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I never have been what you would call a Notre Dame fan, but in looking at their first three weeks of the schedule, and even more so the entire schedule, you must tip your cap to them. Being under the microscope for three solid months is a lot to handle for young men of ages 18-23 and I sure look forward to their meeting with USC this year.

They started the odyssey Labor Day weekend in Atlanta against a very talented Georgia Tech who was waiting to pounce on the over-hyped Irish. After what many folks perceived to be a lackluster performance, they head home to face the Nittany Lions of Penn State and were under valued at -7 at the average sportsbook.

Now comes the acid test as they play their third emotional game in a row against a Michigan team who has had two dress rehearsals against mediocre opposition in Vanderbilt and Central Michigan.

If the Charlie Weiss led team prevails over the Wolverines, they may be walking into the lions' den next week against the Spartans in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State may lose in Pittsburgh this weekend and will be ready to pounce on an emotionally spent ND team in week four.

If Brady Quinn and the lads go unscathed through week four they may have some cupcakes in Purdue, Stanford, UCLA, and Navy, but then that is where the snake uncoils and strikes many times in sports. It has struck me several times while football betting.

Okay, so I lied since Notre Dame will follow up those four weeks with tilts against North Carolina, Air Force and Bobby Ross's Cadets of Army before D-Day which occurs the last Saturday in November at the Coliseum in Los Angeles against the Trojans of USC.

From our perspectives, as gamblers, whether ND wins or not is not the issue, it's how they do against the spread that will be of great interest to us in sports betting. This weekend they are -7 against Lloyd Carr's bunch and that is a whole lot of points to be granting a very talented Michigan team!

Happy Wagering!

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