The Longer Papi Waits, The More Guilty He Looks.

It has now been over four days since David Ortiz told the media and the public he'd get to the

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bottom of the positive drug test in 2003 that supposedly blindsided him.

And with each moment that passes, he loses more and more credibility. Not that he has a lot left anyway.

He claims he didn't know he failed a test, yet a Boston Globe article published August 1st claims otherwise, that he and others were in fact notified. Granted, they were not notified immediately, but they were notified in 2004, which means that there is no reason that in 2009 he should have acted surprised by the report.

He says he wants to get to the bottom of all this and let us all know what he finds. But wouldn't you think he would want to find everything out as soon as possible? Wouldn't it be prudent for the man who made the Red Sox trip to the 2004 World Series possible to make e

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very effort to be as forthright as possible?

The one thing that has given Ortiz some leeway with Boston fans and the nation is largely because he is that lovable teddy bear. His personality gives him some room to play with when it comes to questions of character. Big Papi being Big Papi has created a reaction that wasn't seen from fans when Manny Ramirez tested positive earlier this season or when Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa or Roger Clemens were implicated. Fans are more willing to make excuses, more ready to try and make sense of it all, rather than just make blind accusations and point fingers.

But how long will that last when the big man remains silent?

And how smart is it for him to stay quiet? After today's off day, the Red Sox face a tough six-game stretch against Tampa Bay and New York that could either aid or severely

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hamper their hopes of winning the AL East. In a very similar respect, Ortiz's moves over the next few days could go either way. Does he really want to go into New York with so many questions still revolving around him? Sure, every answer will spawn a new question. That's the way it works. But the only thing that would make that a real issue is if he gets caught lying and he can't keep his story straight. If he comes out and says what he knows, he has a chance to reclaim some of his credibility.

There is the possibility that he is one of the eight players on the list who tested positive for a supplement called 19 norandrostedione, which contains nandrolone, a muscle-building substance that was not banned in 2003. But if Ortiz suspected this was the culprit of his failed test, wouldn't it behoove him to find out for a fact that's what it was and shout from the rooftops that he didn't do anything wrong?

But instead, there's been no sense of urgency on Ortiz's part. We're left waiting for answers and he looks more and more like someone trying to make calculations on the next step he takes in terms of damage control. But time is up. It's time for him to speak. The man who once said that players who test positive for steroids should be banned for a year needs to stand up and say something.

Where Have You Gone, Jason Bay?

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It's hard to get on a guy who's leading the league in RBI in a season that will by far eclipse any season he's had in his career, production-wise.

But I'm going to do it anyway.

Sure, Jason Bay is first in the league and third in all of baseball in RBI behind two pretty good hitters in Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols. But folks, let's remember that he's been stuck at 72 RBI's since July 9 and has only had three RBI in the month of July.

I realize those numbers were sure to be down with a four-day break right smack dab in the middle, but let's face it, the man has been slowly fading away for some time now.

Month by month, Bay's batting average, on-base percentage and slugging have all slid. Observe:

With the exception of a better on-base percentage in July, everything has dropped off the table, especially over the last two months.

15 of Bay's 20 home runs came in the first two months of the season, that is to say 50 games. He averaged a home run every 11.8 at-bats. He had almost an RBI a night. In the last 37 games, he's hit five homers at a clip of one per 27.6 at-bats with 23 RBI. While he only hit .230 in June, it was acceptable because he was still driving in runs, knocking in 20 over 28 games. Still respectable. But what he's done since has to be cause for concern.

And while Bay has never been known as one to keep his strikeout totals down, lately, his number of quality at-bats has plummeted. This month alone he has 19 strikeouts, setting a pace for him to fan almost 40 times in a month that featured the All-Star break.

To what can we attribute this dramatic free fall? We all knew that Jason Bay wasn't going to hit 60 home runs with 170 RBI. But no one expected the kind of disappearing act he's pulled.

