First Annual IBB College Bowl Pick 'Em Contest

I just signed up for the College Bowl Pick 'Em on CBSSportsline, and I'm inviting you to start a team and play against me!

I've set up a private "buddies" page to track our team's performance against each other, and against the rest of my "buddies" group. The winner gets the distinction of the top dawg in IBB lore, bragging rights for the year, and a special ND gift!

To join my group, please click on the link below. The College Bowl Pick 'Em is really easy to play, and you can invite a bunch of people to play too!

http://free2opc.1.collegefb.sportsline.com/b/df4d39e8b1951659

Sign up soon, because spots are filling up fast! Good Luck and as always, GO IRISH!

Scheduling a Winner or a Joke?

First it was Bushgate, then Spygate, now it's Memogate. According to other internet sources, Kevin White's blueprint for success of the 7-4-1 model has gotten out and made public. ND starting in 2009 will have seven homes games, four away, and one neutral site game that will be used as an NBC home game. The Athletic Department and White have been working to make the Irish Barnstorm across the country for other Alums to see ND play and help with recruiting in other areas. Anyway, Dr. White was none too pleased to hear that the cat was outta the bag.

"It's probably not that serious. But Notre Dame is none too pleased that a memo regarding its future football schedules leaked out over the weekend, featuring some pretty intriguing possibilities for off-site games down the line.

The memo is a "working document," meaning that the crossing of many T's and the dotting of many I's remains to be done. Some of the games may never come to fruition at all; for example, Rutgers isn't even sure yet that it wants to play the Irish in the Meadowlands, period. Let alone set up a date and time for a game."

Here are the tentative Fighting Irish football schedules.

2008 (12 games, 6 home, 2 Big East, classes start Aug. 26)
A30 Open Date
S6 SAN DIEGO STATE
S13 MICHIGAN
S20 at Michigan State
S27 PURDUE
O4 STANFORD
O11 at North Carolina
O18 Open Date
O25 at Washington
N1 PITTSBURGH
N8 at Boston College
N15 at Navy (Baltimore)
N22 SYRACUSE
N29 at USC

2009
(12 games, 7 home, 1 off-site in San Antonio, 2 Big East, classes Aug. 25)
S5 NEVADA
S12 at Michigan
S19 MICHIGAN STATE
S26 at Purdue
O3 WASHINGTON
O10 Open Date
O17 USC
O24 BOSTON COLLEGE
031 vs Washington State (San Antonio)
N7 NAVY
N14 at Pittsburgh
N21 CONNECTICUT
N28 at Stanford

2010
(12 games, 7 home, 1 off-site in Chicago, 2 Big East)
S4 PURDUE
S11 MICHIGAN
S18 at Michigan State
S25 STANFORD
O2 at Boston College
O9 PITTSBURGH
O16 vs Army (Chicago)
O23 vs Navy (Baltimore)
O30 Open Date
N7 **BUY GAME**
N13 RUTGERS (tent.)
N20 **BUY GAME**
N27 at USC

2011 (12 games, 7 home, 1 off-site in Orlando, 3 Big East)
S3 at Purdue
S10 at Michigan
S17 MICHIGAN STATE
S24 at Pittsburgh
O1 SOUTH FLORIDA
O8 **BUY GAME**
O15 vs Army (Orlando)
O22 USC
O29 RUTGERS/NAVY (resolve conflict)
N5 CONNECTICUT
N12 **BUY GAME**
N19 Open Date
N26 at Stanford

2012 (12 games, 7 home, 1 off-site in New Orleans, 2 Big East)
S1 vs Navy (Dublin)
S8 PURDUE
S15 at Michigan State
S22 MICHIGAN
S29 Open Date
O6 vs Baylor (New Orleans)
O13 **BUY GAME**
O20 PITTSBURGH (or Nov. 3 or 10, TBD)
O27 at Oklahoma
N3 **BUY GAME**
N10 **BUY GAME**
N17 WAKE FOREST
N24 at USC

2013 (12 games, 7 home, 1 off-site in Dallas, 2 Big East)
A31 **BUY GAME** (possibly Washington State)
S7 at Michigan
S14 at Purdue
S21 MICHIGAN STATE
S28 OKLAHOMA
O5 vs. Arizona State (Dallas)
O12 Open Date
O19 USC
O26 vs Connecticut (Foxboro)
N2 NAVY
N9 CINCINNATI (tentative)
N16 at Rutgers
N23 **BUY GAME**(possibly Army Nov. 16, if Rutgers can move)

2014 (12 games, 7 home, 1 off-site in Orlando, 3 Big East)
A30 **BUY GAME**
S6 vs Navy (site TBD)
S13 PURDUE
S20 MICHIGAN
S27 Open Date
O4 **BUY GAME**
O11 vs Army (Orlando)
O18 CONNECTICUT
O25 at Arizona State
N1 Open Date
N8 PITTSBURGH
N15 vs Rutgers (Giants Stadium)
N22 **BUY GAME**
N29 at USC

2015 (12 games, 7 home, 1 off-site TBD, 3 Big East)
S5 MISSOURI
S12 at Michigan
S19 at Purdue
S26 **BUY GAME**
O3 ARMY (tent.)
O10 NAVY
O17 USC
O24 vs Connecticut (Meadowlands)
O31 **BUY GAME** site TBD
N7 **BUY GAME**
N14 at Pittsburgh
N21 RUTGERS

