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This week’s podcast was broken into two clips for everyone since the show ended up being two hours this week.  The first clip is the interview with Randy Kinder which went really, really well and the second is our Air Force preview.  Both clips have some great stuff in them.  Jeff and I both watched Air Force’s last game and talked about what we think we’ll see out of the Falcons this weekend.

Randy Kinder will be joining us on this week’s podcast so don’t forget to tune in at 10 PM ET and hear what he has to say about his experiences at Notre Dame as well as what he thinks about the current situation at Notre Dame.  Randy will also be joining us in the UHND Chat room (we have a new chat room for this week which should be much better than the previous one) so be sure to join us!

In the latest depth chart released by Notre Dame, freshman Duval Kamara and sophomore Robby Parris are list as the starting receivers. The two receivers have both seen their playing time increase over the last few weeks and they give the Irish offense a similar look to what Jeff Samardzija and Maurice Stovall gave this offense two years ago. While neither is developed to the point of Stovall or Samardzija at this time, they give the Irish offense two big targets who can’t get thrown around at the line. One of the problems with starting both David Grimes and George West was that they were both smaller receivers and in two wide receivers sets, they were easier to take out of the equation by opposing defenses.

Here are some other notes from the latest depth chart.

• Anthony Vernaglia is now listed as a backup ILB behind Mo Crum. Vernalgia played a lot of ILB last week in Crum’s absence and played reasonably well. With the emergence of Brian Smith and Kerry Neal at OLB, Vernaglia’s playing time on the outside was going to be cut short so this move could get him more playing time if Crum isn’t full go again this weekend.
• Kerry Neal continues to be listed as the starter at OLB and it’s only a matter of time until Brian Smith is also listed as the starter opposite him.
• Travis Thomas is listed as the starter at RB this week with James Aldridge banged up.. Given the state of the Irish running game and USC’s ability to stop the run, it’s obvious that Notre Dame will have to pass the ball a lot this week. Thomas is the most accomplish pass blocker amongst the running backs so this makes sense. I would still expect to see Robert Hughes and Armando Allen get more carries.
• Dan Wenger is listed as the #2 RG and C, but Weis said earlier in the week that he is the backup at all 3 inside OL positions.
• Chris Stewart is the #2 RT behind Paul Duncan even though he has been primarily listed as a guard in the past. Weis said earlier this week that Stewart has been practicing both positions.  If you remember back to when Stewart was being recruiting, he had some surprising agility for a big man, so maybe he can find a home a tackle.
• Ambrose Wooden is listed as an “or” along with Darrin Walls at one of the corner spots which I can only hope is Weis being nice because Walls is head and shoulders ahead of Wooden right now. Unless of course we are talking about getting pass interference penalties, then Wooden has Walls’ number.
• Geoff Price is listed as the #1 holder ahead of Evan Sharpley.
• Sergio Brown is now the #2 SS behind Tommy Zbikowski.

Yikes! Week 3 was almost as bad as week 2 (maybe worse). Frank will probably pull the whole idea if I carry a losing record after this week. Nevertheless, positive energy and a little luck of the Irish (they haven’t used any yet) will lead to a winning record this week. Bet the ranch…

Clemson (-7.5) @ NC State

Clemson has put together a solid year offensively, starting with their opening win in the Bowden Bowl and victories over two cupcakes in Louisana-Monroe and Furman. NC State, on the other hand, has struggled mightily against D1-A teams this year, losing to both Central Florida and Boston College. It basically comes down to a very good rushing attack for Clemson against a very poor defense for NC State. The Wolfpack just aren’t at the level to compete yet.

Prediction: Clemson 31 NC State 17

Georgia Tech (-3.5) @ Virginia

Georgia Tech laid an absolute egg last weekend (probably because I picked them to win), but Virginia folds everytime they face a talented team. The Cavs opened up the season with a horrible performance against Wyoming, but rebounded to win their next two. Those two wins, however, came against cellar-dwellers Duke and North Carolina. GT is too good of a team to have a repeat performance of last week’s disaster against Boston College.

Prediction: Georgia Tech 28 Virginia 13

Baylor (-3.5) @ Buffalo

I’ve been to UB’s stadium and its not exactly the most intimidating place to play. Many of the Texas recruits that matriculated to Baylor played in front of larger crowds in high school. Annual cupcake Buffalo was beat up by both Penn State and Rutgers this year, sandwiching a victory over an even worse Temple team. While the reason for betting against Baylor is usually “well, it IS Baylor”, the same rule usually applies to Buffalo. Basically what’s happened is a 100 word semi-reasoning behind why one awful team is better than an even more awful team. The Big XII cellar isn’t quite as dark as the MAC.

