2006 Penn State Notre Dame

Now take a look at our 2008 Penn State Football Predictions and 2008 Notre Dame Football Predictions!

Notre Dame got past their first test of the season, but it was a scare and now has many wondering if the 8 point cushion the Nittany Lions are getting is a must for bettors to take. Although it is apparent that Notre Dame’s defense has some holes, you can bet that their offense will be much sharper this week and it is no secret that the Irish are a different team in South Bend. With that being said, Paterno is pulling in talent once again in Happy Valley, and despite losing 7 defensive starters from last year’s team, his defense has reloaded and will be every bit as tough on the Irish as Tech’s was last week.

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Notre Dame’s defense will have to stop tailback Tony Hunt. If they aren’t successful, get ready for a barn burner as Penn State will be able to control the football with the run and keep Notre Dame’s prolific offense off the field. We must also remember that expectations couldn’t be any higher in South Bend this season. These are expectations that could make it hard for the Irish to play up to their full potential. Not only are the expectations high, but the target on the Irish’s heads couldn’t be any bigger and Joe Pa will have the Lions believing that they can knock off a giant early.

Notre Dame returns 17 of 22 starters so experience is definitely on the side of the Irish. They also have the offensive advantage with Heisman hopeful Brady Quinn and big play receiver Jeff Samardzija as well as with tailback Darius Walker running behind an experienced line. Notre Dame’s offense will look a lot better than it did last week, but their defense will definitely be tested more by Penn State’s strong running attack that it was by Georgia Tech.

This is a small lean, but I like the Irish to score late in the game to cover at home. Penn State’s inexperienced defense will get crossed up more than a couple times with Weiss’ multi-dimensional offensive attack. Penn State doesn’t have a quick strike offense and once they get behind, they won’t be able to come back.