Could it be he's missing the presence of a legitimate bat behind him? Mike Lowel

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l has spent most of the year batting behind Bay, but missed a great deal of time towards the end of June with soreness in his surgically repaired hip. Before returning yesterday, Lowell hadn't started a game since June 25. David Ortiz then batted behind Bay from the 26th until Lowell was put on the disabled list on July 1, so it would seem to blow up that theory. Bay struggled with Ortiz behind him, including a dismal five-strikeout performance on July, despite the fact that Ortiz had a very, very good June, posting high totals in both power and average. Still, it seems he's late on fastballs and perhaps isn't quite as intimidating as he once was. With the monster first half Bay had, he still seems to be the more dangerous of the two hitters and maybe, just maybe, pitchers would much rather face Ortiz at this point.

Then Tery Francona aparently thought the best way to get Bay going was to take away any protection in the lineup whatsoever as Ortiz moved ahead of Bay. From July 2 until Lowell's return last night, Bay was followed in the order by the likes of Jacoby Ellsbury and his .747 OPS (four times), Jason Varitek, who is batting a robust .237 (twice), Mark Kotsay and Rocco Baldelli.

The Red Sox can only hope that the steady presence of a legitimate bat behind him will spark Bay. You can't blame it solely on the lineup. He just hasn't been seeing the ball well. But it's a lot easier to see the ball, hit the ball when you're seeing more good pitches.

Lowell doesn't have to be a savior. He just has to hit the ball and be a threat. Make them pitch to Bay and good things will happen again.

Lesnar Is Champ, But Don't Crown Him King Yet

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Brock Lesnar survived his first title defense in the UFC.

Now, isn't THAT the biggest understatement of the year?

Lesnar, the UFC heavyweight champion, dismantled interim heavyweight champion (whatever that means) Frank Mir and won by TKO at 1:48 in the second round of UFC 100's main event.

People criticize Lesnar saying that he only wins because of his incredible size and that he is not incredibly skilled. To a point, I believe this is true, but you have to know how to use that size in order for it to be an advantage for you. We also can't forget Lesnar was an NCAA wrestling champion.

Lesnar outweighed Mir by 20 pounds, with the former weighing in at the maximum 265, while the latter showed up at 245. Lesnar had a good game plan going in against Mir and more importantly, he was able to execute it. He took the fight to the ground early and controlled the action almost from the start, not allowing Mir to showcase his alleged improved striking or his jui jitsu. Mir only once appeared to make an attempt at a submission when he made a half-hearted attempt at an armbar that Lesnar quickly caught on to.

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So does this mean Brock Lesnar is the best heavyweight in the world? Not by a long shot.

The fact that Frank Mir was the number one contender for the UFC heavyweight crown just lends to the idea that it is the weakest weight class in the organization. Let's not be mistaken. Frank Mir is a good fighter. He's a former champion and has done an amazing job reconditioning himself as a fighter after his devastating motorcyle accident that nearly cost him his career. But he got his opportunity to fight Lesnar a second time after beating Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who is considered by some to be past his best days. Lesnar took the title by beating a 46-year-old Randy Couture, who is a legend, but also isn't the same fighter he once was. These are the best the UFC has to offer.

Some might consider a Josh Barnett (undefeated over the last two years), Shane Carwin (won his last three fights by knockout or TKO due to strikes) as potentially better competition.

Then there's still a guy out there by the name of Fedor Emelianenko. It's been just about eight and a half years since Fedor has lost a professional fight. It just doesn't happen. While Fedor would give 30-35 pounds to Lesnar, remember that he has beaten much larger opponents in the past.

But will we see any of these matchups anytime soon? Fedor is still under contract with Affliction, though that ends after his next fight, so that will have to wait. Barnett will have to wait as well since, well, he's the guy fighting Fedor.

In the meantime, surely Couture, who felt like he was winning the first fight before getting caught on the top of the head with a punch, would like another shot at Lesnar. A Mir and Lesnar rubber match could also be on the horizon. Does Big Nog get a shot at Couture for a chance to face Lesnar next? Any of those would seem to be better matches for UFC president Dana White, who knows that the average or casual MMA fan knows those names and will tune in. A Shane Carwin might not be as big of a draw in terms of pay-per-view sales.