Prediction: Awful 21 Even Worse 14

Oregon (-17) @ Stanford

I really think Oregon is a solid team, especially after looking at their first three games. The blowout win over Michigan stands out, but blowout wins over solid mid-majors Houston and Fresno State are equally telling. The offense is lights out and the defense is good enough to get the team by. Stanford, on the other hand, is not very good no matter who is their coach. They looked poor against UCLA to open the season, and San Jose State isn’t exactly the best measure of talent. The game is in Palo Alto, but I can’t see Stanford stopping the Duck’s offense.

Prediction: Oregon 38 Stanford 17

Obligatory Fighting Irish Prediction:

Notre Dame (+12.5) v. Michigan St.

Oh God, he didn’t do it again did he? He didn’t waste another pick on the Irish (who haven’t scored an offensive touchdown this year). He didn’t go with his heart in picking Notre Dame to win, despite the fact that they haven’t scored an offensive touchdown yet this year. Why would anyone ever think that an 0-3 team, which hasn’t scored an offensive touchdown yet this year by the way, would beat a team with a 3-0 record. What an idiot! What is he thinking??

“And that’s why you’re Michigan State” –Kirk Herbstreit (9/23/06)

Prediction: Wake Up the Echoes 21 We Must Protect this Flag 17

That’s all for this week. Hopefully this doesn’t turn into a Nick Bakay segment.

Last Week: 1-5

Overall: 8-9

Week three’s picks are coming in just before deadline, but better late than never. Last week wasn’t what I was hoping for coming off of a very successful week one, but overall a 7-5 record is very acceptable. Onward…

Arkansas (+3.5) @ Alabama

Leading off with a bit of a risky pick. The Razorbacks had the off-season from hell, but so far its shown no effects on the field. It’s Nick Saban’s first real chance to prove himself in an SEC Battle, but the defensive mastermind is still working with a fairly new talent set. As long as you have Darren McFadden you have a chance to win, and I think Arkansas goes on the road and takes one from Alabama.

Prediction: Razorbacks 24 Alabama 20

Ohio State (-4) @ Washington

I’m still not buying this year’s Washington team. Boise State (although I picked them last week) came in with an inflated ranking based on last year’s performance, and Syracuse is just awful. Ohio State, however, has the type of defense that can shut down a Chauncey-led offense. A matchup between Tressel and Willingham is almost unfair. Ohio State goes on the road and takes care of a Washington team that needs to have a loss.

Prediction: Ohio State 31 Washington 14

Texas (-20) @ Central Florida

What is Texas doing on the road in September? Isn’t this the time that they usually play Rice and Texas State at home? Either way, the Horns broke out of their season starting slump in the second half last week. Texas is due a blowout performance, especially on offense. There’s just too much talent to not have a big one this week and they show up against O’leary squad of dreamers.

Prediction: Texas 42 Central Florida 10

Louisville (-7) @ Kentucky

This line baffled me a bit when it first came out. The game is on the road for Louisville, but truth be told it isn’t that much of a road trip. An offensive showdown, who knows how to outscore a team better than Louisville. I think there’s just too much talent for a solid and surprising Kentucky team in this one. A touchdown isn’t that much for Louisville to overcome. It could turn out to be a safe victory.

Prediction: Louisville 45 Kentucky 28

Georgia Tech (-7) v. Boston College

I really like Georgia Tech this year. Their quarterback seems to be a big step up over Reggie Ball and Tashard Choice is able to replace the offensive power lost when Calvin Johnson graduated. As I’ve stated in the first couple of weeks, I just don’t think Boston College is that good this year. The Ramblin’ Wreck Defense takes control of this game (sound familiar?) and GT goes on to a comfortable victory.

Prediction: GT 31 Boston College 21

Obligatory Notre Dame pick of the week:

No matter what they say, Michigan has two options: Focus on the Big 10 conference or pack it in, neither of which have an impact this week. The Malletor makes his starting debut this week, throwing lightning bolts and dishing out thunder like the god Wolverines fans think he is…. Except that he is a freshman starter, and we know how that turns out. Michigan struggles to get the offense going (again) and the Irish squeek out enough points to take this one.

