Welcome Back My Friends...

To the Show that never ends…will we like the outcome this afternoon? I think we will.

Signs are positive moving in to the 2011 season, and there’s no really big reason to think the Irish won’t take care of business against South Florida. There will obviously be some first game jitters, but that will occur for both teams, and having the game in the friendly confines of ND Stadium will help us in that regard. And you know, I’d really like it if the team could make our home field a place people don’t want to visit. We were only 4-3 at home last year. 3-3 in 2009. 4-2 in 2008. And let’s not forget (no, let’s do) our wretched 1-6 home record in 2007. 6-1 in 2006. So over the last half decade, we’re That’s 18-15 over the last 4 years. Um, a little less than impressive, to say the least.

So today let’s start on the road to 6-0 at home.

It won’t necessarily be an easy game, but we should win. Both our offense and our defense should be improved this year, and the special teams have nowhere to go but up. Godfather has stated it’s pretty darned hot out there today. Our depth will help us in this regard as well.

I’d love to see a game where we win the toss, defer, and the defense begins dictating the action. Force a turnover or two, be stingy, scoring drives that get held to field goal attempts, etc. And the offense needs to work on balance, balance, balance. A few long sustained drives that result in TDs. Go for it on fourth down a time or two (successfully).

Godfather has us hitting 30 points this week. That would be nice. I’m going to go a little lower, but we’ll still cover the 10 point spread in today’s LA Times. Irish 27, Bulls 16. You heard it hear first!

Band question for those who have been going to campus a lot lately” Since when does the band where their uniform hats out to Saturday morning practice?? Looks REALLY dumb. At least on YouTube it does.

GO IRISH!!!! BEAT BULLS!!!!

The Colonel