ESPN College Football

New York 1, New Jersey 0.

• BlueandGold.com's Wes Morgan introduces us to Pat Welsh and Josh Reardon, Notre Dame's graduate assistants.
• Tyler Eifert is running away in Phil Steele's poll of the top returning tight ends in college football this season.
• CSNChicago.com's JJ Stankevitz wonders if the Big 12 could be Notre Dame's ticket out of the Big East.
• Jeff Samardzija is paying off for the Cubs, Gordon Wittenmyer writes in the Chicago Sun-Times.
• A few days late here, but it looks like Brian Kelly got to speak at his alma mater only after a fellow Assumption linebacker, Nick DiAntonio, took the podium as valedictorian, Jennifer Toland writes in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

(Nods approvingly.)

• Don't look now, but Jeff Samardzija is having himself a pretty nice season.
• Colleague Adam Rittenberg has a good take here on OSU and what can set a power program back.
• Mel Kiper grades every team in the NFL draft.
• BlueandGold.com's looks at Week 2 opponent Purdue coming out of spring.
• Yahoo! Sports' Dan Wetzel looks at possible playoff solutions.

Rest in peace, Mike Wallace. Guessing Luke's will be selling plenty of your meatloaf this week.

• Jeff Samardzija is still adept at reinvention, Doug Padilla writes on ESPNChicago.com.
• Notre Dame commit Hunter Bivin has been selected to the Under Armour All-America Game in January,
  our Dave Hooker writes.
• The Irish plan to deploy Tyler Eifert all over the field, Brian Hamilton writes in the Chicago Tribune.
• Chuck Martin is still assessing his quarterbacks, Lou Somogyi writes on BlueandGold.com.
• AthlonSports.com says Brian Kelly is the 10th-best coach heading into 2012.

Who does everyone have this weekend?

• Another incentive for Notre Dame to shore up the punt return game: There's a return man award this year.
• Speaking of special teams, BlueandGold.com's Dan Murphy writes that this year's new rule could increase touchbacks.
• Another impact early enrollees list, another Gunner Kiel mention, this time from Rana L. Cash of the Sporting News.
• Manti Te'o is back to finish what he started, Tim Prister writes on IrishIllustrated.com.
• Jeff Samardzija wrapped up a strong case for a Cubs rotation spot, Paul Sullivan writes in the Chicago Tribune.

Now who will David Robinson cheer for Sept. 1 in Dublin?

• Robinson's son, Corey, is the newest member of the Irish's 2013 recruiting class. Our Damon Sayles has the story.
• Charley Molnar's first spring at UMass is underway, Jeff Thomas writes in The Republican.
• Players are battling for touches, not starting jobs this year, Dan Murphy writes on BlueandGold.com.
• Manti Te'o has found his comfort zone, Tim Prister writes on IrishIllustrated.com.
• Did former Irish wideout Jeff Samardzija take a jab at Ryan Braun?
• Dayne Crist begins the spring as Kansas' No. 1 QB.

Brian Kelly is expected to kick off spring with a news conference right around now. Check back here later for what he has to say.

• Former Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn has joined former coach Romeo Crennel and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.
• Quinn's favorite target with the Irish, Jeff Samardzija, is building a case for a starting job with the Chicago Cubs, Paul Sullivan writes in the Chicago Tribune.
• WEEI.com's Nicholas O'Malley looks at Michael Floyd, who could be on the board when the New England Patriots make their draft selection.
• Via BlueandGold.com, coachingsearch.com says Brian Kelly has the second-most Twitter followers among FBS head coaches, behind LSU's Les Miles. (Insert "chest and ability" joke here.)
• BlueandGold.com's Dan Murphy previews Irish opponent Miami.

Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday ...

• Colleague Kevin Gemmell catches up with USC coach Lane Kiffin here and here.
• Former Notre Dame assistant Bill Sheridan's time with Ohio State lasted ... not long. He's on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Former Irish wideout Jeff Samardzija is fighting for a spot in the Chicago Cubs' rotation.
• Questions await Michael Floyd at the combine, Eric Hansen writes in the South Bend Tribune.
• Everett Golson is CBSSports.com's Bruce Feldman's most intriguing redshirt freshman.

