I think we're all agreed that last year was horrible and that there was bad coaching involved. There is, however, some possibility that the participants (i.e., the coaching staff and the players) might have actually learned something from last season.

In 2002 things seemed to come almost unnaturally easy. An 8-0 start, a great recruiting class -- and then the best laid plans came to naught in 2003.

But let's give 2004 a chance now. Some of my points will seem like excuses for Willingham, and I guess they are, but they're not without some basis.

N.D., as it turned out, was a very young team on offense last year. Only one player started the Navy game in 2002 and 2003 (Jenkins). Holiday, though he tried his guts out, could not be effective in the offense except in optimal circumstances, and optimal circumstances were an experienced offensive line and lots of defensive and special teams scores to take the pressure off the offense. We had all that in 2002 but none of it in 2003.

So, we had true freshman Q.B., behind an entirely new offensive line, with three of the top four receivers being freshmen or sophomores, a dorm football legend as the most-used fullback and the most complete tight end being a sophomore who didn't play in 2002. Really, about the only experience we had was at TB and it showed with JJ's play.

Now let's throw in the schedule into the mix. We started a week behind our competitors. In recent years, being down a game or more (particularly on the road) has meant disaster in early season games. It was a recipe for disaster at MSU in 1998, at NU and A&M in 2001 and at UM in 2003. In 2000 and 2002 when we didn't have the "week behind" problem we got off to good starts. Our first nine opponents in 2003 went to bowl games. Four of our first 8 opponents played in BCS games in 2002 or 2003 or both. Many of our opponents (M.S.U., Purdue, Navy, for instance) had much better teams than they had fielded at any time in the last five years or so -- and Michigan, U.S.C. and F.S.U. all had great teams, even by their standards. It wasn't exactly the recipe for a young team on offense to find its legs.

The defense was more experienced than the offense and didn't play to expectations in a lot of games, but the staggering offense didn't do much to give that unit hope. When N.D.'s offense under Willingham reaches the fairly modest mark of 375 total yards in a game, N.D.'s defense holds opponents to 12 points on average. Offense and defense are interrelated, for good or worse. In 2002 it was mostly for good; in 2003 it was mostly for worse. If 375 yards becomes an average, rather than a high point, the defense will magically look a lot better.

In terms of raw talent the team that N.D. will put on the field this year should be able to compete with anyone. Nineteen of N.D.'s projected starters were ranked in the top 25 coming out of high school by Steele's composite recruiting index. Only U.S.C. (18), Michigan (16) and Tennessee (16) are in that league. All other N.D. opponents are in single digits.

The schedule is more favorable. The "week behind" problem has been cured by moving up the B.Y.U. game and that gives a needed break late in the season. B.C. catches us after Navy rather than on the heels of a huge game. In 1992, 1996 and 2000 we played B.C. after playing a service academy and the total combined score of those games was N.D. 130, B.C. 44. We have Michigan at home. The last time two times that has happened, it didn't go well for Michigan. Tennessee is a tough opponent, but doesn't figure ot be FSU of last year, especially with a certain Leak at QB. Purdue has graduated almost all of the defense that gave us fits last year. M.S.U. has graduated Smoker (well, at least his eligibility has expired, whether he got a degree is not my concern) and it's the Spartans, not us, trying to break in a new QB. Washington was unimpressive last year and we have them at home. It's not an easy schedule, but it's not last year's death march either.

The offense, in particular, is more experienced. N.D. projects to return 14 starters this year (8 on offense and 6 on defense). No N.D. opponent has more. Though the system could have been bent more to fit the personnel, the personnel seems now much better suited to run the offense. On defense, Steele rates our defensive line and linebackers the 7th and 8th best units in the country. The secondary is young, but there's plenty of talent back there.

The possibility is there for a very fine season; let's give it a chance.