We can only hope that White decides to go with quality over the name, because right now you can't call Brock Lesnar the best heavyweight. He hasn't fought the best. Once he's done that, the conversation can begin.

Wakefield's Good, But An All Star He's Not

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Tim Wakefield should thank the fact that baseball is a sport that embraces history. Otherwise, there would be no way he would be going to an All Star game as anything other than a spectator.

When it's all said and done, Wakefield very well could hold the all-time record for wins by a Red Sox pitcher. At his current pace, the 42-year-old knuckleballer will have 184, leaving him nine wins away from being the winningest pitcher in one of the oldest teams in baseball's history.

Quite a feat. But Wakefield has managed to do that by being one thing - consistently there. Reliable. But does simply being reliable mean that you should get an all star nod?

This year Wakefield has been the Red Sox' most consistent pitcher. But his numbers are far from outstanding. He leads the team with 10 wins, which also puts him in a four-way tie for first in the American League and he only has three losses. He's currently on pace for his first 20-win season. The most wins he's had in a season in his 17-year career is 17, which he's done twice.

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But going into Sunday's games, his 4.30 ERA was ranked 29th in the leage, behind the likes of Andy Pettitte and Gil Meche, neither of which are even close to being considered all stars at any point this season. Last time I checked, what separated an all star from a good player was the ability to be dominating. an ERA over 4.00 hardly suggests dominance on the mound.

Still, he's been a steady hand for a team that has suffered ups and downs from most of its other pitchers, from Daisuke Matsuzaka, who has completely imploded, to Jon Lester, who had a horrendous start to the '09 season.

It seems that Wakefield is being rewarded for two reasons, and neither of which have anything to do with being a dominating force on the bump.

The first reason is his ability to stick around, which is admirable. Remember that this was a guy who at one time with the Red Sox was the whipping boy, someone they threw out there to eat up innings when things got out of hand. He bounced around from middle relief, to long relief, to spot starting to acting as the team's closer for a brief period of time and back again. You can't say he never did it without complaint, but he stuck with it and eventually became a fixture in the Red Sox rotation.

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The second reason is the fact that he plays for the team with the best record in the American League. The Red Sox have averaged more than six runs per game in games he has started and have scored double digits in runs in four of his 16 starts. It's pretty easy to rack up the wins with that kind of run support.

Is Tim Wakefield a bad pitcher? No. But he's no all star. He is what his numbers this year - other than the wins - suggest he is: a decent pitcher on a very good ballclub. He's done everything the Red Sox could expect of him and that's commendable, but not Midsummer Classic worthy.

McNair's Death Forever Taints His Legace

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While the violent death of anyone will cause shockwaves throughout a community, the death of a well-respected athlete resounds throughout the entire world of sports.

Such is the case of Steve McNair, who was shot and killed yesterday, July fourth.

As a player, McNair was an icon in Tennessee. He was a three-time Pro-Bowler, went to one super bowl and was the Co-MVP with Peyton Manning in 2003 when he led the league with a 100.4 QB rating. He was one of the longest tenured Titans, first becoming a member of the franchise when it still resided in Houston. In 13 years, he compiled a 91-62 record as a starter. His 31,304 passing yards are 28th on the all-time list.

Most notable of all was the way "Air" McNair played the game. Constantly injured, McNair missed more than two games in a season just twice. Fearless on the field, the injuries he sustained more often than not were because he battled for every yard and was not afraid to take a hit to in order to make something happen.

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Even after he left Tennessee, something he was none too pleased about having to do, McNair stayed active in the community through charity and humanitarian work.

But with his death comes the reminder that we are all human and that even icons are not perfect. More and more information is coming forward that the woman found with McNair, who was married with four children, was his girlfriend.

According to friends of this woman, who has been identified as Sahel Kazemi, McNair "was making her believe they were going to be together and everything would be perfect."

When authorities found McNair, they found he had been shot several times, while Kazemi was found with a single gunshot wound to the head. The gun was found under her body. While the police are trying to be as quiet about this and cover their bases without jumping to any conclusions - which is the right thing to do - they're not actively looking for a murder suspect and for most of us the writing is on the wall.

