchup problem for pretty much any team he faces. Linebackers Jonas Mouton and Obi Ezeh played well in the opener, but they'll certainly be tested by No. 9. Roh brought a ton of heat against UConn, but he might have to drop back more in this game.

OK, Bennett, you're on the spot. Your Michigan-UConn pick didn't work out so great, and some of my new friends in Ann Arbor were calling you nasty names Friday night. Who wins Saturday and what's the biggest key to the game?

BB: Well, I'm happy to play the villain in Ann Arbor as long as they still let me in the bars there. I have little doubt this will be a close game, possibly as exciting as last year's shootout. Notre Dame will have its hands full with Robinson, but I think the Irish have a more well-rounded offensive attack. And they will take advantage of that young secondary while making just enough plays of their own defensively. A special-teams play might be the difference. Brian Kelly gets his first big win as the Irish squeak by.

Now tell me why I'm wrong.

AR: You're always welcome in Ann Arbor. Just tell them you know me.

It'll definitely be a close game, and like last year, we should have a dramatic finish. Michigan's young secondary concerns me, and Crist will make plays downfield to both Floyd and Rudolph. But I also have my doubts about Notre Dame's line play and the overall toughness of that team. Robinson is certainly the X-factor here, and while Michigan can't run him 29 times again, he'll make some big plays. If special teams makes the difference, Michigan could be in trouble. Notre Dame jumps ahead, but D-Rob leads the Wolverines back in the fourth quarter for a narrow win and continues to grow his legend in Ann Arbor.

What we learned about Notre Dame in its 23-12 win over Purdue:

1. Runs, too, shall pass: So much attention was put on new coach Brian Kelly's pass-based offense. But the opener proved that the Irish can run the ball too. In fact, they ran it 10 more times than they passed it, with Armando Allen and Cierre Wood combining for 151 yards on 25 attempts (six yards per carry). Notre Dame will need to continue to run the ball effectively to beat the physical teams on its schedule.

2. The defense does have depth: One of Notre Dame's biggest concerns, and the coaches acknowledged it, was a lack of depth on defense. It didn't seem to be too much of a problem versus Purdue. Starting safety Jamoris Slaughter went out early with an injury, while linebacker Darius Fleming was sidelined often by cramping. But the defense simply filled in, and nose tackle Ian Williams said a solid rotation on the line kept him fresh. This is still a defense that can't afford too many injuries, but it may have more depth than originally thought.

3. Coaching matters: The Irish had only two penalties and one turnover. They were very solid on special teams and were well-conditioned when the fourth quarter hit. In other words, they looked like a solid all-around team for the first time in a long time. There is still much room for improvement, but the team appears on the right track under Brian Kelly.