Rockne's Roundtable

I am all for the evolution of the game. Recently, it was stated by a journalist on another site that roughly 16 of the top 25 teams are running a spread offense. The spread is good for putting points on the board; you'll get no argument from me on that account.

However, and as many diehard fans who frequent this site will remember, ND football dominated when we owned the trenches (and it's been a very long time since anyone could say that about an Irish football team). We beat our opponents into the ground, and unmercifully so. The return of Tony Alford to running backs/slot receivers and his embarrassment of riches, the addition of Troy Niklas to an already All-American TE corps, the veteran left side/center of the OL and competition between three or four highly capable OLs on the right side all spell potential domination ... if it all comes together.

Coach Kelly's proven scheme in combination with the skill players in the offensive backfield and slot position make this unit the one with the most potential upside of any on the field. If our OL can dominate and control possession, we could, theoretically, be unstoppable.

But, in the end, I agree with Lou. On paper, it is possible, though improbable, that we could win a National Championship. But the comedy of errors we have all lived through for so many years belies that fact.

In South Bend, and all across Irish Nation, hope springs eternal.