It seems like only a short time ago that the barren desert of the offseason seemed too long to survive, but by some convenient shaking of the hourglass of time (protected in the Days of Our Lives studios for the last few decades), we're a mere two and a half weeks away from the start of the collegiate football season.  While I need to start considering my first BlogPoll ballot - because as you all know, nothing is more important than the preseason poll, where no football has been played and all we're going by is what's on paper and what the talking heads say - we also need to turn our attention to the first opponent: the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Last year, as you probably remember, the second-ranked Irish traveled to Atlanta to start the season off against a Georgia Tech team that had spent the previous season's opener upending the highly-touted Auburn Tigers on the road.  After a long day that started in Athens, Georgia, with thousands of frat guys in khaki shorts and red polos asking us if we were at the right game and then taking a detour (or three) to the Varsity, we settled into Bobby Dodd Stadium for what we expected to be an offensive show put on by Charlie Weis, Brady Quinn and the entire cast we'd be hearing an offseason about.

Sadly, Jon Tenuta's defense was quite formidable, and if not for another unheralded performance by Darius Walker (99 yards and the go-ahead touchdown) and an ignorance of Calvin Johnson's presence in the second half, the Irish would have perhaps met the same fate the Plainsmen did a year before.  Georgia Tech went on to have another Chan Gailey-like season (although they did break the seven win mark), dominating Virginia Tech, only to get smeared on ESPN primetime two weeks later against Clemson.  The Jackets turned it around before ending the season on a three-game, three-point losing streak to Georgia (15-12), Wake Forest (9-6) and West Virginia (38-35).  So, what are we to expect in 2007?

I haven't taken a math class in a few years (Rob's your resident accounting wizard around here), but I'd imagine that Georgia Tech's offense looks like a lengthy algebra equation heading into the season.  The one constant you have is Tashard Choice, who ran for 1473 yards and 12 scores last year and will be trying to replicate his 5.0 yards per carry average behind four of the five same offensive linemen.  In an ACC where question marks hover over every offense, Choice is as close to a sure thing as you're going to get.

Now, the variables.  What will be the effect of losing Calvin Johnson?  Obviously, when you lose a player rated All-Galaxy for the last couple of years, it not only takes away his production but hurts the production of those around him.  Yes, James Johnson put together a nice little season, but anyone with the smallest bit of talent could find some openings with the secondary keeping most of their eyes on Number 21.

The other variable, and one that gives Yellow Jacket fans hope, is how much they gain by losing Reggie Ball and replacing him with Taylor Bennett.  Ball was consistently inconsistent, scrambling to upset victories (Miami in '05) and aiding the cause of many of GT's most heart-breaking losses (Notre Dame in '06, every game against Georgia).  While losing Johnson is obviously not a good thing (unless you're a Detroit Lion fan, and if so, why?), perhaps the net yield of those two factors could end up a plus in the Yellow Jacket's favor.

In his lone start of the season due to a merciful suspension handed down by an angel of a Tech professor, Bennett threw for 326 yards, three touchdowns and one pick against West Virginia in the Gator Bowl.  Beyond just having good numbers against a consistently bad secondary, Bennett simply ran the entire offense beautifully, staking his team to a 35-17 lead they could not hold onto.  If Choice stays healthy, James Johnson improves on his 39 catch, 7 touchdown season and redshirt freshman Demaryius Thomas is anywhere near as good as advertised, the Tech offense could potentially be rolling under new offensive coordinator John Bond, who presided over Garrett Wolfe and Northern Illinois's attack over the last few seasons.

Potential problems?  Other than Bennett proving he's a quality quarterback when not playing against awful 3-3-5 defenses with a month of prepation, his name sounds like that of the snooty, water polo-playing/head cheerleader villain in any movie or television show based in Southern California.  You can almost see Michael Cera hiding around the corner as Bennett and his posse roll in to the parking lot in their hummers.  Of course, in the Buffy/The OC/Veronica Mars/Orange County/Arrested Development/Beverly Hills 90210 sunshine megaverse, some Taylors end up being just dandy.  

When you couple that gratuitous reminder of Autumn Reeser's perfection with the fact Bennett, in a move straight out of Remember the Titans ("Unnecessary roughness!  That's a penalty!"  "On the quarterback?  Are you kidding me, coach?") hip-tossed (!?!?!) his own defensive end in Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage, perhaps he's no pretty boy after all.    

While it's beyond my means to project how Bennett will do against the likes of Miami and Virginia Tech (the Jackets miss out on Florida State this season; raise your hand if you love superconferences!), unless Corwin Brown is smarter than even all the most optimistic Irish fans believe him to be, the Jackets should be able to move the ball on the 3-4 simply by plunging Choice into our thin defensive line and play-actioning off of that.  If we turn the tables on Tech and can get some blitzers through, putting the Jackets in long-yardage situations and putting the onus on the rather unseasoned quarterback playing in his first game of the season on the road, then things might go pretty well.