Michael Floyd is one of 10 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's best wide receiver.

Floyd, a senior, has 77 receptions for 922 yards and seven touchdown catches this season. He has a rushing touchdown as well. Floyd is tied for ninth in the nation in receptions per game (7.70), is ninth in receptions, is 20th in receiving yards and is 23rd in receiving yards per game (92.20).

Floyd needs 17 catches to surpass Golden Tate's school record for single-season receptions and is just 78 receiving yards shy of his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. Only Tate and Jeff Samardzija have had multiple 1,000-receiving-yard seasons in Notre Dame uniforms.

Tate won the Biletnikoff Award in 2009.

The vote for three finalists for this year's award will take place Wednesday through Sunday, and the winner will be announced Dec. 8.

Still waiting, NBA.

• Notre Dame's flavor of the week is vanilla, Eric Hansen writes in the South Bend Tribune.
• Chris Salvi takes his walk-on duties seriously, Brian Hamilton writes in the Chicago Tribune.
• The Chicago Cubs have declined a $3 million option on reliever and former Irish wideout Jeff Samardzija.
• Jim Grobe says there is a good chance Orville Reynolds could debut Saturday, Dan Collins writes in the Winston-Salem Journal.
• Things aren't getting any easier for the Demon Deacons, Luke Decock writes in the News & Observer.

The Bucs clinch a 19th-straight losing season the day the Phils clinch a fifth-straight playoff spot. That's not even fair.

• Todd McShay has been impressed by Michael Floyd and Cierre Wood so far . Mel Kiper has Manti Te'o high on his Big Board .
• Interested in conference expansion talk? You won't find a more insightful discussion than Mike Tirico's Wednesday podcast. The interview with Mike Tranghese is particularly candid.
• Jeff Samardzija isn't worried about Notre Dame's 0-2 start, Fred Mitchell writes in the Chicago Tribune.
• The Irish's offensive line has been getting the job done, Rachel Terlep writes in the Elkhart Truth.
• Matt Hinton, a.k.a Dr. Saturday, is calling for the real Notre Dame to stand up.
• Uni-talk seems to be all the rage through two weeks. The New York Times' Mike Tanier takes a look at the parties involved, including Michigan and Notre Dame.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- It seemed like just yesterday everyone was wondering if Notre Dame was going to return its biggest offensive threat this season.

Would Michael Floyd be suspended after the third alcohol-related offense of his career? Would the receiver be back with the Fighting Irish at all?

A season-opening loss to South Florida has shifted the question to who will be on the other end of Floyd's march through the Notre Dame record books.

Saturday it was both Dayne Crist and Tommy Rees. And whoever it is this weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich., can be thankful to have No. 3 to throw to.

Floyd dazzled in the first game of his senior season, snatching a career-high 12 receptions for 154 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It was his 14th career 100-yard receiving game, one shy of Golden Tate's school record.

Floyd finished the day with 183 career catches, surpassing Jeff Samardzija's school record of 179. He climbed up the school's receiving yards list as well, as he is now 15 yards away from taking the top spot away from Tate, who had 2,707 career receiving yards.

Rees found the most success with Floyd against the Bulls, connecting with him 10 times for 107 yards and on both scores in situations in which the defense knew he'd be gunning it.

Crist hit Floyd two times for 37 yards.

Floyd was diplomatic afterward, saying there wasn't a difference between the two quarterbacks despite a more productive second half.

"The defense gave us a certain coverage and [Rees] threw it to the coverage," Floyd said. "I was open and he made the plays."

There should be plenty of opportunities to make more plays against Michigan. Despite showing big-play capability in scoring two defensive touchdowns Saturday, the Wolverines struggled at times in pass coverage against Western Michigan, allowing Alex Carder to complete 22 of 31 passes for 183 yards in a game that lasted less than three quarters. Carder went 8-for-8 on the game's first drive.

New questions arose surrounding a key piece of Notre Dame's offense Saturday. With Floyd not missing a beat after a rocky offseason, Irish fans can be thankful the questions no longer surround him.