Innocent pleas entered for 4 Notre Dame players, Redfield

Where Texas is trying to decide between the unknown of Buechele and inconsistency of Swoopes, Notre Dame is in a very different position with DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire.

“You have to get after the passer and be productive no matter who they are”, Gilmore said. Even if they go with a freshman at quarterback, Texas will nearly assuredly improve upon both those numbers this season.

Strong safety Drue Tranquill has four career starts, including one a year ago before tearing his ACL, and Notre Dame’s staff is extremely high on the future of redshirt freshman cornerback Shaun Crawford, who will line up opposite Luke and in the slot in nickel packages. Not when Ty Willingham brought Notre Dame to BYU. But for now, Kelly sees it as the best option.

In the 6-foot-7, 310 pound McGlinchey and 6-foot-5, 325 pound Nelson, the left side of Notre Dame’s O-line is the biggest strength of this offense – not the quarterbacks. Most expect a high-powered offense, a young and athletic defense, and a consistent special teams unit. Pollsters would have likely agreed given where the team is ranked in the preseason but there’s certainly been a sense as kickoff has approached that this game might be tighter than first thought. Attorneys for running back Dexter Williams and cornerback Ashton White filed motions to waive initial hearings. Running back coach Autry Denson was candid about the emotions this team is still facing. Texas will lean on D’Onta Foreman and Chris Warren to grind out the rushing yards behind an offensive line that loses one player so hopefully the ground game takes pressure off of the passing attack.

Shane Buechele may get his first career start on Sunday.

Brian Kelly made an ominous call back when he referenced the speed of North Carolina’s offense while searching for a comparison to Texas under new offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert. “He knows what he’s doing”. He’s been really rock solid. James Onwualu said he’s in it and sometimes plays defensive end in that alignment. Cole Luke and Shaun Crawford look like lock-down corners, too. In other words, there is a vast amount of inexperience on the depth chart in the secondary.

All that inexperience means plenty of question marks. Since his arrival on the 40 Acres in 2013, the team has compiled an 11-14 record with several gut-wrenching losses along the way – including a 24-0 loss at Iowa State last October.

Four of the six Notre Dame players arrested over the weekend of August 19 will suit up to play in the season opener against Texas on Sunday, as long as the university doesn’t step in.

But let’s assume for the moment that Notre Dame will survive these games, be they blowouts or thrillers, and look at the three signature games of the season: Michigan State, Stanford and USC. Sophomore Josh Adams was the only player in college football last season to average at least 7 yards (7.1) on over 100 attempts. He did indicate that the starter will get the bulk of the reps, which is something we will monitor, especially if the lead dog plays like a mutt early on. With Notre Dame’s defense expected to take a step back this year, the 60-point over may be worth considering as well.

In my mind the game is a 50/50 toss up, but knowing that I obviously have some homerism, I’ll give the tie to Notre Dame.