It's been a great week for sensation and a terrible week for news.

First, the Irish lose their fight and fall to Michigan (yes, Michigan) 38-0. Then the quarterback controversy (Holiday or Quinn). Then the coaching controversy ("outcoached" is Willingham's own word, spoken before any commentator said it). And finally the play-calling controversy, with several ex-ND coaches asking again where are the screens and misdirections, the rollouts and draws, the thises and thats.

The frost is off the pumpkin, the bloom is off the rose. And the honeymoon, dear Virginia, is definitely over.

Let's deal with this torrent of issues one piece at a time.
 

When Last We Left Our Heroes

This is not your father's (or last year's) attacking defense, despite its nine returning starters. I'll offer two reasons for that:

1. The two they lost were critical. Shane Walton's spark is clearly needed, and so is, well, Sapp's brain. 'Nuff said.

2. The team as a whole peaked in the middle of the fourth quarter of last year's Florida State game.

I wrote in another column that deep in a team's subconscious group-mind, where the thoughts and words, the barely spoken hopes and fears of a complex interactive mental and emotional system get evaluated, summed, and digested -- in that subtle space where a group agrees on a goal (which may or may not be the spoken goal) -- this team decided that winning the national championship was beyond them . . . but going 8-0 and beating Florida State, that was something to shoot for.

And when they got there, they relaxed a bit, as a team, the whole rest of the way, and haven't stopped since.

Not that they aren't trying hard now. But guys, you need new goals. Not on the bulletin board. Not on your coaches' lips or yours. But goals nonetheless, in that deep group-brain that assembles the winces and smiles, the yeses and no's of a season into a single collective thought.

New goals, guys -- write that down.
 

Even though this is a team problem, I'm discussing it under defense for one reason. It's the defense that kept this team in the game, week after week -- or didn't. If the defense failed, the team failed.

When ND was successful last year, the defense held the other team to a low scoring total, and then itself scored. (I consider special teams scoring -- all but field goals -- part of attacking defense, by the way.)

The defense relaxed in the fourth quarter against Florida State and the team hasn't been the same since. And now, this year, without Walton and Sapp, they're really up a creek. New goals, guys.
 

When will this end? The Rock predicts -- when Freddie Parrish comes of age in the backfield. He seems to be Sapp and Walton rolled into one. Though by then they'll need a replacement for Courtney Watson's leadership (and brain) as well.
 

That Was Then, This Is Now

But that was last year. This year there's a new problem. Offense.

I think the coaches deserve a huge reward for what they did last year. Because it's obvious now, post-Michigan, that the real offense they squeezed out all those wins with . . . is this one, the one that lost last week. This is the base state of the Irish offense, and any week they do better is bloom on the rose, gild on the lily, frost on the sheetcake.

And they did indeed do better last year, week after week after week.

So bravo, Bill Diedrick. Props to you, Ty and crew. Our undying thanks to you all.

Now what are you going to do to fix it?
 

The problem on offense is the problem the coaches have always had. These players, that system. (Or, as The Real Deal has said, "Not same page. Not this year. Got it?")

There are differences, of course, between last year and this. The offensive line is new, and green (and potentially better, by the way). But Ty has Julius Jones as an offset to that. And Holiday's had a year to improve.

But the offense still can't handle the blocking schemes -- and I mean all of the offense, not just the line. And Carlyle Holiday, bless his ass-busting soul, still isn't a natural fit in the current pocket scheme. What's an Irish head football coach to do?
 

There are really only two ways out of this:

• Ty can continue to grow his team his way, use all of his leadership to get them to play, like last year, above themselves, until the whole team fully "gets" the system (actually, systems), while still buying time until Brady Quinn comes of age and/or Carlyle Holiday grows a pocket QB's instincts (whew!),
  
  OR
  
  
• He can shift to a hybrid system for now, and drift that hybrid toward the pure Willingham/Diedrick Stanford offense as opportunity and maturity afford.

Which will it be? Clearly the former is the route we're taking. And you can't say it's not a successful one. Look at last year.

Will it succeed this year? If the offense plays above itself again (until it becomes itself), yes. But only if the defense does its part, and regrows that attacking spirit.

What's in our favor? For one, weaker teams on our schedule. It's been pointed out by many that in our current state, without our attacking defense, we may not beat the Michigans of this world, but we will beat a whole lot of other unfortunate folk.

For another, Brady Quinn. He's coming on fast for a freshman, and soon Holiday may be chasing him for a job. After all, Ty has said that the best player will play, period.
 

I don't think, frankly, there's much we can do about it but watch and wait. If Ty pulls off another 10-3 season, we'll chair him through the market place once more, and thank dead Irish souls we have him.

If not . . . well, let's deal with that if we get there. I've a Dylan quote waiting for that column, which I'm hoping not to use, or write.
 

But What About All Those Other Irish Coaches?

Not the dead Irish coaches, but the living ones. The coaches, all with excellent credentials, who offer lists of plays not being called, like misdirections, rollouts and screens.

Frankly, I wonder myself about those suggestions. Diedrick's no slouch -- he's succeeded wherever he's been. So there must be a reason why his play-calling is as it is.

On the other hand, Tom Pagna's no slouch either, a brilliant offensive coordinator when he was coaching. And the others have credentials as well. So what about those rollouts, those screens?
 

I have a suggestion. Ty is close with words, tight when he speaks. But Diedrick and Baer are not; they're open and give good interviews. Why doesn't someone ask him directly, next time Diedrick is interviewed, what about rollouts and screens.

I'd love the answer. Wouldn't you? I know there is one -- I just want to hear what it is.
 

Last Comment on Chris Olsen

One final comment on the one that walked away. I still believe that logic (and nothing else) says that Olsen was concerned he wasn't starting. I mentioned that in last week's column, Waiting for Carlyle.

That should not be construed to mean that Olsen should have started; only that Olsen may have thought he should have started. Big difference.

It took Olsen a year to catch on to what Quinn has absorbed in weeks. So one has to believe, absent other information, that this coaching staff does indeed play the best players available, even at quarterback -- the spring game notwithstanding.
 

The Other Michigan

Not much to say about the coming battle with Michigan State. The eyes of the Nation will be glued to this one. Thank NBC and the scheduling gods it's at home, so we can actually watch it.

What will happen? I believe the Irish will win. If they don't, I'll pull out that Dylan quote. The MSU offense is capable, but struggling. Their strong suit, by the signs we have now, is running, though any team with a capable offense and a capable passing QB can light it up passing. Both of State's quarterbacks are capable -- Smoker we know, and his backup was one of the better high school phenoms in his day.

Will the Irish defense respond? Let's watch and see. They should respond sufficiently for MSU.

On offense it's a crapshoot. The MSU defense is decent, so the Irish don't have a gimme on that side of the ball. I'm betting both QBs will play, regardless of the way the scoring goes. ND coaches are moving Quinn along as fast as they can. Game experience is certainly on his curriculum.

The Rock's scoreboard, just for fun?

Irish 20 (seven thanks to defense and special team returns)
Michigan State 10

Let's face it, fans -- this is better than the soaps, if more nerve-wracking. And you never know. One day this offense, this faded Irish rose, will bloom again.
 

Yours,

The Rock