One was nice, but keep it going

Sam Werner made a great point in his last post that Notre Dame’s road victory over Michigan last Saturday was both crucial and impressive. I’d certainly agree — I wrote before the series that the Irish couldn’t afford to get swept, considering the tight CCHA race and the fact that despite their 20-game unbeaten streak, many still doubted Notre Dame.

Signing day buzz

Midway through National Signing Day, the Irish have already hit it big by signing linebacker Manti Te’o, one of the top defensive recruits in the country who many thought would head to USC after he visited Notre Dame the day the Irish fell to Syracuse.

Some Irish fans may bemoan the fact that Notre Dame’s recruiting class isn’t top-10 or even top-20 material according to most rankings, but Te’o’s signing changes that. Whether he’ll be around in a year or two is a mystery — he has already expressed his desire to leave school for a Mormon mission — but he should be an immediate contributor on a defense that is looking younger, faster, and more talented than it has in some time.