94 degrees.  94 degrees today, and I am thinking of one thing, Notre Dame football.  I think about Ty Willingham, Carlyle Holiday, and Ryan Grant.  I
think about the offensive line, linebackers, and special teams.  I think about the schedule, I think about recruiting, and most of all I think about
tradition.  Notre Dame tradition.  A tradition that has been tarnished over the last few years as Notre Dame teams have continually underachieved.  I think its time for us to move back into the national spotlight.  Get back to being not just a respected program, but also a feared one.  Getting back to why movies are made about this great school, and its heroes.

The University made the first step in reviving the football program when they hired Tyrone Willingham.  A brilliant move in many minds of college
football analysts, which prompted one observer to remark, "If Ty can win 8 games at Stanford then he can at least win 10 at Notre Dame".  A great coach can take average talent and win with it.  Notre Dame has above average talent, and now (in my opinion) a great coach, which prompts me to ask what should we expect this season.   What will we see this year that has been lacking over the last few years.  I asked myself this question, and here is the answer.

We can expect effort.  There is no doubt that these last few Notre Dame teams did show effort against top ranked teams.  Where effort lacked was against lover level teams.   The Irish in the Davie era were consistently playing to the same level as their opponent.  Causing many critics to wonder openly if he was the right man for the job, and giving Irish fans many cases of heart burn.  There needs to be effort every week, because this is Notre Dame, and for some schools beating the Irish makes their entire season.  Often a let up can cost a National Championship.  Just ask Lou Holtz.

We can expect a game plan.  In the last coaching regime there seemed to be a lack of a gamelan for the offense, thus creating inconsistency.  Also during halftime adjustments were not made, and if they were they were not properly executed (see Stanford game of last year).

We can expect a "cool hand luke" of a coach.  Someone who does not go crazy in difficult situations or the closing minutes when a game is in crunch time.  At this time we can expect to have a coach take a player and say "relax everything will be fine".  After all execution is what wins games, not fake audibles.

Most of all we can expect a new attitude to sweep though South Bend.  Players are now being held responsible for their mistakes.  When a mistake
is made I think we can expect the player to right it by making a "play".

I am not predicting a record here.  Just expecting certain things to happen under Ty that will lead to the success of the team.  Greatness should be expected of the players.  Not by Coach Willingham, not by the fans, but by the players themselves.   That is why they come to Notre Dame to perform on the football field at great levels.  To be taught how to get to those levels by their coach, and be beloved by alumni, and subway alumni alike.  To do great things in football and in life.   Does a coaching change automatically make those things happen, not always, but in this case I expect it will.