Project CFB Top Ten: #10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame has fallen a few spots since the last time they took the field in the BCS Championship Game in January.

One of the blows coming to the Fighting Irish in the postseason was the suspension of starting QB Everett Golson for academic reasons. In 2012, Golson led the Irish to the National Championship game and a 12-1 season after completing 187 of 318 passes for 2,405 yards and 12 touchdowns with six interceptions. Golson also rushed for 298 yards and six TDs. Shortly after Golson’s dismissal, Head Coach Brian Kelly quickly named second-stringer, Tommy Rees, the starting QB, returning him to the roll he held for the 2011 season before Golson beat him out at the start of 2012. This should not be a devastating blow to the Irish, since the guy taking the snaps is a seasoned QB with starting experience. Rees had a completion percentage of 65.5% in 2011, for 2,871 yards and 20 TDs.

The Irish will have more significant holes to fill with the departures of linebacker Manti Te’o and tight end Tyler Eifert to the NFL. Though his personal life became a media spectacle, Heisman runner-up Manti Te’o’s dominance on the field cannot be overlooked. Te’o had 113 tackles in 2012, 55 of them were solo tackles. Te’o led the Irish defense to a second place ranking in scoring defense and a top 20 ranking in four other defensive categories. Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame’s All-American defensive end, is ranked on of the top players in the NCAA going into the 2013 season and will play a large role in keeping the Irish a defensive power this season.

Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame’s outstanding tight end, had 50 receptions for 685 yards in 2012. Eifert and Golson were a dynamic duo when it came to quick, short pass progressions to move the chains down the field. This duo helped Notre Dame finish as a top 10 offense and top 5 passing offense. Junior Tight end Troy Niklas will likely fill Eifert’s shoes, after being converted to the position from linebacker in the 2012 season. While his stats from 2012 at tight end are not impressive, his size (6 feet 7 inches, 260 pounds) is ideal for the position and he has an opportunity to have an immediate effect on the Irish offense.

The Irish have some holes to fill, but have good candidates to step in and close the gaps. The Irish have what it takes to make another run at the BCS Championship Game, but with one of the toughest schedules in college this year, will they be able to stay on top through November?

- Lindsay Simpson
@lindsaysimpson
lindsay.projectcfb@gmail.com

How will losing Everett Golson affect Notre Dame's National Title hopes this season?

When news broke that Notre Dame starting quarterback Everett Golson had been suspended for "poor academic judgment," the initial reaction among the fanbase was panic. After hiring coach Brian Kelly and giving him a fairly long leash by university standards, the coach was able to whip his ready-made team into title contenders. Hope ran high throughout the program and its faithful after years of watching from the sidelines.

Kelly started Tommy Rees during the 2011 season, mainly due to a very good freshman performance and in-game experience. But 2011 wasn't so kind to Rees as he suffered through a season of mental mistakes, and more importantly to Kelly's offensive scheme, 14 interceptions. Many were worried that just as the team began building steam, it would fall helplessly back into the void known as irrelevance.

Enter Everett Golson. Kelly rolled the dice on the entire 2012 season by starting Golson. Although he started out a bit shaky, many credit him with guiding a very talented team through an undefeated season and a berth in the BCS National Championship game.

Although the team fell short in the title game, no one was second guessing Kelly's decision to start Golson. But with Golson out of the picture for the upcoming season, do the Irish really have reason to panic? A closer look at the stats of the two quarterbacks may have the answer.

When comparing Golson's 2012 season with Rees' 2011 season, the first thing you might notice is the similarities between the two. Golson threw for 2,405 yards and a 58.8% completion rate while Rees passed for 2,871 yards while finishing the season with a 65.5% completion rate. Some may argue that Rees' 20 touchdown passes trump Golson's 12, unless you add in the 6 rushing scores Golson contributed, which makes their scoring output virtually even.

The argument can also be made that Rees' yardage totals are higher until you add rushing yardage. Golson ran for 298, while Rees, mainly a pocket passer, lost 56 yards. This puts Golson's total yardage at 2,703, while Rees comes in at 2,815, still a negligible difference.

The only difference between the two quarterbacks is their interception totals. Golson recorded only 6 interceptions to Rees' 14, but chances are good that Rees sees the field more clearly now, thanks to Kelly plugging him into the game anytime Golson began to struggle during the 2012 season. If Rees used those opportunities wisely, it's unlikely he throws more than 10 interceptions and could likely throw for more than 3,000 yards this season.

The big question on everyone's mind this preseason has been how badly Notre Dame may suffer without Everett Golson's services. But from what I can see, they're no worse for wear. Sure, Golson could scramble, but he ran mostly when he felt pressure and seldom showed the necessary patience to wait for a play to materialize downfield, so it shouldn't be long before the fans settle in and see what the coaches already see.

Will the Irish return to the Big Game again this year? That's a tall order for most teams, but as we've seen recently, it's not impossible. One thing is for sure, they still have an experienced quarterback on the field to guide them.

- Kevin Hicks

@kevinhicks77

kevin.projectcfb@gmail.com

Everett Golson out at Notre Dame

Everett Golson, who was going into only his sophomore year at Notre Dame, is no longer enrolled in the school. Last year Golson led the Fighting Irish to the National Championship, and an undefeated regular season. This year, he will not play for Brian Kelly's team.

Notre Dame has confirmed that Golson is no longer enrolled there, citing an academic violation.

Notre Dame senior Tommy Rees will take the snaps for the Fighting Irish this upcoming season. Rees isn't a stranger to the starting QB job. He has led Notre Dame to many victories in the past few years, passing for over 4,400 yards and 34 touchdowns.

However, Golson brought a dual-threat aspect to the field that will be missed when Rees takes the reigns as starting quarterback. It will be interesting to see how Notre Dame does with Rees as starter. It will also be interesting to see where Everett Golson finds himself playing next.

- Matt Lytle

@mattlytle

matt.projectcfb@gmail.com