Rockne's Roundtable

Wes,

I think we've been on the same page since last year about refusing to call the first contest ND plays a "second-round game."

You go from 68 to 64 ... and suddenly you're in the "second round"?

I just think that ND is the better team. They played a better schedule and they play better defense. ND does not need the stars to align to win this game and they shouldn't play with anything but confidence that they will win. Against OSU they need the stars to align. the funny thing is if they beat OSU, then can go really far. The West isn't that strong.

It's pretty silly, but I finally gave in.

It's like calling Johnny Manziel a freshman last year when he was already an early enrollee in 2011 and then went through a full freshman season in 2011-12, even though he didn't appear in game action.