2016 (12 games, 7 home, 1 off-site in Dallas, 3 Big East)
S3 **BUY GAME**
S10 MICHIGAN
S17 STANFORD
S24 at Michigan State
O1 **BUY GAME**
O8 **BUY GAME**
O15 vs Navy (site TBD)
O22 Open Date
O29 PITTSBURGH
N5 vs Rutgers (Giants Stadium)
N12 CONNECTICUT
N19 vs. Army (site TBD) 70th anniversary of ’46 ND-Army
N26 at USC

2017
S2
S9 at Michigan (to be scheduled)
S16 ARIZONA STATE
S23 MICHIGAN STATE
S30 vs Connecticut (Foxboro)
O7
O14
TBD USC
O21 NAVY
O28
N4
N11
N18
N25 at Stanford

2018
S1
S8 at Michigan State
S15 STANFORD
S22 PURDUE
S29 CONNECTICUT
O6
O13
O20 BOSTON COLLEGE
O27 vs Navy (site TBD)
N3
N10
N17
N24 at USC
Home date with ARMY to be scheduled

2019
A31 vs Navy (Dublin)
S7
S14 MICHIGAN STATE
S21 at Purdue
S28 vs Connecticut (Meadowlands)
O5
O12
O19 at Boston College
O26
N2
N9
N16
N23
N30 at Stanford

2020
S5
S12 STANFORD
S19 PURDUE
S26 MICHIGAN
O3 vs Connecticut (Foxboro)
O10
O17
O24 NAVY
O31
N7
N14
N21
N28

Mark Allen's Vacation Pics

Wow, Marky Mark looking as gay as ever in his Tron Convention outfit!

Turnaround Season Not Impossible

Coming off a 3-9 season doesn't give much hope to Irish fans that Notre Dame can turn their 2007 misfortunes into GOLD in 2008. Is it impossible for the Irish to get at least six wins this upcoming season, no! Is the schedule more difficult, on paper, than last year's, no again. So why are fans so leery of this year's team? Do they not think a turnaround season is possible? Here are a few teams that turned around their records after a dismal season the year before.

South Carolina
1999 - (0-11); 6 (Top 25 teams played); 84-48 (opp. record); .636 (opp. win %)
2000 - (8-4); 5 (Top 25 teams played); 71-69 (opp. record); .507 (opp. win %)
Total: 7.5 turnaround

Penn State
2004 - (4-7); 3 (Top 25 teams played); 70-59 (opp. record); .542 (opp. win %)
2005 - (11-1); 3 (Top 25 teams played); 77-64 (opp. record); .546 (opp. win %)
Total: 6.5 turnaround

Central Florida
2004 - (0-11); 1 (Top 25 team played); 63-64 (opp. record); .496 (opp. win %)
2005 - (8-5); 1 (Top 25 team played); 74-77 (opp. record); .490 (opp. win %)
Total: 6.5 turnaround

Tulsa
2002 - (1-11); 2 (Top 25 teams played); 73-79 (opp. record); .480 (opp. win %)
2003 - (8-5); 2 (Top 25 teams played); 78-85 (opp. record); .478 (opp. win %)
Total: 6.5 turnaround

UTEP
2003 - (2-11); 1 (Top 25 team played); 78-83 (opp. record); .484 (opp. win %)
2004 - (8-4); 3 (Top 25 teams played); 76-68 (opp. record); .527 (opp. win %)
Total: 6.5 turnaround

Those are just a few examples of teams bouncing back after having a miserable season the year before. Mississippi State (8-5) righted the ship last season with a 4.5 turnaround from their 2006 season (3-9). So it's definitely not of the question whatsoever for the Irish.

Last year Notre Dame faced 10 bowl teams that combined for 90-65 record (.586). Not exactly a murder's row schedule, but definitely tougher than the majority of Division I schools. Gone from the schedule are Penn St., Georgia Tech, UCLA, Air Force, and Duke; while San Diego St., North Carolina, Washington, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse, are added to the list in 2008. Basically the Irish are replacing teams that combined for .500 winning percentage with others that finished last season 19-42 (.311)!

A refocused group, a much easier season opener, and Tenacious T roaming the defensive sidelines, will make 2008 a year to remember for Irish fans!

More Possible Changes Within the ND Athletic Department

Before I get into the other possible wholesale changes in the landscape of Notre Dame Athletics, here's another interesting tidbit of information that was relayed to me from a certain football PA Announcer.

At the end of the season Coach Weis will step down and resign his post of Head Coach of the Fighting Irish, but....will remain with the squad as recruiting coordinator. As strange and bizarre as that sounds, it seems quite possible on several fronts.

(A) Weis has been an excellent recuriter of talent, which has been evident of his tenure as coach. Granted, he has done well in developing the talent, he does have an eye for it.

(B) He will also want to stay around and see the Hannah & Friends flourish. Makes a lot of sense since it is located here in the area, after putting millions of dollars into that project.

So it is still quite possible we could still see Charlie Weis next season on the Notre Dame sidelines, but not as the Irish Head Coach.

With all these decisions to be made, the man behind the moves, Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick, might also be on his way out. Ever since the passing of NCAA President Myles Brand, Swarbrick has been in constant contact with the Indianapolis headquarters and has put his name in the hat for possible replacement.

After contacting several former ND alums within the NCAA Headquarters, it has been confirmed that Swarbrick will be interviewing next week for the job. It's also been mentioned that Jack is waffling on his decision process of Weis and possible successor. Sounds quite convienent since the regular season will be finished a week from tomorrow, and he told ESPN that he won't make a decision till a week after the season.

IBB Weekly Motivator: Week 6

This is the reaction of folks in Columbus when they found out former Head Coach, John Cooper was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. Good bowl records and wins over your hated rivals proves hard work really does pay off!