Notre Dame Football: Offseason Offensive Blues...and Golds

Obviously, coming off of an abysmal 3-9 season, there are major reasons for concern for the Fighting Irish headed into the 2008 campaign. 

Is Charlie Weis the right man for the job or should he have been let go after three years—just as his predecessor Tyrone Willingham was? 

Is the offensive line going to be able to block a soul this year? 

Will Jimmy Clausen turn into the quarterback he was once hyped to be?

This is just the tip of the iceberg of questions Notre Dame fans are asking as they await their September 6 opener against San Diego State.  How will the Irish fare in 2008?  Compared to what happened in '07, Irish fans have reason to believe the team will start to look a little more golden on the offensive side of the ball in the coming months.

Are they going to contend for a national title?  Don't hold your breath, NDNation.  But this team will not be anywhere near as bad as they were in 2007, especially when they have the football—and here's why:

To begin things we will look offensively where the quarterback combination of Jimmy Clausen, Evan Sharpley, and Demetrius Jones were sacked a pathetic 58 times last fall.  Georgia had three freshman on their offensive line that blocked well at the end of the year, so I hate to make excuses about lack of experience.

But the fact is that experience in college football plays a huge difference.  Am I saying this is going to be a pancake-happy, sack-free offensive line?  Absolutely not.  They will however play much better, perhaps even just above average compared to the rest of the nation at their respective positions. 

With the talent in the Notre Dame backfield and split out wide, above average will go a very long way.  If not, then everything I write from here on is meaningless.

The next reason the Irish offense will improve? The number of playmakers with experience has grown, and they will be accompanied by a tremendous freshman class of flashy players.  Armando Allen will benefit from an off-season, in which he has hopefully put on some muscle.  If he is strong enough to break an initial tackle, look out—he has enough speed to run away from any safety in the game. 

Couple Allen with James Aldridge and Robert Hughes, who will each improve after both saw several carries last year.  With the workload in the Irish backfield broken up more evenly, and the more experience these younger players have received, expect this part of the game to improve for the Irish as well.

Jimmy Clausen is likely not going to be the superstar that most thought he would become just a year ago.  However, he will be an elite college football quarterback before it's all said and done.  With an improved offensive line and more talent around him, he can only get better. 

Clausen—who I believe was not 100 percent at the start of last year—will come into this season healthy (knock on wood) and put up much better numbers than he did last year, taking a big step towards greatness in the process. 

If not, expect Evan Sharpley to be ready to go—as well as Dane Crist, one of the most highly touted freshman quarterbacks to be in college football.

We've talked about the O-line and what they need to do, and we have talked about the backfield—but who is Jimmy Clausen going to throw the football to?  His favorite underused target from a year ago—John Carlson—graduates to the NFL. Where does that leave the Irish in the tight end department? 

Konrad Reuland, the four-star recruit from two years ago, has also moved on by way of transfer.  The Irish are left with Mike Ragone, a four-star recruit in last year's class, as well as Kyle Rudolph, the highest rated tight end in this year's class.  Because of the lack of playing time seen by these players last year, expect Notre Dame to take a step backward here. 

Out wide the Irish in much better shape.  Last year, the deep threats for Notre Dame were David Grimes and Robbie Parris.  Not to knock what either has done in their time under the Golden Dome—they just weren't game-breakers. 

But this is where Duval Kamara comes in.  As long as this 6'5" wideout, who has drawn comparisons to Dwayne Jarrett, can keep his nose in the books, he is going to be a name Irish fans will remember. 

Also, do not forget about Michael Floyd, the five-star recruit from Minnesota who will join this set of receivers.  Add in Deion Walker, another four-star recruit and all of a sudden things aren't looking so bad. 

Throw Grimes and Parris back into the mix, and they too may become huge weapons if the defense fails to respect them next to Floyd, Walker, and Kamara.

This Irish team isn't going to be as bad as many are making them out to be next year.  A national title will still be a far-off dream for this squad—but a New Years Day bowl game will not be. 

Granted, they are nowhere near on par with the elite teams in college football right now, but a quick glance at their schedule will show you that things line up pretty nicely for Notre Dame to make a run to play in January.