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As more and more information comes to light, the sensationalism that drives our society no doubt will augment the scandal. It is always unfortunate when someone of McNair's stature passes away. What's even more unfortunate, however, is that despite all of his accomplishments, this is the lasting impression we will have of McNair - a cheater, a man who betrayed his wife and family and payed the ultimate price for it.

Don't get me wrong. I don't condone the manner in which McNair apparently conducted his social life. But the man is dead and as one who always admired the way he played and the community work he did, it's sad to see his reputation is too.

Signing Recchi The Right Move

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It's not a huge splash, but the signing of Mark Recchi is a key move for the Boston Bruins.

With very little room to play with in terms of salary cap, thanks largely to the ridiculous contract given to the overrated Tim Thomas, the B's need to figure out how to piece things together. The Bruins had just over $5 million to dish out before the Recchi signing, meaning the money has to be spent in a very effective manner, getting the most they can for the least amount of money. A veteran with a solid postseason resume is a good place to start, even if he happens to be 41 years old.

Recchi was a major spark and possibly the second-best pick up made by a team at the trading deadline, the best being Bill Guerin by the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

Recchi added an element of experience that the talented young group lacked. He fits the Bruins' style of hockey, mixing skill with a little bit of the hard-nosed stuff. But Recchi's contributions didn't end solely in the locker room. He tallied 16 points - six goals, 10 assists - in 18 games with the Bruins after escaping hockey purgatory in Tampa Bay. He followed that up with three goals and three assists in 11 playoff games.

He's no savior. In fact, he's not likely to see much time outside of the third line unless someone gets hurt. But he fills a key roll at a reasonable price, and that's what the Bruins need more than anything.

Taking Out The Garbage

By buying out the last year of Peter Schaefer's contract, the Bruins have gotten themselves out from under a big mistake.

Schaefer was due to make over 2 million next season, despite not playing a game at hockey's top level last year. In a time when money is tight, cutting the dead weight is a huge necessity.

Schaefer was a huge disappointment for the Bruins, who signed him before the 2007-08 season. That year he recorded just 26 points, including a mere nine goals, despite playing with a playmaker like Marc Savard for most of the season.

His best year came in his rookie campaign when he had 50 points - 20 goals, 30 assists - for Ottowa and had a plus-16 plus/minus. His numbers regressed each year since unt

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il the Bruins felt he wasn't worth a roster spot this season.

Putting On The Bitz

The signing of Byron Bitz may have some scratching their heads, but Bitz once again is a cheap player that fills a key role. A big man who can throw his weight around on the fourth line, Bitz also had surprizingly soft hands with the puck and could provide a little bit of a scoring punch that was lacking from that line.

Shawn Thornton is clearly the enforcer on the line, but really was not able to do much with the puck on his stick and could stand to lose time because of the move. He led the team with 17 fighting majors and was tied for ninth in the league in that category, but he had just 11 points and just one in the playoffs during the 2008-09 season.

2009 College Preseason Rankings

With just about two months left before the start of the college football season, it seems as good a time as ever to make some predictions. Without any further ado, here's a glimpse at the Top 25 teams in the country according to me.

No. 25
Texas Tech
Texas Tech is in total rebuilding mode, but the offense still could be one of the better passing teams in the country. The real question lies in whether or not the defense will be able to stop anybody.

No. 24
Pittsburgh
Pitt boasts one of the best defenses in the nation. The offense is lacking after the loss of LeSean McCoy and LaRod Stephens-Howling, but should be sufficient for a team that will be in the hunt for the Big East title.

No. 23
Nebraska
The defense was greatly improved last season - one of the best in the Big XII and figures to continue that trend. The quarterback situation could be problematic.

No. 22
Florida State
Questions remain about whether or not the Seminoles' defense can rebound from some key losses. Still, it's a solid unit all around.

No. 21
Miami
The 'Canes return a ton of young talent from last year's squad on both sides of the ball. Outside of Oklahoma, no team on the schedule is clearly dominant and if they show discipline, there's no reason to think they won't compete for the ACC championship.

