Have no doubt about it, this is going to be a tough game. As Rexrode wrote this morning, it’s going to be a season game for MSU, but it’s a program game for Notre Dame and embattled coach Charlie Weis. We will learn a lot about Michigan State and we will learn a lot about Coach Dantonio today in South Bend. Let’s go State, beat the Irish, and paint the Dome green!!!
Here’s what to watch for in South Bend today:
Changes to the Offensive Line
Center Joel Nitchman is rumored to be back in the lineup. He returns the most starts out of anyone on the offensive line with 22 games under his belt. Rocco Cironi is second with 17 starts at the left tackle position. But you get one back and another one falls out. Sounds like Jared McGaha will replace J’Michael Deane, who is out with a leg injury, at the right guard spot. The offensive line has not been able to consistently open up holes for the running backs, and constant rotations won’t help this unit to gel and come together. I would love to see the offensive line create running lanes for the backs, but that may be asking a lot today.
Quarterback Roulette
For the second straight week, Dantonio was mum about naming a starter before the game. Kirk Cousins was able to create separation between himself and Keith Nichol in the Central Michigan game. Everyone expects that Cousins will start, but the real question is how much will Nichol play in this game. Dantonio insists that the quarterback situation is “status quo,” and status quo the last two weeks has been three drives for Cousins, then Nichol comes in. But if there’s one thing we learned last Saturday, it’s that you cannot sacrifice points. Not against Central Michigan, and NOT against Notre Dame. The offense needs rhythm, and quarterback roulette is no way to develop rhythm. I’m not sure what to expect today, but I’ll tell you what I want to see: Kirk Cousins lead every drive of this football game, with Keith Nichol coming in on specific plays to throw the defense off balance.
The Defense
Originally, this section was going to be just on the DBs, who were the weakest part of the defense last week. But let’s be honest, there was not a single element of the defense that played a great game last week. Certainly the DBs need to play better against a high-octane Irish arial attack, but the catalyst to the DBs playing well will likely be up front, in the ability of the defensive line to create pressure on Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen. If Clausen has the time to play pitch and catch against the Spartan defense, Notre Dame will be able to put up points early and often. But if MSU can bring pressure and upset the rhythm (isn’t this the same thing I said against CMU?) then MSU could have a good chance in this game.
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