DAYNE CRIST: "I'M 100% NOW!"

Photo courtesy of UHND.com

Today Notre Dame starting quarterback Dayne Crist (otherwise known as the last chance for a winning season for the Irish) said "I'M 100% NOW" which means he will be ready to go for Michigan State this week. Crist was knocked out after the first series in which he rushed for a touchdown and came away with a hit to the head that caused blurry vision throughout the first half. He came back in the second half and led a spirited comeback from 21-7 down to take the lead at 24-21 with 3 minutes to go. After that Shoelace took over.

Having Crist back completely healthy is huge going into a pivotal game in East Lansing. The Irish offense looked awful without him and the two backups in Tommy Rees and Nate Montana clearly aren't ready to lead them at this point. With the Irish looking to seize momentum in their first road game start for Crist they will need him to play the whole game, not just a half. Sparty has been a thorn in the Irish side for decades and night games in East Lansing have turned into nightmares quite often.

A healthy Crist means the Irish have a fighting chance. Right now the spread sits at Michigan State favored by -3.5. My bet is the Irish to bounce back and win outright Saturday night.