Rakes Report: A Notre Dame podcast

Trojans alum Nick Tres swings by to discuss Saturday night's giant game in South Bend. We look at the important stuff: What's up with Sam Darnold? What should fans on both sides be worried about? Is USC healthy? Why do people schedule weddings during football season?

Apologies but this is another long one, so maybe just listen to it during the time you'd normally be watching Notre Dame during their bye? Irish Sports Daily's Jamie Uyeyama stops by to talk about the defense holding strong, the passing game potentially getting better and the difficult six games remaining on the schedule.

Hoops edition! We'll get back to football later this week, but with the college basketball season looming, we take some time to talk Notre Dame hoops with Joe Schueller of 18 Stripes and Mike Laskey. Topics of conversation include: Federal investigations, recruiting coups, Farrell/Colson pick and rolls, the potential of Rex, positionless basketball and mysterious Canadians.

Michael Bryan of 18Stripes.com (@MichaelBryanMB) swings by to grade the Irish's first four games of the season and offer some insight on the Miami RedHawks. Read Michael's work here:  https://www.18stripes.com/author/michael-bryan/ Sign up for the Rakes Report here: www.tinyletter.com/rakesreport  

The Indianapolis Star's Laken Litman joins to discuss the season so far. Then (30:00), Chris and Matt spend a lot of time talking about old Notre Dame/Michigan State games and touch on last week's BC game and the upcoming trip to East Lansing.

In the aftermath of the Georgia loss, we take a look at the things that are giving us concern and hope about the 2017 Fighting Irish. Also, a review of Crossroads. (LET US DJ PLEASE.) Subscribe to the Rakes Report newsletter at tinyletter.com/rakesreport. 

Jamie Uyeyama of Irish Sports Daily breaks down the newest members of the Notre Dame offense. We also discuss pick plays and direct-to-video Disney sequels. (This is Part 2 of 2.)

Jamie Uyeyama of Irish Sports Daily gives the run down on the newest members of the Notre Dame defense, plus bonus kicker talk. (This is Part 1 of 2.)

Indy Star's Laken Litman (@LakenLitman) swings by to discuss her observations from camp, the mood around the program and her interview with Jack Swarbrick. Then she recounts her recent conversation with an ebullient Mike Brey (32:00). Read Laken's words here:  http://www.indystar.com/staff/10053628/laken-litman/ Subscribe to the Rakes Report newsletter at www.tinyletter.com/rakesreport . 

Mike Vorel of the South Bend Tribune stops by to talk about the NDInsider preview magazine. Topics of discussion include offensive line upside, the deep receiving corps, reasons for hope and fear on defense, the attitude around the program and the origins of the #BookClub. Subscribe to the Rakes Report newsletter at www.tinyletter.com/rakesreport.

Bill Connelly joins to discuss his preview of the 2017 Fighting Irish. Was there anything positive to take from 2016? Are there reasons for optimism for this season? What does Bill think of the new coordinators?  All that and a Ty Willingham reference. Bill's preview:  http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/5/9/15552022/notre-dame-football-2017-preview-schedule-roster Subscribe to the Rakes...

Jamie Uyeyama of Irish Sports Daily swings by to recap spring practice. Do we feel better about the defensive line and safeties? How about the offensive line? All of that plus quarterback chatter, an attempt to sort out offensive skill positions and a little DeShone Kizer draft talk. Subscribe to the Rakes Report newsletter at www.tinyletter.com/rakesreport.

Joe Schueller from 18 Stripes joins to look back at the basketball season that was. What we'll remember from the 2016-17 campaign, the legacies of Steve Vasturia and V.J. Beachem, the Matt Ryan transfer, and an attempt to figure out the rotation for 2017-18. Read Joe's Vasturia piece here: https://www.18stripes.com/4385-2/

Going deeeeeep on the Princeton Tigers, plus a look at Bucknell/West Virginia, the rest of the West and a few ACC Tournament thoughts.

This is a long one! Laken Litman from the Indy Star joins to talk Brian Kelly's spring practice presser, Irish at the NFL combine (11:40), her interview with Jack Swarbrick (19:00) and the ACC Tournament (32:00). Then Joe Schueller of 18 Stripes joins (41:54) to talk about ACC Player of the Year voting, if Notre Dame can beat Virginia and how lucky Irish basketball fans should feel in 2017.

Chris and Matt take a stroll through all the position groups following the Class of 2017 officially coming onboard the Irish. Where should Irish fans feel confident? Where should they maybe be worried? (Spoiler on that last question: the defense.)

SI's senior college hoops writer Luke Winn swings by to discuss Notre Dame's place in the ACC, Mike Brey, Bonzie Colson and the 2015 Kentucky game.

The Indianapolis Star's Laken Litman swings by to discuss Notre Dame basketball's strong season thus far and (28:00) how the football team has started to move on from 4-8.

Irish Sports Daily's Jamie Uyeyama swings by to discuss all the new coaching hires, strength and conditioning and reasons for optimism.

Chris and Matt lament the 1-3 start and try to make sense of where the Irish stand. Then (26:00) Syracuse writer John Cassillo (@JohnCassillo) stops by to talk about the Orange.

Dan Wetzel joins us to provide an Irish wake therapy session, discussing Brian Kelly vs. Tom Herman, the future of Notre Dame independence, the effect of Nick Saban's success on everybody else and whether or not Irish fans should be optimistic about the future of the program.

USA TODAY college football and basketball reporter Nicole Auerbach stops by to discuss some Michigan State/Notre Dame storylines, the playoff, the greatness of Mike Brey and Art Briles' coaching future.

Irish Sports Daily's Jamie Uyeyama swings by to discuss the season thus far and look ahead to Michigan State. Then it's another Southern Cal Minute (50:38), where Nick puts Clay Helton on termination watch.

Jason Chilton (@KnowTheGame60), Longhorn sage and writer at SBNation's Texas site Barking Carnival, stops by to preview the season opener. Discussed: The mental state of Texas fans, their options at quarterback, how the new offensive system will try to attack the Irish, issues in the trenches and a secondary that has some promise and some potential problems.  Jason's breakdown of the Longhorn quar...

CSN Chicago Notre Dame Insider J.J. Stankevitz (@jjstankevitz) swings by for the latest ofnLaw & Order: South Bend, a handicapping of the quarterback race and and a listing of potential breakout players at wide receiver and on defense. Then it's the inaugural Southern Cal Minute (41:30), when friend of the show and USC partisan Nick Tres gives an update on how the Trojans are looking so far in cam...