The Irish had to scrap and claw to get their fourteen points last season against Tenuta's defense last season, and with all of our question marks - as shiny and talented as those question marks may be - on offense, there's only a few reasons to think we'll get significantly better results.

First, let's look at what the Jackets bring back, which is mostly everything (8 starters).  The one saving grace is that stand-out linebacker KaMichael Hall moves on, along with stout lineman Joe Anoai and cornerback Kenny Scott.  Sadly, blitzing machine Philip Wheeler is most likely ready to return to his position on the opposite side of the Notre Dame offensive line (13 tackles, including two tackles for loss in last year's opener).  Tenuta's blitzing defense is a lot like the Blitzburgh attacked used by the Steelers in recent years: no matter who's playing linebacker, they're going to get their licks in on the quarterback.

Of course, there are a few problems with consistent blitzing.  While you'll get the big, highlight-reel sack and force a turnover or two, you're also opening yourself up to giving up big yards on short little dump passes or screens.  The one difference the Irish have this season going into the game is an increased amount of speed, both on the outside and in the backfield.

The only thing that can perhaps be counted on this season for the Irish - that their slew of talented backs and a sprinkling of experienced linemen will lead to a good rushing game - is most likely their greatest weapon against the Jackets.  In probably their two most embarrassing performances of the season, Tenuta's bunch was scorched for 31 points against Clemson and 38 against West Virginia.  Various lines in those games you might find interesting?  

James Davis: 21 carries for 216 yards, 2 TDs, 10.3 ypc  
C.J. Spiller, 16 carries for 116 yards, 1 TD, 7.3 ypc.  
Pat White: 22 carries for 145 yards, 1 TD, 6.6 ypc
Owen Schmitt: 13 carries for 109 yards, 2 TDs, 8.4 ypc.

While the Mountaineers and Tigers were certainly great at running the ball all year, good defenses were more than capable of stopping them (Virginia Tech suffocated Clemson, WVU was thrown all asunder by USF).  No matter who is playing quarterback for the Irish, if the combination of Travis Thomas, Armando Allen, James Aldridge, Asaph Schwapp, Robert Hughes and Luke Schmidt can't do some damage running behind John Sullivan and Sam Young, we have some issues.  Seriously, watch these videos: Just tackle somebody!  I feel like I'm watching Rick Minter's defense out there.

If the Irish can just run run run the ball on Georgia Tech, thus avoiding the potential trouble coming from the Bennett/Choice/Thomas trio and scoring points in the process, they might find more success than they did last season in Atlanta, where D-Walk squeaked out a 4.5 ypc average behind an offensive line that proved less than thrilling all season long.  On top of just trying to run it downhill at a defense that has to replace their leading tackler (Hall) and resident man in the middle (Anoai), the thought of Allen, West and Grimes catching it on quick screens to the outside and making something happen is also very appealing.

Word of warning: Should the Irish make it past the first two levels of GT's defense, Jamal Lewis is the kind of freakish safety you usually find on Miami or Florida State.  He rung up 74 tackles, 6 tackles for loss and 3 picks last season, so if Jimevantrius Sharpjonesen want to test Tenuta's secondary, perhaps they do it on the side of the field opposite Number Four.

To say Chan Gailey has made questionable decisions in his time at Georgia Tech would be an understatement, starting with the idea that perhaps Reggie Ball would be a good starter for four entire seasons.  However, to his credit, he's surrounded himself with some quality coordinators (Tenuta assuredly is; people are speaking highly of Bond, who also doubles as quarterback coach, at this point).  While the individual parts of the Tech team scare me, they did last year in a game they very well should have won at home.  

The Notre Dame Stadium crowd isn't one known for flustering people (save for Matt Leinart), but Corwin Brown's 3-4 defense, which will assuredly make it a point to confuse Bennett with a mix of exotic (there's an actual Sports Blog Law that says I must use this word to describe sending extra men towards the quarterback at least once in any extended post) blitzes and max coverages, could have success if Choice just can't run overtop of them the entire time.  On offense, if the Robot Genius is what all Irish fans believe him to be, we'll be able to scrap out enough points with our running game to keep it close no matter who is calling the signals.

I got to become acquainted with two great fight songs I was previously unfamiliar with last season when traveling to Atlanta and New Orleans.  Both Georgia Tech and LSU feature fight songs that are catchy as hell, although the Yellow Jacket's might just be a little more entertaining.  The music just sort of happily bounces along and the lyrics are great, promoting drinking, gambling and cursing:

Obviously, it's no Victory March, but it's certainly up there.

I think Georgia Tech has a chance to be very, very good this season, and the entire campaign would be blackened by an upset loss to an Irish team a lot of people think will be re*****ing.  While the passing game and secondary will play a part, I think this game will call upon some good ol' fashioned, smash-knuckle, in-the-trenches football.  The Irish won't get their offense on the field if they can't stop Choice, while last season shows the best way to put up points on Tenuta's defense is to run over, around and through it.  By making this prediction I guarantee you a highlight-filled aerial shootout, but as long as the home team keeps it close, it doesn't matter to me the methods they employ to do so.