SI.COM'S STEWART MANDEL THINKS NOTRE DAME IS GOING TO BE GOOD...WAIT...AM I DRUNK, DID I READ THIS RIGHT?

Sports Illustrated's lead college football writer Stewart Mandel has never been a big fan of Notre Dame. Generally when he gets the chance to throw a couple of jabs at the program he will take off the gloves and wail away. But today he posted an article that actually praises the direction the program is headed with head coach Brian Kelly and the recruiting efforts. Color me smitten!

The words have been uttered countless times over the past two decades, and each time they've proven premature. They elicit hope from a fan base desperate to reclaim its now-distant glory and groans from every other fan base in the country.

So brace yourself, because you're going to be hearing them again and again over the next 12 months.

Notre Dame is coming back.

Really.

He points out the resurgence was led by a Notre Dame defense that only gave up four offensive touchdowns in the final 5 games and the scoring defense improved from 63rd in 2009 to top 25 in 2010 (23rd) despite playing the second hardest schedule in the nation. With five star elite defensive recruits such as Aaron Lynch, Ishaq Williams, and Stephon Tuitt along with a bevy of other talented recruits on the defensive side of the ball coming to South Bend this year it looks like the Fighting Irish will actually have a top 10 defense. Notre Dame has 9 defensive starters back but players with the skill and speed of Lynch, Ishaq, and Tuitt will make instant impacts their freshmen season.

What Notre Dame accomplished at the end of the season was nothing short of remarkable. After starting off the season losing nail biters to Michigan and Michigan State and then getting completely blown out by Stanford and Navy followed by another questionable loss to Tulsa (Kelly's biggest snafu so far as a coach not kicking the field goal) and with season ending injuries to the starting QB, tailback, tight end, and defensive tackle a lot of teams especially Notre Dame in the past would have cowered and run home with their tails tucked between their legs. A Charlie Weis led team certainly would have. But Kelly's Notre Dame didn't. They came back and they actually lived up to the "fighting" in their name. They beat the piss out of top 15 Utah at home. They crushed Army in Yankee Stadium. They finally got the USC monkey off their back and won for the first time in the storied rivalry since Bob Davie was roaming the sidelines. And then to finish it all off they beat the living shit out of Da U Miami in El Paso. All of this with a true freshman QB in Tommy Rees.

Notre Dame is going in the right direction no doubt. While I don't need Mandel's praise to make it feel legit I can say it's nice to get something positive written about the program for a change from a national media member. The "Fighting" Irish are back. It's going to be fun to listen to all the haters come out now. The program has followed the lead of Kelly and the staff. They won't take no for an answer on the recruiting front and they most certainly won't back down on the football field. Let's just say Notre Dame is ready to get back to where they should have never left: a college football powerhouse.

MARK RICHT NEEDS TO CUT WASHAUN EALEY

We all know that SEC football is minor league football and with the exception of Vanderbilt going to classes is generally frowned upon if you play big boy football. With that being said it's time for Georgia head coach Mark Richt to stop with the nice guy routine and also stop hiding behind the Christian values umbrella he has surrounded himself with and flat out cut Washaun Ealey.

Right now Ealey is only suspended without pay.

ATHENS — Tailback Washaun Ealey’s future in the Georgia football program appears uncertain.

UGA said today that Ealey remains on the team but would not address accounts that he has been suspended indefinitely from the Bulldogs’ off-season activities.

“I can confirm that Washaun Ealey is still here and still on the team,” Georgia senior associate athletic director Claude Felton said in an e-mail. “That’s all the details I can provide.”


Ealey’s suspension is believed to stem from failing to show up for a disciplinary run last week.

Even before this issue, Georgia coach Mark Richt had raised the possibility of Isaiah Crowell — the prized running back signed last week — starting the season opener against Boise State in the Georgia Dome. Richt also has said that Ken Malcome, who was redshirted as a freshman last season, will contend for playing time at tailback.

There have been intermittent rumors since December that Ealey would consider transferring; he has previously denied that.

This is not Ealey’s first brush with trouble on the Georgia team. He was suspended from last season’s opening game because of an arrest for hit-and-run of a parked vehicle and driving with a suspended license. Richt was particularly upset about that incident because Ealey had assured coaches he would not drive while his license was suspended.

The Georgia football program and coach Richt are on a short leash. UGA football has been subpar the past two seasons and numerous players have either been arrested or suspended. Now it's time for Richt to send a clear message to the rest of the team and kick Ealey out of school. Ealey has clearly broken team and school rules multiple times. He has been given numerous chances to make up for mistakes. College kids will fuck up every once in a while but when you keep giving them second, third, fourth and fifth chances they don't necessarily learn from those mistakes. It has become a habit in Athens for players like Ealey to bend the rules or ignore them all together. The fact that he didn't even bother showing up for a mandatory disciplinary run last week means he doesn't want to follow the rules of Richt and has little to zero respect for the head coach. This has to change immediately.

Cut Ealey. Take his car back and all the cash and women you provided and get his ass out of Athens before he fucks up the program even further.

Signed,

Bulldawg Nation

DESEAN JACKSON IS A GOOD GUY

I got a little dust in my eye watching this. Just like when Ray played catch with his dad in "Field of Dreams" I could have sworn someone was cutting onions in the room because my eyes got a little irritated. It's great to see a star football player like DeSean Jackson making a difference in the community and showing a little heart. In case you were wondering his teammate Michael Vick couldn't make it. Apparently he had money on the bullies.