WHO BE QB? (UPDATE)

Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis knows who will take the first snap of the 2007 season for the Irish, and you don't. On Tuesday Weis, speaking to South Bend-based TV station WNDU, which 1) abuts the western edge of campus and 2) may have the only brother-sister anchor team in local news (Terry & Maureen McFadden), replied "absolutely" when asked if he knew who his starter was.

Weis called the identity of his starter "no big secret", then kept it the biggest secret heading into Notre Dame's Sept. 1 opener with Georgia Tech by not revealing the identity of the player. "People think that you vacillate," Weis told WNDU. "You know what you're doing. I'm not trying to sandbag anyone, but I think that going into your first game, it's important that any additional ammon that you could have to help you win that one game you should use.

Unlike his Notre Dame counterpart, Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey has open practices and even allowed media members to record last Saturday's scrimmage (requesting only that we keep the shots tight on players and not show formations). Weis is Gailey's opposite in that respect. In terms of media accessibility, you have to love Gailey's approach. In terms of "strategery", I'd do exactly what Weis is doing considering his QB situation.

So, it's no big secret to Weis as to whether the starter will be junior Evan Sharpley, sophomore Demetrius Jones or freshman Jimmy Clausen. But it remains so to the rest of us. Given the success Weis enjoyed in New England when his Patriots were compelled to go with an unproven rookie (Tom Brady) when the incumbent (Drew Bledsoe) went down, do not at all be surprised if the starter is Clausen.