No. 20
North Carolina
UNC surprised early, but proved late they were a legit contender in the ACC. T.J. Yates provides seasoned leadership for an explosive offense.

No. 19
Iowa
The team returns 15 starters from the 2008 team that finished the season ranked 20th. The defense, ranked 12th last season, should once again be one of the best.

No. 18
Georgia
The defense should remain strong, but this is one of many teams that will try to recoup after losing a star quarterback. Injuries on the line made life very hard on the offense and it will need to prove it can stay healthy.

No. 17
TCU
The Horned Frogs always play tremendous defense and even though they lost a lot from last year's squad, there's no reason to think they suddenly are going to fall off the table.

No. 16
California
The Golden Bears will be hard to throw against with a very strong secondary and one of the best pass-rushing defenses in the league last year. Jahvid Best should be a Heisman candidate, but the rest of the offense needs to help him out.

No. 15
Notre Dame
The Irish have a boatload of talent returning to the roster with no real key losses. Three new coaches and a renewed commitment to the run will give the Irish a fresh look. The schedule is certainly manageable.

No. 14
Oregon
The Ducks are rebuilding in a lot of areas, but quarterback should not be a problem for them as Jeremiah Masoli returns with his 23 touchdowns from last season. The defense was one of the worst in the country last year and doesn't figure to be much better this year, so Masoli and LeGarrette Blount will be asked to do a lot to pace an offense that scored nearly 42 points per game last season.

No. 13
Oklahoma State
The Cowboys could have one of the best offenses in football this year, but with Texas and Oklahoma still at the top of the Big XII, it's hard to see this team being considered one of the elite.

No. 12
Georgia Tech
Boasting one of the best running attacks in football, the Yellow Jackets figure to be one of the teams beating up on each other for the ACC championship. The X factor remains if they can rebound from the loss of basically the entire defensive line.

No. 11
Ohio State
Simply because of the conference it plays in, Ohio State will get more than its share of wins and as a result, be in the running for the Big 10 championship. Too much talent was lost on both sides of the ball last year to expect them to run away with even the mediocre conference.

No. 10
Ole Miss
A solid quarterback and two good receivers will pace the offense, but the front seven will remain the strength for a team that proved it has the ability to beat the elite in 2008 by knocking off Florida.

No. 9
Penn State
Joe Paterno may not know what the BCS is, but he still almost ended up in the BCS championship last year. The team was first in the Big 10 in total offense last year and with most of the talent returning at the skill positions, it should be a similar story this year.

No. 8
Boise State
The boys who play on blue turf get little love at the beginning of the season and then get their butts kissed come the end of the season. This year should prove to be no different. The WAC is getting stronger, but not strong enough to prevent the Broncos from going undefeated in the league and taking home some more hardware. Oregon at home is the toughest game on the schedule, so an undefeated season isn't out of the question.

No. 7
LSU
Charles Scott and Jordan Jefferson are the key to an offense that struggled to find its identity last season. With the amount of talent they have, especially on defense, the Tigers look on paper to be one of the tops in the SEC.

No. 6
Alabama
In what seems to be a recurring theme this season among the Top 25, Bama is breaking in a new quarterback. As long as he can keep the ball in the Crimson Tide's hands, the defense should be able to take care of the rest.

No. 5
West Virginia
A young defense that ranked 11th in points allowed returns the bulk of its starters. That's always a good start when you're looking for keys to success. That defense will need to be just as stout this season as WVU tries to replace Pat White, or at least find out if they have a half-way decent replacement in Jarrett Brown.

No. 4
Southern California
The Trojans go through quarterbacks like paper towels, so moving on without Mark Sanchez shouldn't be much of an issue at all. What may be an issue is the Trojans' defense. Talent-wise, USC looks strong, but the defensive unit lacks experience and that could end up biting them.

No. 3
Texas
More like a No.2-A, Texas returns its leader in Colt McCoy, who was largely responsible for the Longhorns' No. 9 ranking in offense last season. The Big XII South remains loaded with offensive firepower, which could ruin a shot at a perfect season, but Texas is very much a condender for the national title.

