With a line that hasn't budged beyond -14, the favorite Notre Dame has received close to three quarters of the betting action on this week's game verses Purdue. 

12th-ranked Notre Dame is hoping they don’t need another miracle rally this week to stay in the BCS bowl picture, as they host undefeated Purdue on Saturday.

The Irish nearly lost their second straight game last week but game back from 16 points down midway through the fourth quarter to win 40-37.  Notre Dame kept their BCS bowl hopes alive with that victory and quarterback Brady Quinn may have gotten back into the Heisman Trophy race. After going 2-of-8 for 6 yards in the first quarter as Michigan State took a 17-0 lead, he went 18-of-28 for 313 yards with five touchdowns the rest of the way.

''It doesn't get any better than that,'' head coach Charlie Weis. ''The game was on the line, he threw five touchdown passes. What more can you say? That's what good quarterbacks do.”

Notre Dame's defense which has been pretty pathetic now must face a Purdue team which ranks fifth nationally with 40.8 points per game and 10th with 461.5 yards per contest. ''We're like the weather right now,'' Weis said. ''Seriously, I mean it would be tough to evaluate us right now because I really don't think we've established a personality at this point. I think when it's all said and done, this will all settle down.''

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Some things Notre Dame needs to be concerned about according to NBC Sports:

• No power running game. The coaches are using quick passes, screens and draws. But the basic ball control runs just aren't there. Maybe there is a power running back on this squad somewhere, but right now Darius Walker doesn't seem to be doing the job.

• Defense does not play well in space. The pass defense continues to get beat deep. They need better deep help from the safeties.

• Pass rush needs to improve. The four-man rush is very uneven. Linemen get way out of rush lanes giving the quarterback passing lanes and running lanes.

• Two games on the schedule to worry about before USC: 1) Air Force is a road game vs. a wishbone offense. The Cadets can create great emotion and the weather could be lousy. 2) UCLA, which loves a wide open (no defense) game. The Bruins will throw it 50 times.

• Brady Quinn's timing is off. Particularly on quick passes. He seems off balance or is aiming the ball. But I'm confident he'll get his rhythm back.
 

Oh and we might also be concerned that the public is all over Notre Dame.

Purdue takes a seven-game winning streak into this contest - its longest since a 10-game run from 1998-99.  Purdue was able to slip by Minnesota last week but they know things get tougher.

''We're better than we were last week, and we also played a better opponent,'' Boilermakers coach Joe Tiller said. Quarterback Curtis Painter completed 18-of-27 for 243 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Jaycen Taylor had 90 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.

Purdue lost 49-28 at home last season to Notre Dame as Quinn threw for 440 yards and three touchdowns. Quinn had 432 yards passing when the Boilermakers visited South Bend in 2004, but the Irish lost 41-16. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 50-25-2.

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Don Shapiro, www.sports911.com

Originally published September 29, 2006 10:52 am ET