Are the Irish really back?

The time has come for the 4-1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team to show the world how good they really are or aren't. The number 6 ranked USC Trojans will come marching into Southbend this weekend for what the Fighting Irish faithful hope will be a classic matchup. Charlie Weis better hope so too.

A lot is on the line for the Notre Dame football program. Despite showing significant improvement this season and being ranked number 25 in the country, the national perception of this program is not what it has been historically. Their are a lot of doubters out there who do not believe Notre Dame has elite level talent or that their coach can get it done in the big game. A win against USC would dramatically alter this perception. Also consider the fact that this is the biggest recruiting weekend Notre Dame has had in recent memory with over 20 top high school seniors planning on attending. A win or competitive game against USC would show Notre Dame is a team to be taken seriously as a BCS competitor and an inviting destination for top recruits, but another blowout loss to USC would only reinforce the national perception of Notre Dame as a second tier team and deter recruits from committing.

Can the Irish win this game? The answer is yes. Notre Dame's offense is one of the best in the country featuring the most efficient passer in the nation and future first round NFL draft pick Jimmy Clausen, the best tight end in the country in Kyle Rudolph, and one of the best all around play makers in college football Golden Tate. Add to that an above average offensive line and a trio of solid running backs and the Irish will move the football against USC. The question will be can the Irish offense finish in the red zone? A repeat performance of the Washington game when the Irish missed scoring touchdowns on their first 5 opportunities in the red zone and settled for field goals will kill their chances. However, in the 4th quarter and overtime of the Washington game, Notre Dame found it's redzone specialist in 235 lb running back Robert Hughes. Hughes showed a renewed confidence and determination with powerful runs inside the ten yard line which resulted in scores. Notre Dame clearly has the better quarterback, the better offense, and is playing at home. Consider the fact that Notre Dame scored 37 points against Washington while USC only scored 13 points against the same defense. Enough said.

The Notre Dame defense is another story. Notre Dame's front seven is one of the most inexperienced groups in the country and struggles to stop the run. Enter USC's offensive line and stable of elite running backs. All 5 of USC's starting offensive linemen project to the NFL and their recruiting at the running back position is unmatched by any other program in the country. If Notre Dame can't slow down the USC running attack, it'll be a long day for the Irish defense and you'll see Jimmy Clausen in the shotgun a lot trying to keep pace.

My prediction for the game is a high scoring track meet. The team who has the ball last will most likely win. Given Jimmy Clausen's ability to drive the Notre Dame team down the field in the last minutes of the game for four consecutive games going back to the Michigan game, lets hope the ball is in his hands at the critical moment.

Final score: Notre Dame 30, USC 28.