Season Record 7-15 -12.90 units
Favorites 2-7 -7.90 units
Dogs 4-3 +0.70 units
Halftimes 1-2 -1.30 units
Totals 0-3 -4.40 units
Well. . . The Irish season didn't exactly start as expected (but on the other hand, either has my handicapping), but I'm still keeping hope alive.
The one downgrade in my expectations is that I'm pretty sure that Notre Dame will never be a running team under Weis. Even in the "glory" years, the running game consisted of draws and sweeps and were designed to keep the rush off of Brady Quinn.
Lots of discussion this week on how SDSU was an inch away from being up 13 on the Irish, but there's been nothing on the fact that ND left 17 points on the board and extended SDSU only TD drive with a offsides penalty from the middle.
I also think that Michigan's offense is much more suspect than the Irish. When you add the blitz packages from Notre Dame against a Michigan QB and Oline that are having trouble picking up the offense, it should prove difficult to move the ball on the ground and neither of UofM's QB's has shown that they can complete a mid-level pass.
Hopefully, the Irish can spread the field and rely on a short passing game to neutralize Michigan's Dline who should dominate the Irish up front because I think it'll work. However, I've lost a lot of faith in Weis in regards to outscheming an opponent since OSU in the Fiesta. I'm hoping that he doesn't try and stuff the ball with the run because it's exactly what will happen - they will be stuffed.
With a chance for a wet field, I don't think this game gets near the low total because whoever gets ahead by two scores will play Carr ball (run-run-run-punt) because there is no reason not to.
Going with the under and hoping to get 3 by Saturday with ND.
ND/Michigan Under 37 2 units