No. 2
Oklahoma
Another team that is very glad to have its starting quarterback return, Oklahoma figures again to be one of the absolute best offensive teams in the country. Bob Stoops still remains one of the biggest choke artists in college sports and it remains to be seen if he can put his team over the top.

No.1
Florida
Say what you will about Tim Tebow and whether or not he's the best player in college football. He's the best when it comes to the one most important thing - winning.

Selig, MLB Have To Promote Pujols

Coming out of the steroid era, there were certain players we seemed to just accept were not juicing. We were looking for that white knight to lead baseball out of the dark

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shadow had cast itself in.
The most prominent was Alex Rodriguez. He seemed to be a natural. A pure swing without the obscenely apparent ripped bodies of the likes of Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds. Then it all came crashing down with the report of a failed test, some nonsense about a cousin (It's always the cousin, isn't it?) and the nation was left grasping at straws in regards to who it could look to.

Manny Ramirez? Oh. Nevermind.

In such a time, MLB needs to pray that the testing policy works and that it never turns up anything on a slugger that wears the same uniform McGwire did when he cheated his way to a short-lived home run record. That record, if you don't recall, was broken by another cheater.

Albert Pujols gets little love outside of fantasy baseball circles because he plays in the NL Central. He even has a ring and no one seems to notice. But baseball needs this man more than any other in the sport right now.

Not sure if you're quite convinced? Let's take a look at the resume and get to know Prince Albert a little better.

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Pujols is 29 years old. That's according to him. You never can tell with players from certain parts of the world. In any event, let's assume he's telling the truth. At 29 years of age in his ninth major league season, Pujols has a .334 batting average, good for first on the active career list. The Dominican-born slugger has 345 home runs, which is 13th on the active list and currently gives him the most home runs by a player under 30. His 1045 RBIs also are the most among ballplayers under 30 and 22nd among active players. Mathematically speaking, an average season for Pujols goes a little something like this: .334 batting average, 200 hits, 43 home runs, 129 RBIs, 124 runs scored.

He's a seven-time (soon to be eight-time) All Star. As for hardware, he's got the 2006 World Series ring, two MVP plaques, four Silver Slugger Awards and was Rookie of the Year. Oh, he can play the field, too. He's got a Gold Glove to attest for that.

He's played and produced, even through injuries, including a nagging elbow problem that could have shut lesser players down for the season.

Before it's all said and done at his current pace, if Pujols calls it a career at 40 years of age he'll have surpassed 800 home runs - 818 to be exact. Barry Bonds reached 762 at age 42. For those of you who don't buy Bonds' record as legitimate, Hank Aaron was also 42 when he ended his career with 755.

Despite a putrid lack of exposure to the masses by the marketing department of Major League Baseball, Pujols is in the lead for the starting spot at the 2009 All Star game. Coincidentally, the show is being held in St. Louis this year. In any event, this is the time for Bud Selig and his cronies to do the right thing and properly introduce Albert Pujols to the world. He's a world-class athlete playing in one of the biggest sports spectacles in the world in front of his hometown fans. Tell the story of Pujols. Or better yet, let him tell it himself.

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The cloud of suspicion has always seemed to pass Pujols by. That could also be because he remains a relatively well-kept secret to the masses. Those who follow baseball closely know just how good he is. Those who follow as an average fan, however, don't see him in quite the same light.

Why hide him in relative obscurity? Why not put him out there? Is it because baseball is afraid to glamorize another superstar only to have it blow up in their faces? If that's the case, the MLB can't have it both ways. If they want to claim they have a strict testing policy, they need to be ready to accept it when a good player fails. This is a sport that needs a hero once again and if they trust Pujols, they need to celebrate him on a national stage. Then they have to pray it doesn't come back to bite them.

Notre Dame's Schedule Is Not All That Easy

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Everyone has said it, so I might as well join the choir.

This is a make or break season for Fighting Irish football.

The dismal 3-9 season was a hard one to swallow for fans, but too many - including Charlie Weis - expected the world from true freshman Jimmy Clausen and when he didn't work out, Weis had no answers.

