Daily ND Five - August 21, 2008

A late Daily ND Five, as I have been trying to get all of my insurance straightened out for next week. And really, having a plan in case the house burns to the ground is probably a good idea.

One: It has been said before, but it bears repeating - the schedule last year did the team no favors:

Last year’s schedule was brutal not just for the quality of the opponents the Irish faced, but the order in which they faced them. The young and inexperienced 2007 Notre Dame squad played road games at two of the biggest and loudest stadiums in all of college football just within their first three games. In fact, four of the first six games of the year were on the road last year for the Irish.

This year, things are much rosier on the schedule front. (uhnd.com)

Two: This just defies explanation. (Irish Band of Brothers)

Three: Lots of updates on the team, including a pretty sunny injury report:

However, Weis said at this point, his team has not had any major injuries. That includes freshman linebacker Anthony McDonald, who hasn't been at practice for the better part of a week.

Never a bad thing when the team is mostly intact. Also, while you're there, check out the piece on Abdel Banda - another great example of the value of a Notre Dame education. (Irish Insights)

Four: More updates on the team:

Polian said the Irish's new punter, Eric Maust, has made strides just this past week in achieving consistency at the position. Maust said it's merely a case of finally getting enough reps -- he backed up Geoff Price last season -- to be comfortable.

Ah, punting. Remind me, how long until the season starts? (Around the Bend - Chicago Sports)

Five: Thoughts on left tackle being key to the Irish season:

To say the least, sophomore signal caller Jimmy Clausen does not want to go through another beat down at the hands of the opposition, both figuratively and literally.

I guess we will know a lot more in a few weeks. (cfb360.com)