I voted 'too low.' The team we saw on Saturday was a top 10 team. Te'o, in my opinion, is the best defensive player in college football right now. Need evidence? Just check how he shut down Michigan State in East Lansing last Saturday, right after losing his grandmother and then losing his girlfriend to Leukemia in the same week. The Spartans didn't have a chance. People are quick to write of the significance of that victory, given Stanford's victory over USC later that night, but this was the first time in over a decade Michigan State was held without a touchdown at home. Against a team with a Hiesman Trophy candidate at RB, that says a lot. Golson also impressed me at QB. I was critical of the Irish for benching Crist, but Golson has a hell of an arm on him, and the Notre Dame receivers continually beat the vaunted Michigan State secondary play after play. Let's not get it twisted either, the Michigan State team that they beat is great team; they'll probably win the Big 10. Their receivers are horrible, and their quarterback is developing, but at the end of the day, they're pretty much the best the Big 10 has to offer, albeit in a down year for the conference. With that said, how did this blowout not get the same attention Alabama got for rolling over a less impressive Michigan team that starts a RB at QB? I personally think it was more impressive. The only thing standing in Notre Dame's way is their schedule. They have the hardest schedule in America, harder than any SEC team's. They've already knocked off Michigan State in East Lansing, and now look at some of the games they have to play - Week 4 - vs. #18 Michigan Week 6 - vs. Miami (aka the Convicts vs. Catholics rivalry game) Week 7 - at #9 Stanford Week 8 - vs. BYU Week 9 - at #6 Oklahoma Week 13 - at #13 USC I mean, that's just suicide. On the road against Michigan St., Stanford, Oklahoma, and USC? Before the season started, most people would have pegged them at 0-4 in those match-ups, but I'm confident they can pull out at least a 2-2 record in that stretch, which is more than most teams could. In past years, I would have predicted a 6-6 season for the Irish with that kind of schedule, but I think they can pull off 10-2 with this year's talent, and put themselves back in the BCS conversation for the first time in seemingly forever.
