Notre Dame Football: Why the Irish Will Be 9-2 Heading into the Stanford Game

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish started the 2011 season 0-2. Entering Week 6, the Fighting Irish are 3-2 after ripping off three straight victories.

Notre Dame has beaten Michigan State at home. The Fighting Irish also knocked off Pittsburgh and Purdue away from the comforts of South Bend.

The Irish did not allow more than 13 points to any of their defeated opponents. In their two losses, Notre Dame has surrendered an average of 28.5 points per game.

Week 5 is in the books. Heading into their Week 6 matchup against Air Force, and the rest of the season, the Irish need to be thinking about two things. Defense and ball control.

The Irish improved defensively from last season. Irish defenders are more focused. They also show more discipline than Irish fans saw last season.

The talent is there as well. Harrison Smith is a playmaker in the secondary. He is the 2011 version of ex-Irish safety Tom Zbikowski. Emotional leader, physical presence and ball hawk on the backside.

Manti Te'o is the Irish's most talented defensive player. He controls the flow of the game from his middle linebacker position. Te'o is a sound player, but also has a ferocious attitude.

Offensively, the Irish must take better care of the football. In their two losses, Notre Dame turned the ball over 10 times.

Tommy Rees must take better care of the ball. In the last three Irish matchups, he has. He has two interceptions over his last three games. That is an improvement over the four interceptions he threw in the first two games.

Michael Floyd, Tyler Eifert, T.J. Jones and Theo Riddick, are all solid targets for Rees. Floyd is one of the top receiving targets in the nation. Eifert stretches the field. He is a major matchup problem at tight end.

Cierre Wood keeps defenses honest. He is a slippery runner. A very talented compliment to a talented Irish passing attack.

The Irish have seven games remaining on their 2011 schedule. Six games are against unranked opponents. One game, the last game, is a battle against Stanford. Stanford is currently No. 6 in the AP poll.

Notre Dame should be 9-2 entering their battle against the Cardinal. Air Force and Navy are not as talented as the Irish. The USC Trojans will provide a rivalry, and a close game. The last three games before the Cardinal are against three ACC opponents. Wake Forest, Maryland, and Boston College, are all very-winnable contests for Brian Kelly's crew.

The Irish want to take the next step back into the college football limelight. Entering Stanford Stadium at 9-2 would create noteworthy buzz surrounding the game.

A win over Pac-12 favorite Stanford would cause a stir in South Bend, and around the nation.