2008 could have been a bounce-back year for the Blue and Gold, but a seeming lack of leadership and maturity plagued the team. An inexcusable loss to Syracuse and a terrible performance against a beatable Boston College team illustrated that point. Throw on top of that a heartbreaking four-OT loss to Pittsburgh in which they held a two touchdown lead going into halftime and you have the perfect recipe for mediocrity. Even if they won two of the three, they would have headed into the bowl season at a respectable 8-4.

This year's team and schedule both remain basically the same. The Irish return a boatload on both sides of the ball, but specifically on offense, returning all three running backs, Clausen at quarterback, Golden Tate and Michael Floyd as arguably one of the best receiving tandems in college football and four starting offensive linemen.

While some claim the schedule is remarkably easier than last year, the bulk of the schedule is unchanged. Notre Dame returns USC, Michigan State, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Navy, Purdue, Washington, Stanford and Boston College. Five of these teams (USC, Michigan State, Pitt, Navy and BC) made it to bowl games in 2008. Washington State, UConn and Nevada are the newcomers as North Carolina, San Diego State and Syracuse exit. Nevada and UConn are also coming off of 2008 bowl games.

It's a schedule that is certainly manageable, as was the schedule a year prior. And it certainly doesn't start out easy for the Irish, who open the season at home against...

Nevada
Nevada doesn't get a lot of attention because they play in the WAC, a conference where you're not going to get any love unless you play for Boise State. Ending the season 5-3 in the WAC isn't anything really exciting, but when you have last year's fifth-ranked offense in football and two of the league's three top rushers and one of them is your quarterback, you've got a pretty decent team. Signal caller Colin Kaepernick is quite the double-threat, piling up nearly 4,000 total yards (2849 passing, 1130 rushing) and 41 touchdowns (22 passing, 17 rushing). Throw on top of that a running back that also topped 1,000 yards for the season and added 14 TD's and you have a formidable opponent for an Irish team that was not all that strong against the run last season.

Michigan
Michigan is coming off a disastrous 3-9 season and have a lot of uncertainties heading into this year, not the least of which is the quarterback situation. Most likely the team will be relying on true freshman Tate Forcier, who is talented, but Notre Dame fans can tell you how quickly a talented freshman can turn into a mess. The Wolverines fumbled seven times, losing four and turned the ball over a total of six times in a 35-17 loss in last year's meeting of teams holding college football's two best winning percentages. Still, no game played at The Big House can ever be looked upon lightly. Michigan has an 11-7 record against the Irish at home.

Michigan State
Javon Ringer is no longer a Spartan, so the Irish can breathe easier after he scorched them for 201 yards and two touchdowns in last year's meeting. Michigan State also still needs to work out its quarterback situation, but there's no reason to think that the preseason No. 24 team in the country is going to be a slouch. The Spartans are stocked with young talent at the skill positions and return almost all the key pieces of the defense, including All-Conference selection Greg Jones. Michigan State has also won three straight games at Notre Dame Stadium.

After this, things get a tad easier with...

Purdue
It will be interesting to see how the Boilermakers handle the Irish's three-headed running game of Armando Allen, Robert Hughes and James Aldridge, especially with Notre Dame being more committed to the run this season. Purdue was devistatingly bad at stopping the run last year, allowing about 175 rushing yards per game and don't figure to be much better this season.

Washington
Washington, once a PAC-10 powerhouse, has slipped so far and it's really sad to see. They finished winless last season at 0-12 and ranked 176th in the nation in defense, allowing 38.6 points per game. Jake Locker is an athletic quarterback who should improve the offense, but there's no reason to think this team is going to be good anytime soon.

Then things get a whole lot tougher in the form of...

USC
USC is the only team on Notre Dame's schedule that is clearly head and shoulders above it. Like a lot of teams on the Irish's schedule this year, the Trojans will be breaking in a new quarterback, but that never seems to be much of a problem for them. Notre Dame actually leads the all-time series, but hasn't beaten the Trojans since 2001. Since then, USC has taken seven straight, although some still believe the 2005 victory was stolen from the Irish.

