Rockne's Roundtable

I don't doubt a single word that Brian Kelly said as to why Tommy Rees and Carlo Calabrese are staying home. I believe that Kelly believes it is in the best interest of the program for players' choices to carry consequences. Obviously, this elevates either Golson or Hendrix into the starting QB slot. It means those two will get the majority of the fall camp reps. This won't hurt Rees that much since he's already run system for two years, but could work wonders for Golson and Hendrix.

Most of us sense that Kelly wants Golson on the field. Most of us share his feelings. However, unlike the rest of us, Kelly is alone in knowing just how dangerous it might be to have him playing. I don't believe after last year's start that Kelly will take any opponent for granted. I believe knows Navy could beat us if we turn it over like we did against USF, Michigan, etc.

These things lead me to believe that Golson has made enormous strides toward being able to get the team set without risking unacceptable numbers of delay of game, illegal formation and false start penalties. This does not mean that I think Kelly would not have meted out the same discipline if Golson had not made this progress. Instead, I think Kelly might have delayed the announcement for a few weeks. Announcing this now tells me Kelly is comfortable enough with Golson (or possibly Hendrix) to invest more heavily in them during fall camp than he otherwise would. If he lacked that comfort, he would keep a three way competition going knowing that he really wants Rees on the field for Purdue. By announcing this now, a QB disaster against Navy will permit him to fall back to Rees simply by saying he wanted him for Navy, but that he couldn't use him in all good conscience. On the other hand, if Golson is solid, he can continue to start.

I will not be surprised if Everett Golson will cost us a game or two as a starter. In fact, I'll be surprised if he doesn't. Against our schedule, he's too inexperienced not to. However, I believe we can have a better overall season with him under center than with Rees. If he plays the whole year, I have the feeling we can give Oklahoma and USC all they want. I also believe we can beat either or both of them.

This could be a very good Notre Dame football team. Even without proven wideouts, Eifert and the other tight ends, Roma and the slot guys and the backs gives us all kinds of possession tools as well as opportunities to get the ball to guys in space. With our line and backs, we'll also be able to run with power, yet score on any play. On defense, we're thin at safety and questionable at both corners, but if Wood, Jackson, Josh Atkinson, Prosise, Slaughter and a few others stay healthy and flash some skills, the defense could be very solid, as well. We'll be very hard to run on. If we can get up to about a B in the defensive backfield, we could make it hard for most teams to score.

The great thing is we don't play OK and USC until the year's 9th and 13th weeks. By then, Golson, the receivers and the corners will no longer be green. If they have the talent to play at this level, they'll be ready show it. We could be a very solid football team when those games roll around.

If we win the games we should, don't stumble against BYU, and play 60 minutes of football against MSU, Michigan and Stanford, we could be undefeated going to Oklahoma. I doubt that we will be, but viewing one game at a time, it's certainly possible. I believe we have the talent edge against everyone except the big two, although Denard Robinson's experience is a big plus for Michigan. Also, playing Michigan and MSU on consecutive Saturdays is, as usual, unfortunate.

Still, if we get through the first four, momentum could carry us through the next three, and we could be some very happy campers come bowl season. Then, of course, at year's end, we'd have the longest off season in history waiting like kids at Christmas for 2013 to arrive.