Game Two: Notre Dame at Michigan

Notre Dame and Michigan each opened their respective seasons with resounding success. The Irish pounded a skilled and confident Nevada squad, while Michigan beat a well-appointed Western Michigan team into submission.

Each team's big wins have the media and fans alike buzzing with renewed hope and new found enthusiasm for a pair of storied programs that had recently fallen upon hard times.

The last two Michigan-Notre Dame contests have served to highlight the low point in recent history for each. Two years ago, the Wolverines woodsheded the young and inexperienced Irish in the Big House setting the tone for what was a painful 3-9 season to come for the Irish.

Last year, the Irish returned the favor while capitalizing on every Wolverine blunder in route to an easy win and spiraling Michigan to a 3-9 campaign of their own.

This year's game finds both schools trying to return to glory.

Coming off of its worst season since before Bo Shembeckler came to Ann Arbor, Michigan has begun the transition to Rich Rodriguez's spread attack. They are smaller and faster, but they are still young.

The team strength centers around an experienced offensive line, and an offensive with many returning starters including standout running back Brandon Minor. The line found a consistency against Western Michigan that it never had in 2008, allowing the Wolverines to rack up an impressive 257 yards on the ground.

The offensive line will be key to the Michigan hopes of upsetting the Irish, as behind them will be true freshman Tate Forcier. In the win against Western Michigan, Forcier completed passes early and often, soaring through his first game connecting on 13 of 20 pass attempts for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns.

In addition to exploiting the Bronco secondary, Forcier managed to carry the ball 11 times for 41 yards.

Forcier will remind the Irish of the Quarterback that they faced in their season opener, the dual threat Colin Keapernick. In fact, Kaepernick is the player that Rodriguez is banking on Forcier becoming.

Rodriguez is also banking on Forcier's supporting cast being better than Kaepernick's, as the 2008 WAC player of the year found little success against the Notre Dame defense.

Forcier's play will be a determining factor to Michigan's fate Saturday.

He will be facing a much improved Irish defense who held the nation's third best rushing team, with a trio of 1,000-yard rushers to 153 yards and zero points. Notre Dame's skilled and experienced secondary is the strength of their defense and could wreak havoc on Forcier if the linebackers find themselves in the backfield nearly as much as they did against Nevada's experienced line.

The question mark on this side of the ball for the Irish is the defensive line, who, despite playing far and away better than a year ago were gashed for several large gains and displayed an annoying tendency to miss tackles.

Notre Dame will crank up it's new-found blitzing offense and try to pressure Forcier into mistakes. Slowing the run is necessary for the Irish, but not as necessary as hitting the Freshman early and often.

If Michigan finds success running inside and can effectively stop the pass rush of the Irish, it could be a long day for the Notre Dame defense.

Michigan's primary concern Saturday will be how to stop Notre Dame's passing attack.

Notre Dame's receivers are the biggest and deepest unit that Michigan will face this year. Golden Tate and Michael Floyd create matchup problems on the outside, and committing a safety to help either opens up stand-out tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Jimmy Clausen is riding a wave of success (and wishing he'd accepted a scholarship to a WAC school) coming off of his best two games as a collegiate athlete. His 17 of 20 332 yard 4 TD performance that lasted only two minutes into the second half was an eye opener for every defensive coordinator with the Irish on their schedule.

It should be understood that the Michigan secondary will be light-years better than their Nevadan counterparts, as Clausen found receivers running wide open often. Even when well covered, the Nevada corners were no match for Irish receivers.

Still, Michigan's corners, although faster and more talented than all of Nevada's combined are still at a disadvantage. None are more than 6'0" tall, and none can easily cover Tate or Floyd one-on-one.

Notre Dame, like Michigan, needs to establish a ground game. In this game, the best defense may be a good offense, as the team that controls the football will control the game.

Against Nevada, the No. 3 rush defense a year ago (I know...if you can throw it, why run it...still it is what it is) Notre Dame had it's best rushing performance in recent memory.

The Irish have to be able to run the ball to prevent Michigan from focusing totally on getting to the quarterback.

I expect Michigan to run a lot of Cover-2 and man under zones to try to cut off the Irish posts and crosses while relying on defensive end pressure and LB "dog" blitzes.

Look for Notre Dame to counter by running many screens and draws to keep the Michigan defense off balance as they continue their transition to a 3-4. 

A huge factor for the Irish, similar to Michigan will be the play of Jimmy Clausen.

If Clausen continues his progression, and is making lightening fast reads and delivering accurate throws, it's hard to believe that Michigan will be able to keep the Irish from moving the football.

In a high-scoring game, the Irish would have to be favored having more play-makers and more experience at the quarterback position.

For Michigan to win, they have to control the clock, keep the Irish offense on the sidelines and wear out the defense. Michigan also has to avoid turnovers, as putting Notre Dame on a short field will result in Irish points.

Notre Dame will focus on establishing the run, pressure Forcier, and be explosive.

In the end, Notre Dame's experience and depth will win out as Rodriguez is still a year away from having all of his bullets loaded. The game is a slug fest early, but a key turnover breaks it for the Irish late.

Notre Dame 27

Michigan 21