SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Who will be Notre Dames starting quarterback isnt the biggest concern facing coach Brian Kelly.Kelly knows DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire can both play at a high level. That isnt necessarily the case elsewhere. The Irish have holes to fill at linebacker, along the offensive and defensive lines, at defensive back and at receiver.Most of those vying for starting positions dont have a lot of experience.Its a balance of some guys that have played a lot of football and have had success with some young players, Kelly said. The balance at times would make you leery, and at times is very exciting. Because theres a lot of talent on this football team.Enough balance, Kelly believes, to compete to be a playoff team.We dont have a conference championship. So everything that we work toward is to be one of those four teams, Kelly said.A key factor in that is expected to be quarterback play. Kelly said the competition between Kizer, the returning starter, and Zaire, who was the starter last season until breaking his right ankle in the second game, is close. Kelly has said he doesnt know when he will make a decision and hasnt ruled out using both players. He said both have looked sharp in practice and neither has an advantage. Kelly said coaches already know what each can do.So every day is not, `All right, what did you see to decide about Malik, or, `What did you see thats going to help you decide on Kizer? We already know about them, he said. Its really about focusing the offensive play calls and the offense we want to run through Malik and focusing the play calls we want to run through Kizer. Thats really what we want to do right now.REPLACING JAYLONOne of the biggest questions is who will replace weakside linebacker Jaylon Smith, who led the team with 114 tackles last season. Sophomore Asmar Bilal, who didnt play as a freshman, appeared to have the early edge, but Kelly said Thursday that junior Greer Martini, who started four games last season and had 35 tackles, and sophomore Tevon Coney have moved ahead of him.DOUBLE-DIGIT WINSThe Irish have won 10 or more games in a season twice in six seasons under Brian Kelly, including going 10-3 last season. The Irish did it once in five seasons under Charlie Weis, once in three seasons under Tyrone Willingham and failed to do it in five seasons under Bob Davie. The Irish will be trying to win at least 10 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since doing it three straight seasons 1991-93 under Lou Holtz, whose teams accomplished that feat five times in 11 seasons.YOUTH MOVEMENTAmong the freshmen Kelly expects to help this season are: receivers Javon McKinley, Chase Claypool, Kevin Stepherson, defensive backs Donte Vaughn, Tony Pride Jr. and Julian Love, Devin Studstill and tailback Tony Jones Jr.KEY GAMESThe Irish open the season on the road at Texas on Sunday night, Sept. 4, but the Irish will likely be favored coming off their season-opening 38-3 victory last season. The toughest games are expected to be at home against Michigan State on Sept. 17, against Stanford on Oct. 15 and at USC in the final regular-season game on Nov. 26.PREDICTIONKelly appears to have the Irish rolling, and this years schedule doesnt appear to be as difficult as those in recent years: 10-2. Kevin King Super Bowl Jersey . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU. JK Scott Super Bowl Jersey .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Kevin Porter and defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the minors as part of a five-player roster shuffle made by the NHLs worst team. https://www.packersrookiestore.com/Packers-Mason-Crosby-Jersey/ . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. Raven Greene Super Bowl Jersey . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. Aaron Jones Super Bowl Jersey . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. Omaha is coming off its first victory over a Power 5 opponent in the modern era, a win at Iowa on Saturday, but the Mavericks are not overconfident knowing what is coming up next.Omaha (4-4) travels across the Hawkeye state to play Monday in Ames against No. 25 Iowa State, which is hungry for a victory after losing consecutive games against No. 8 Gonzaga and 22nd-ranked Cincinnati.It was good to get one, but now weve got to focus back up, Omaha junior forward TreShawn Thurman told the Omaha World-Herald after the win over Iowa, the programs first victory over a Big Ten foe. Weve got a huge one Monday.Iowa States slide is its first two-game nonconference losing streak since defeats to UNLV and Cincinnati in the 2012 Global Sports Classic in Las Vegas.The Cyclones were in jeopardy of falling out of the AP Top 25 poll after 60 consecutive rankings, the third-longest active streak behind Kansas and Arizona.Im disappointed for the players, Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said after the 55-54 overtime loss to the visiting Bearcats on Saturday. I thought they really competed, and showed toughness and grit.I knew it would be a one-possession game.Iowa State (5-2) scored just three points in the final four minutes of regulation and two baskets in overtime. The loss snapped a 37-game winning streak against nonconference opponents at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames.Didnt make shots, said senior guard Monte Morris, who leads the Cyclones scoring 15.9 points a game. We just have to watch the film. We have to get better.It aint the end of the world. We lost by one.Omahas victory at Iowa was out of this world for coach Derrin Hansen and his fledging program in the SSummit League.dddddddddddd The Mavericks did not gain full postseason eligibility until last season after moving from Division II to Division I in 2011-12.Hansen is wary of the fact Iowa State is experienced -- one of four Division I teams that starts five seniors -- and eager turn things around against an opponent that will not come in under the radar after the upset of the Hawkeyes.It becomes different because were going to play a team that had a 37-game streak broke at home and they noticed us beating a cross-state rival, said Hansen, whose team will play its seventh road game of the season. Therell be no overlooking now. The game becomes different, not in our minds but in their minds. And thats probably the most important of the two.Omahas top scorer, guard Zach Jackson (13.1 points a game), led the Mavericks against Iowa with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Thurman added 17 points and nine rebounds. Senior point guard Tra-Deon Hollins had 12 points with 11 assists.Speculation around Iowa States program suggests the Cyclones could make a starting lineup change on the frontcourt against Omaha.Darrell Bowie, a 6-foot-8 senior reserve forward transfer from Northern Illinois, averaged 7.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per game over the past four games. Senior forward Merrill Holden, a 6-8 transfer from Louisiana Tech, has started all seven games and is averaging 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 17.3 minutes a game as a starter.Holden is the Cyclones tallest starter. The other four are no taller than 6-5. ' ' '