Prediction: Irish 21 Michigan 17

Last Week- 2-4

Overall- 7-5

A new weekly feature, the Picks of Destiny will break down a few games each week including a prediction for Notre Dame’s upcoming match up. Consider it a bit of a tip sheet for the Pick ‘em Challenge. Weekly results will be tallied and readers can post comments throughout the weekend with regards to what an idiot the author is. Fair enough. And so it goes:Miami, Fl (-18) v. MarshallTypically this would be a simple “Powerhouse v. Cupcake” matchup, but it is not the case after the ‘Canes performance last year. However, despite the Category 5 performances given by the offense, the defense was stellar throughout. Don’t expect that to change this year with Randy Shannon taking over as head coach. I don’t expect Marshall to score more than a couple times, leaving the Kirby Freeman-led Miami offense to take care of the game (and point spread). Different era, different results. Prediction: ‘Canes 35 Marshall 10 UConn @ Duke UNDER 52Splitting the Over/Under in half (and thus predicting a tie), both teams would score 26 points. In order for an over in this case, one of the two offensive offenses would  have to score at least 27 points.  Last year both UConn and Duke scored 27 or more in just two games each (one of UConn’s was against a D1-AA team). Both teams return a solid amount of starters from last year on offense, but is that really a good thing judging by their previous performances? I think not. Prediction: UConn 24 Duke 13 Georgia Tech @ Notre Dame UNDER 45 1/2Point One: Last year just 24 points were scored in total. The offenses were much better on both sides, with the Irish losing all of their starting skill players (Quinn, Walker, McKnight, and Samardzija) and Georgia Tech losing one of the only two that mattered (Calvin Johnson). Point Two: The defenses should be better; much better in the case of the Irish with new DC Corwin Brown. While I still feel that we’ll see more points than last year, how many more can you truly expect?Prediction: Coming later in the post. Cal (-6) v. TennesseeLast year the Vols had their way with Cal. This year things should be different. The game is not in Rocky Top, a much bigger advantage than it actually being in Berkeley. Nate Longshore has a year of experience under his belt and DeShawn Jackson to throw the ball to… not a bad target. Tennessee’s offense, should struggle without Robert Meachem, Jayson Swain, and suspended tailback LaMarcus Coker. This could turn out to be a big win in the other direction this year. Cal is a much better team than most are expecting headed into the year. Prediction: Cal 35 Tennessee 21 Arizona St. (-15) v. San Jose St. Arizona St. struggled last year with Rudy Carpenter injured and Dirk Koetter struggling through the season. This year, with a previous Pac-10 winner at coach in Dennis Erickson (remember the Fiasco Bowl), the Sun Devils should be much improved. San Jose St. is… well, still San Jose St. There’s no reason to believe they will keep this game remotely close. The only challenge Arizona St. will face is from themselves. Prediction: Arizona St. 38 San Jose St. 17  Obligatory Notre Dame Prediction: Georgia Tech (+3) @ Notre DameI really don’t like this match up in the season opener.  The Irish will face a very good back in Tashard Choice without much of a counter in size or experience. The point of concern on this year’s defense is the front 7, but more specifically the size of the front 7; it is much smaller than you would like in the 3-4 formation. I think Tyler Bennett will be an improvement over Reggie Ball, and though the loss of Johnson will hurt, the running game will help take pressure off of the passing game for the Yellow Jackets. On the other side of the ball, Tech DC Jon Tenuta loves to bring pressure and has a great corp of linebackers to blitz. Not exactly a great formula for a very green Irish QB. It kills me to do it, but… Prediction:  Georgia Tech 24 Notre Dame 14

Despite the indefinite suspension of Derrell Hand after his arrest last week, sophomore Chris Stewart will be moving back to the offensive side of the ball according to Charlie Weis on Monday.

I know, this is the Hand and all that. I kind of figured that one was coming. I think that right now, we’re going to let him start off at guard. We don’t need him - at this point today, we don’t need him at nose, but we have a couple players that we’ve discussed Chris with offense and defense and we’ve also talked about the two young linemen, meaning Andrew (Nuss) and Emeka (Nwankwo), who are starting off on defense, where if we got in an emergency the other way, we could flip them back the other way.

There had been some speculation about whether or not Stewart would stay on the defensive side of the ball at nose tackle where he practice this spring, but Weis clarified that at his presser.   Stewart’s spring was slowed by injuries and his experiment at nose tackle never got much of a chance because of them.

With Stewart of offense, Notre Dame will be left with Pat Kuntz as the likely starter at NT being backed up by true freshman Ian Williams who reported to Notre Dame in great shape.  If the the staff has enough faith in Williams already to allow Stewart to move back to offense before even waiting to see how Williams handles the first couple practices, one would have to think that Williams is a big time talent.

Stewart moving back to offense adds even more depth to a group Weis praised for being the deepest group since he’s been at Notre Dame.

This is the first time since we’ve been here that we think that we can put out two deep on an offensive line and put out good football players. The first year I was here, we might have had about a half dozen, so the drop-off from the first to the second (teams) was huge.

On a side note, other than “this is the Hand and all that” there was no mention made about Derrell Hand’s suspension.  According to Michael Rothstein of the Fort Wayne Gazette Journal, though, an arraignment has been set for Hand on August 16.