Manti Te’o and the Notre Dame defense couldn’t stop Alabama’s offense in the BCS title game. (John Bazemore/AP)

By Zac Ellis

Those who watched Alabama’s drubbing of Notre Dame in January’s BCS title game saw the Crimson Tide overwhelm the Irish’s vaunted defense. While Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly can’t argue with that assessment, he doesn’t think the loss exposed one of the team’s defensive stars.

Kelly defended the play of star linebacker Manti Te’o, who was one of the country’s top defensive players and a Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2012. Kelly was asked in an NFL Network interview whether Te’o was exposed against Alabama, to which he simply replied, “No.”

Instead, Kelly contended that his team did not play up to its potential against a hungry Crimson Tide team.

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By Holly Anderson

For those of you unfamiliar with Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson’s musical talents, they’re on full display here in this Fighting Irish spring football trailer:

Golson is obviously a talented player, but if this whole football thing doesn’t work out, he’s got a bright future soundtracking Tom Rinaldi.

[Via @OneFootDown.]

The good news for ASU: Todd Graham is well-versed in the art of dumping teams. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

By Zac Ellis

On Tuesday, news broke that Notre Dame was adding Florida State to its upcoming ACC schedule for 2014. The Irish are joining the ACC in every sport except football, but will still play five football games against ACC teams in their inaugural season.

Alongside that news came word that Notre Dame might be dropping Arizona State from its 2014 slate. According to Fox Sports Arizona, neither team has made anything official, so as of now the two programs are still slated to face off in Tempe on Oct. 25, 2014. But Sun Devils athletic director Steve Patterson didn’t let that stop him from opening up on Notre Dame’s apparent disinterest in keeping his program on its schedule.

In an interview with Phoenix radio station XTRA Sports 910 AM, Patterson went after Notre Dame’s manner of handling business:

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Here you can see Gunner Kiel beginning his run from South Bend to Cincinnati. (Robin Alam/Icon SMI)

By Zac Ellis

The Gunner Kiel saga took its latest turn on Wednesday, when ESPN’s Joe Schad reported that the ex-Notre Dame quarterback is set to enroll at Cincinnati. Kiel will sit out the 2013 season before looking to compete for the starting job in 2014.

Kiel has been tied to a number of high-profile programs since the Indiana native first committed to his home-state Hoosiers in 2011. He flipped to LSU during his senior year, then changed his mind again only days before the enrollment deadline, when he signed with Notre Dame.

Once Kiel announced his intention to transfer earlier this year, he considered Kansas State, Mississippi State and Ole Miss, among others. Ultimately, he bonded with new Bearcats coach Tommy Tuberville and his staff.

Kiel’s decision comes on the heels of Everett Golson winning Notre Dame’s starting quarterback job and leading the team to a berth in the BCS title game last season. This may have also played a role: Cincinnati is only a short drive (93 miles) from Kiel’s hometown of Columbus, Ind.

Former five-star recruit Davonte’ Neal is leaving Notre Dame to play for hometown team Arizona. (Simon Bruty/SI)

By Zac Ellis

Davonte’ Neal, a former five-star wide receiver from Arizona, is transferring from Notre Dame to his home-state Wildcats. Blue and Gold Illustrated is reporting that Neal is leaving the Irish to be closer to his girlfriend and two-month-old daughter in Arizona.

Neal was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Arizona and the No. 1 overall athlete in his class before opting to sign with Notre Dame over the likes of Arizona and Arkansas last year. The Scottsdale, Ariz., native recorded 21 punt returns and one catch as a freshman for the Irish in 2012. Neal reportedly will apply for an NCAA hardship waiver so that he can play for Arizona this season.

Neal made headlines in 2012 after he delayed his commitment to Notre Dame until nearly two weeks after National Signing Day. He then didn’t show up for a special commitment press conference at his former elementary school, leaving hundreds of friends, family and teachers waiting. A family emergency delayed his announcement until hours after the originally scheduled ceremony.

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Notre Dame last played FSU in the 2011 Champs Sports Bowl, an 18-14 ‘Noles’ win. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

By Zac Ellis

Notre Dame’s schedule for the 2014 season — its first as a partial member of the ACC — just got a little bit tougher. WarChant.com is reporting that Notre Dame has added Florida State to its 2014 slate. The Irish will play five ACC members that season, and they have already locked in three opponents: Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Florida State. To date, there is no plan for the Seminoles to visit the Irish in South Bend in 2015. Notre Dame and Florida State last played in the 2011 Champs Sports Bowl, an 18-14 Seminoles’ victory.

Davonte’ Neal’s appearance in last season’s national title game will reportedly be his last for the Fighting Irish. (AP)

Notre Dame wide receiver Davonte’ Neal is reportedly set to leave South Bend and seek a new team somewhere closer to his home in the Southwest, where he has an infant daughter. The rising sophomore saw action mainly as a punt returner in 2012, recording 21 return attempts for 46 yards. Neal was a highly regarded prospect in the class of 2012, and fielded offers from a majority of Pac-12 programs, including Oregon, Stanford and UCLA, in addition to the Fighting Irish.

Brian Kelly, seen here crooning Demi Lovato songs softly to himself. (AP)

So Brian Kelly has a Spotify playlist that includes a track containing references to a girlfriend dying an imaginary death. Here’s why we support this: The fact that “50 Ways to Say Goodbye” made it onto this list suggests that Kelly made it himself and it’s not some carefully vetted p.r. offering. (Either that or, as suspected during Jack Swarbrick’s first Lennay Kekua hoax press conference, Notre Dame’s p.r. department is staffed entirely by holograms.)

The liking of Train and Pitbull, we’re not sure we can help with.

USC import Amir Carlisle hasn’t seen the football field since the 2011-12 season. (AP)

Two Notre Dame football players who’ve previously been beset by injuries are reportedly dinged again, per Keith Arnold. According to his sources, Fighting Irish running back Amir Carlisle sustained a broken collarbone and defensive end Chase Hounshell injured his shoulder in the team’s first spring outing in pads.

The Irish’s spring game is scheduled for Saturday, April 20 at 1:00 p.m. ET; Notre Dame kicks off the 2013 season at home against Temple on Saturday, Aug. 31.

I'm not crazy in thinking that Gunner Kiel will eventually be a 'Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' villain, right? RIGHT? http://t.co/rP5Vyj72Fi—
Zach Dillard (@Zach_Dillard) March 20, 2013