South Bend, Indiana is home to college football’s most prestigious program. The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame have a tradition like no other. From Knute Rockne to The Four Horsemen to Touch Down Jesus, this is what college football is all about. Let's take a look at the 2012 version of the Fighting Irish. Quarterback: The QB position is one of question for the Irish entering this season. Tommy Rees is the incumbent but he struggled at the end of last year. When you combine that with his off the field problems (he is suspended for the first game of the season) I expect to see a different signal caller under center this year and not just for game one. Chomping at the bit to start is junior, Andrew Hendrix and sophomore Everett Golson. Also in the mix is incoming freshmen Gunner Kiel. However, I expect Kiel to redshirt and preserve a year of eligibility. Both Hendrix and Golson bring an element that Rees lacks and that is the ability to run. If you know Brian Kelly than you know that he would much rather have a mobile QB as that enables him to open up his spread offense and keep the defense honest as they will have to respect the quarterbacks running ability. So who will get the start? While we won't know for sure until the starter is announced in a few weeks, I think Golson will get the nod and that he is the best option. He is an exciting runner and a very accurate passer with a strong arm. Based on his performance in the Blue and Gold game he is more than capable. He will need to limit his mistakes as I'm sure defenses will be showing him a lot of different looks. Turnovers killed the Irish last season and if Golson, or whoever the QB is, can hold onto the ball and limit mistakes, the Irish will improve on wins this season. Running Backs: The Irish will be without the services of Jonas Gray this year as the big back moves on to the NFL. Gray was Notre Dame’s best back last year whose season was cut short after a season ending injury against Boston College. Back for the Irish is one thousand yard rusher Cierre Wood. Joining him in the backfield will be Theo Riddick who makes the transition from receiver to running back. Riddick came to Notre Dame as a running back and is very comfortable at the position. Also expected to see some carries this year is George Atkinson III. Atkinson was MVP of the Blue and Gold game and will definitely see action. Amir Carlisle, a USC transfer, should also see plenty of playing time. The only thing lacking from the running back position is that big bruising type of back. However, with four solid backs and a good rotation they should be able to stay fresh and hopefully healthy. Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: There is no doubt the Irish will miss the services of Michael Floyd this year. Floyd was the type of player that defenses were forced to prepare for. With Floyd playing 2012 in the NFL that means there will be more opportunities for other players. TJ Jones, John Goodman, and Roby Toma will most likely see the most action. However, Irish fans are hoping that DaVaris Daniels can make a splash as he will be a sophomore this year and came out of high school highly decorated. Incoming freshman Davonte Neal is also a name to remember. This kid could be very, very special. Notre Dame’s best receiver is playmaking tight end Tyler Eifert. Not only is he among the nation’s elite, he is a huge target at 6-6 and 251 pounds. Expect him to see plenty of targets this season. Offensive Line: This will be a unit of strength for the Irish this year. A veteran bunch that is led by senior Zack Martin will be counted on to open up holes for running game and protect an inexperienced (more than likely) quarterback. This veteran bunch is more than capable of doing just that. Defensive Line: The entire front seven will be a strength for this years Irish. Despite the transfer of freshman All-American Aaron Lynch this will be one of the better defensive fronts in all of college football. Leading the D-line will be big, strong sophomore Stephon Tuitt and fifth year senior Kapron Lewis-Moore. They will be part of a strong rotation that will put pressure on opposing teams quarterbacks and shut down running games. Since Brian Kelly has become the head coach at Notre Dame there has been an influx of talent on the defensive side of the football. Linebackers: Another strong unit that is lead by all world linebacker Manti Te’o. He is the heart and soul of this Irish defense. Much like the defensive line this is a unit that will have a strong rotation to help keep guys fresh. Secondary: This is an area of concern for the Irish. They lost a lot of guys from last years squad that included both corners and one very good safety in Harrison Smith. There is good talent replacing what has graduated and moved on but they will be inexperienced. Expect opposing teams to attack this unproven secondary as much as possible. Special Teams: Kyle Brindza and Nick Tausch will battle it out for kicking duties. Ben Turk needs to be a better punter this season as he was inconsistent last year. The return game should be good with Atkinson on kickoff returns. Also, expect incoming freshman Davonte Neal to see action. The punt return game was dreadful last season and has no place to go but up. Overall Analysis: So just how good is this Notre Dame team? Last year they finished 8-4 with a loss in their bowl game to finish 8-5 on the year. However, they were in every one of their losses and could have won all of them had it not been for turnovers. But that is what separates good teams from great teams. In order for Notre Dame to get back to that elite status they must find a way to win the close games. This season the Irish schedule is arguably the toughest in the nation. Five teams they play are in the pre-season top 25 which include the likes of Michigan State, Michigan, Stanford, and USC. If Notre Dame makes the same mistakes as they did last year it could be a long season. However, if the Irish can get past the first four games without a loss (Navy, Purdue, Michigan State, Michigan) and head into the bye week before facing Miami at Soldier Field, then Irish eyes will be smiling. Many people are predicting the Irish finishing about the same as they did last year. I get a different feeling about this Notre Dame team. It may not be a popular opinion but I think this team could be BCS bound. I think they will surprise a lot of people this year but only time will tell. I think the irish will show major line value all year so keep a look out and hey at 28-1 odds to win the national title its worth a small 10 dime play. Chase Diamond
 

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