Notre Dame Football: Storylines to Watch During Irish's Dublin Opener

The Fighting Irish will start the college football season in Ireland. 

Notre Dame travels to Dublin to take on Navy on Saturday morning in a matchup that has plenty of intrigue even beyond the fascination of a college game being played overseas.

Let's take a look at the biggest storylines surrounding the Irish for Week 1. 

Everett Golson and the Never-Ending QB Battle

Sophomore Everett Golson completed his magical run from scout-team QB to starter when he was named the winner of the quarterback battle four days ago. 

Don't for a second think that means Andrew Hendrix and to lesser degrees, Gunner Kiel and Tommy Rees are just going to accept backup roles. Could Golson dominate Navy and continue to run away with the job? Sure, but considering the closeness of the QB battle, it's uncertain how long his leash will be.

That being said, the dynamic sophomore appears to be a special talent. His poise in the pocket and ability to extend the play with his legs make him a potential star. 

A large key to Notre Dame's success this season will be the quarterback play, so pay attention to how Golson looks from the onset. 

How Will Notre Dame Fare With All the Suspensions?

I'll just let WSBT-TV's David McCoy sum up all the holes in Notre Dame's depth chart:

"

Aaron Lynch, Lo Wood, Tommy Rees, Carlo Calabrese, Cierre Wood, Austin Collinsworth, Danny Spond = OUT. That's a lot of woulda couldas.

— David McCoy (@DavidMcCoyWSBT) August 26, 2012"

Ouch. Aaron Lynch, a sophomore defensive end, is gone to South Florida. Lo Wood, a cornerback, is injured, leaving freshman KeiVarae Russell, who wasn't even recruited as a corner, to start in his place. Cierre Wood, fresh off a 1,200-yard, nine-touchdown season, is suspended. So is talented linebacker Carlo Calabrese. Danny Spond is injured, although Ben Councell was on the verge of taking his spot already. Oh, and you can also add offensive lineman Tate Nichols to that list.

I'll say it again. Ouch. 

The Irish should still handle Navy, which went 5-7 last year, but the holes in the roster and the fact the game is overseas make this a classic trap game for Notre Dame. 

The Dublin Factor

Even with all the question marks surrounding the actual team, it's still hard to overlook the fact that this game will be played in Ireland. These kids get an opportunity of a lifetime and it will be interesting to see how they respond. 

Sports Illustrated's Cory McCartney has an interesting thought on how Notre Dame will be received by the Irish crowd:

"

Will Ireland refer to Notre Dame as "Fighting Irish" for Dublin game? Probably wouldn't play well if team called Angry Americans came here.

— Cory McCartney (@SI_CoryMC) August 27, 2012"

Storylines within the storyline. It's worth paying attention to, even though Notre Dame was well received the last time they played in Dublin in 1996. 

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