Notre Dame Football: Why the Fighting Irish Defense Will Regress in 2012

What's the formula for success in college football? I'll tell you. It's playing great defense on a consistent basis.

The 2011 season saw Notre Dame develop a defense that it could actually rely upon, a much welcomed change in South Bend.

Unfortunately, the Fighting Irish defense is going to take a step back in 2012. There's one simple reason for this disappointing fact: a weak and inexperienced secondary.

Cornerbacks Robert Blanton and Gary Gray, as well as safety Harrison Smith, will no longer be suiting up for Notre Dame.

The result of their respective departures signals a rebuilding phase of sorts for the Irish secondary.

It's widely expected that three freshmen (Tee Shepard, Ronald Darby and Elijah Shumate) will be replacing Blanton, Gray and Smith in the defensive backfield.

Shepard and Darby would be manning both corner positions, while Shumate would be patrolling at safety.

Each of those three incoming freshmen are very, very talented, with dream-like potential, but inexperience at the college level is likely to lead to a porous secondary next season.

If it were just one freshman being named a starter in the secondary, I wouldn't be worried in the slightest, but three freshmen starters have my heart ready to beat out of my chest. 

Sure, each of these three guys is likely to have a few moments of brilliance, but even more likely are moments of embarrassment and frustration.

Opposing quarterbacks on the Irish schedule will, no doubt, be salivating at the prospect of shredding apart a secondary with three freshmen starters.

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson already had one heck of a night against a senior-laden Notre Dame secondary back in September, throwing for 338 yards and four touchdowns in Ann Arbor. There's reason to believe that "shoelace" will continue his reign of dominance over the Irish in 2012.

Add in games against USC quarterback Matt Barkley, as well as Oklahoma signal-caller Landry Jones, and next season begins to look a bit like a nightmare for the Notre Dame secondary next season.

I hope Shepard, Darby and Shumate prove me wrong.

I really do.