Then back down to earth again to host...

Boston College
Boston College is a mess heading into the 2009 season and it's not all its fault. The Eagles hit a pretty crummy stretch of luck in the offseason. First, head coach Jeff Jagodzinski was fired after ignoring an ultimatum from AD Gene DiFilippo and interviewed for the New York Jets' head coaching position. Then ACC Defensive Player of the Year Mark Herzlich was diagnosed with cancer. Then to top it all off, projected starting quarterback Dominique Davis announced he was transferring after getting suspended for academics. The defense was the Eagles' strong point last season and now they will move on without their two best players (B.J. Raji graduated and was drafted and Herzlich is out indefinitely). Offensively, BC has a mess at the quarterback position with their best option being Codi Boek, a junior college transfer. Boek was actually converted to fullback last year, which speaks to his athleticism, but can't inspire much confidence in his abilities as a signal caller. Still, it's Notre Dame and BC and the Eagles have caused the Irish fits, including going 4-1 in their last five meetings in South Bend. This could possibly be the Eagles' last trip to Notre Dame Stadium for some time, as the contract expires in 2010 and contractual obligations with the Big East are making it hard to schedule future meetings.

And if things go bad there, there's no better cure than...

Washington State
Another PAC-10 cellar dweller, Washington State finished the season at 2-10 with an average margin of defeat of 41.9 points. The team was 184th in the country in defense, allowing 43.8 points per game and the offense was shut out three times (USC, Stanford, Arizona State). The one thing they have going for them is both of their wins did come at home and they play host to the Irish.

Then the rivalries continue on with...

Navy
Navy went a respectable 8-5 with an Independent schedule last year and is probably about the same calliber team this season. The current coach runs the flexbone offense, just as his predecesor did and that can always cause problems for the Irish, who need to figure out how to be more stout against the run. Notre Dame had won 43 straight before the Midshipmen beat the Irish in 2007. Last year, however, the Blue and Gold resumed its dominance over the series with a 27-21 win.

Then the season ends with winable games against...

Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh still boasts one of the best defenses in the country, so it will be interesting to see how Notre Dame's more than capable receivers handle it. Remarkably, last year's matchup between these two teams featured zero turnovers by Jimmy Clausen and the Irish, but they still blew a 17-3 halftime advantage and Pitt tied the game and sent it to overtime. Unable to score a touchdown in three prior overtimes, Charlie Weis sent out Brandon Walker to kick a fourth field goal - a 38-yarder, which he missed, giving Pitt the opportunity to win. Both teams return in similar shape as last season, with Pitt maybe even being a little better than last year, so it could shape up to be another classic.

UConn
At least once a season the Irish seem to fall asleep against a team they should beat. Could this be that game in 2009? A team like UConn ends up on Notre Dame's schedule every year because of the contractual obligation to play three Big East teams. The Huskies were somehow selected to a bowl game after going 3-4 in a very weak conference and have never done much to garner much attention since moving up from the Championship Subdivision. UConn, by the way, never won a championship at the Division I-AA level. In fact, they never made it to a championship game.

Stanford
Jimmy Clausen had the best game of in his career to that point against Stanford last season (he then bested those numbers at the Hawai'i Bowl) and yet Stanford still managed a fourth-quarter rally to make a game of it. Stanford is itching to give redshirt freshman Andrew Luck a chance to start, so if Tavita Pritchard struggles at any point this season, it could be another young quarterback the Irish face in its final game.

So it's a schedule full of winable games, but one where it wouldn't be all that surprising to see them drop a few. The one big plus about the layout of the schedule is it seems set up to prevent any serious losing streaks. Just as last year, it comes down to maturity and how to find a way to finish off games. Can Jimmy Clausen manage to find some composure? Some of that lies in how much the offensive line has matured. If the line shores itself up and the Irish can commit to the run the way they want to and take some of the pressure off of Clausen, there's no reason this team couldn't be a BCS contender at season's end. But beware of calling the schedule easy. It's anything but. For every Washington State, there's a Michigan State, for every Washington, a USC.